LA7 Thank You
With the world reeling from the Covid pandemic, seven local authorities joined forces to fight the spread of Covid-19 in the North-East of England.
Ambition
Despite knowing what to do to reduce the spread of Covid, some people felt either unable or unwilling, to follow all of the rules, all of the time. They weren’t sure why they were doing it.
Our mission was to help people rediscover the ‘why’, and deliver a campaign that changes behaviours. Our goal was to deliver an empathetic reminder of why following the guidance is important in the region’s fight against Covid-19.
Strategy
Since March 2020, we had been subjected to a series of campaigns telling us what we could and couldn’t do. Our region was confused, tired and desperately missing friends and families. Mental health and emotional well-being were under threat and impacting people’s ability and motivation to adhere to desired behaviours. People were questioning the legitimacy of the rules which had started to make less sense.
All of this manifested in two behavioural concerns – social distancing and household mixing. People were lapsing either unconsciously or consciously.
Our region was worn down physically, emotionally and cognitively. Being constantly told what they couldn’t do felt like their efforts were unappreciated. Adding more instruction would just feel like haranguing.
Solution
We changed the Covid comms narrative from top-down, authoritarian, rule-giver, to a kinder and more personal approach – thanking locals for their efforts in a plea to encourage them to keep going.
We delivered a campaign for, and from, the people of the region. A campaign that was instantly relatable and would represent frontline workers who were contributing to the North East’s Covid response, alongside everyday folk who were also doing their bit.
Featuring ten local people, our solution quickly established emotional connections by putting a friendly face to what was usually CAPS ON Covid comms from the government.
To drive personal relevance and to ensure our campaign aligned with government guidance, we used targeted media that enabled us to include people’s specific areas within the wider region.
We used media placement to talk to key audiences and behavioural contexts. Geo-targeted digital reached parents around schools and people who had been in a care home.
We targeted workers/commuters by using radio and the region’s transport network. As Christmas approached, the campaign featured around the region’s shopping centres. We deployed ad vans with locally specific messaging for harder to reach audiences.
To support North East residents in knowing what was being asked of them, we designed and built BeatCovidNE.co.uk – a hub which collates and simplifies national guidance and delivers it through a regional lens. This meant that residents no longer had to decipher what the rules were for them.
Throughout the whole campaign period, our protagonists published weekly Covid Diaries on BeatCovidNE.co.uk. The region got to know the trials and tribulations of each diarist as they responded to the changing landscape and challenges.
94%
took a clear message away.
Results
The campaign was clear and easy to understand, with 94% taking a clear message away. 92% of people who saw the campaign agreed they had the information they needed to keep themselves and others safe vs 83% of people who hadn’t seen the campaign.
Over the campaign period, the per 100,000 case rate in the region tracked at, or below, the UK average, and the Christmas peak fell at a faster rate in the region vs the UK average.
The campaign motivated the region. Nearly half of those who saw the campaign took at least one desired action and 90% of the region who saw the campaign agreed that they need to persevere to get through the crisis.
92% of people who saw the campaign agreed that they had the information they needed to keep themselves and others safe vs only 83% of people who hadn’t seen the campaign.
The campaign scooped accolades at a number of the UK’s most recognised award schemes, including The Drum Marketing Awards, Marketing Week Masters, PRCA Dare and CIPR North.
