In our latest blog, Campaign Manager, Eleanor shares her top tips for creating successful behaviour change campaigns.

 

Tease it out

A little intrigue goes a long way. Drip feed information and start your campaign with a teaser to leave your audience wanting more. In a world where visual noise can be overwhelming, and where messages are fighting for attention, often it’s not what you say, but what you don’t that gets people talking. Don’t be afraid to be ambiguous. Flash a bit of metaphorical ankle but leave some things to the imagination.

 

For the right reasons

When it comes to behaviour change campaigns, we’re trying to get people to alter their attitudes and adjust their behaviour to make positive change. Whatever your cause, people aren’t going to get on board unless you find a reason that resonates with them. Appeal to their motivations, understand any barriers, and make sure you’re providing the solution.

By understanding motivations to get people out and about, exploring their local area, Discoveries on your Doorstep got Scarborough and Selby walking more.

 

Keep it simple

A complex message doesn’t need to be over complicated. Keep it simple and tell it like it is. Get to the point – your audience will thank you for it.

Find out how we kept it simple with the straight-talking Seriously campaign.

 

Know your audience(s)

Often your audience isn’t just one group of people. Work out who they are, get under their skin and understand what makes them tick. Find real people, with real motivations, interests and aspirations who will appeal to your audience and inspire them to take steps towards positive change.

Find out how Active Herts inspired a whole range of people in Hertfordshire to get active.

 

The power of personalisation 

Whether it’s personalised data, or tailoring messages so that they’re specific to the local area, find a way to tailor content so that it resonates with the audience. Find a way to speak to them directly and you’re on to a winner.

 

Look to the future

Changing behaviour takes time. Often, we won’t change for ourselves, to improve our own health or happiness. But when it comes to the next generation, that’s a different story. People care about the world their children will grow up in, and if they can do their bit to improve things for the next generation, they will.

Find out how we’re helping the next generation breathe freely.

 

Be realistic

Every campaign has limits – time, budget, resource… but these restrictions don’t need to limit creativity. Know what yours are and work with them. Don’t have a man with a van to hand and know you’re going to need to Uber from event to event? Be smart and make sure campaign materials are taxi-sized.

Find out what happens when our campaigns come to life: wearemagpie.com