Building HIV/AIDS capacity in India

The International HIV/AIDS Alliance and the India HIV/AIDS Alliance—a global network and a national leader, respectively—came together to confront the urgent challenge of HIV prevention and sexual health in India. United by a shared commitment to equity, rights, and community-based health solutions, the two organizations sought to mobilize national awareness and sustainable funding. To achieve this, they partnered with our team to develop a bold, public-facing strategy. The collaboration aimed not only to build widespread engagement through India’s first pan-national HIV fundraising campaign, but also to strengthen the internal identity, capacity, and response systems of Alliance India for lasting impact.

What We Were Hired to Address

In a country still grappling with stigma and gaps in funding for HIV/AIDS, the goal was bold: launch India’s first-ever pan-national HIV fundraising and awareness campaign, while simultaneously strengthening the internal brand, communications systems, and capacity of India HIV/AIDS Alliance and its partners.

The dual challenge required:

• A cohesive public-facing identity for India HIV/AIDS Alliance to support visibility, marketing, and donor trust.

• A national campaign—emotionally resonant, culturally rooted, and widely accessible—that could mobilise public attention and long-term support.

• Readiness across internal systems and partner organisations to manage, respond to, and build on heightened public engagement.

Research / Strategy

Our work began with foundational insight development and strategic alignment, driven by the belief that HIV response is both a communications challenge and a systems one.

• Stakeholder Discovery: Extensive interviews with leadership, staff, and peer organisations to understand barriers, goals, and voice.

• Audience Research: Focus groups and surveys with general public and priority communities to understand motivators, language, and tone.

• Strategic Architecture: We designed two brand platforms:

  • A bold new identity for India HIV/AIDS Alliance, reflecting its leadership and human rights ethos.

  • A national campaign brand—End AIDS India—with messaging that positioned HIV as a family issue, not just a public health one.

Success meant:

• Unified and recognisable identities across program, fundraising, and outreach work.

• Scalable tools for donor engagement and real-time tracking.

• Increased public awareness and readiness among communities and local NGOs.

• A national campaign that engaged hearts and changed minds.

Actions / Execution

Our creative and technical services spanned every layer of campaign and organisational execution. These included:

Branding and Creative Services

• Developed the visual identity systems for both India HIV/AIDS Alliance and End AIDS India, including:

  • Logos, colour palettes, iconography, typography, graphic language.

  • Brand guidelines for consistent use across partners and platforms.

• Designed physical space branding for India HIV/AIDS Alliance offices and programme materials to support internal culture and coherence.

Digital and Web Development

• Created and launched websites for both organisations and the campaign, designed for:

  • Mobile-first audiences

  • Strong SEO performance

  • Integrated fundraising tools and analytics

• Built content frameworks and user journeys that helped donors, partners, and media navigate content easily and take action.

Marketing and Communications

• Developed the full communications and content strategy—tailored to India’s linguistic and cultural diversity.

• Wrote and designed advertising campaigns, email newsletters, program collateral, pitch decks, and donor engagement materials.

• Activated a multi-channel media strategy, which included:

  • National ads and celebrity PSAs

  • Social media storytelling campaigns

  • Integration into popular drama serials

  • Print media and outdoor advertising

  • Community theatre and grassroots outreach

Capacity Building

• Trained and supported five partner NGOs on:

  • Aligning their outreach to the new campaign voice

  • Managing fundraising infrastructure and donor data

  • Consistent brand and visual identity use across materials

Outcomes / Results

The project delivered both transformational visibility and institutional readiness for a long-term HIV response:

• End AIDS India became the first national HIV/AIDS public fundraising campaign—a visible, emotional, and credible platform supported by storytelling and cultural resonance.

• India HIV/AIDS Alliance emerged with a revitalised brand, an upgraded digital infrastructure, and the communications tools to lead confidently at a national and global level.

• Public response to the campaign exceeded expectations, generating widespread media coverage and a surge in inquiries, donations, and interest from across the country.

• Partner NGOs became campaign-ready, with improved brand cohesion and enhanced fundraising tools.

• The campaign became a model for global health communication, balancing technical accuracy, emotional relevance, and inclusive design.

See Alliance India's website

See IHAA's website