Marketing blood drives to students: a case study

The aim of this paper is to motivate blood donation among international students and demonstrate the applicability of marketing techniques in the health care sector.

The paper uses a combination of focus groups and a questionnaire-based survey.

The paper finds that donors primarily find gratification from their altruistic acts through awareness of their contribution to saving lives. Receiving information on how each individual donation is used is seen as a powerful means of reinforcement. Practical benefits such as receiving free blood test information are also useful motivators, while communicating the professionalism of the blood collection techniques are important for reassuring the minority of prospective donors who expressed fears about possible risks associated with blood donation.

Since this was a small-scale study among Hungarian and international students in Budapest, further research is necessary to validate its results among other demographic groups.

Findings were reported to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Hungary in order to increase blood donations among students in Hungary. Subject to validation through further research, applying recommended approaches in different countries and other demographic groups is suggested.

This is the first research paper on motivation toward blood donation among international students and offers new and practical suggestions for increasing their level of participation in blood drives.