One of the biggest challenges faced by governments, marketers and advertisers alike is creating campaigns that successfully induce long-lasting behaviour change.
Whether it’s encouraging people to eat healthier or change their driving habits, humans are hard bunch to convince. For us, behaviour change is at the heart of everything we do, and, if we do say ourselves, we’re one of Australia's most experienced behaviour change agencies.
We’ve compiled six tips to give you an insight into our behaviour change framework, and to help ensure your next campaign is successful.
1. Understand the Issue
The first step to any successful behavioural change campaign is gaining a rich understanding of the issue you are trying to address. Primarily, this involves research. What is the problem? Why is it occurring? What solutions have been tried already? Once you understand the problem, developing methods for addressing it becomes much easier.
2. Consult Experts in the field
For any behavioural change campaign, there will be experts who have dedicated years of their life to studying the issue you seek to rectify. Track them down and find out what they know. Their input can be incredibly valuable in constructing unique solutions to encourage change.
3. Use an Evidence and Research-Based Approach
Trustworthy evidence and research supporting the message behind your campaign will lend it a great deal of credibility. Hard-hitting facts and reliable studies can help to affirm the validity of your message, and establish a communal understanding of a need for change.
4. Encourage Action
A truly successful behavioural change campaign sets in place the means by which people can implement change independently. Change comes into being at the smallest level, and as such, your campaign must seek to encourage people as individuals to take action. Inspiring people to take action themselves can often help bolster your campaign by giving them a sense of control and pride in what they’re undertaking.
5. Engage with the Community and Partners
A successful behavioural change campaign requires strong communication between the agency undertaking it and the people being encouraged to change. Ensure your campaign is open to community to feedback, and make sure to respond frequently to their questions and concerns.
6. Amplify What’s Being Done
Your target audience may be open to the prospect of change but unsure of how to proceed. When members of the community find ways of implementing behavioural change, be sure to encourage it and share it with others to foster a growing sense of community.
Like to know more? See Icon's Behaviour Change Marketing service.