Leveraging a successful campaign to reduce cancers caused by alcohol

Overview

Commissioned by FARE and backed by ACT Health, Reduce your Risk was bolstered by Icon’s fully integrated communications approach, raising awareness of the new alcohol guidelines from NHMRC (National Health and Medical Research Council) and ultimately the link between alcohol and cancer.

Background

While the link between alcohol and cancer is well established, less than half (44%) of adults living in the ACT are aware of the health risk.

Using a foundational TVC of Western Australia’s iconic ‘Spread Campaign’, Icon was charged with building an integrated campaign that included revised video assets, new radio, outdoor, social, collateral, GP engagement and media relations.

Challenges

As we saw through the well researched ‘Spread’ campaign, along with many other Behaviour Change communication campaigns, use of fear can increase salience and motivation around an issue but it needs to be combined with an easy to do behavioural prompt.

Drinking alcohol is also deeply attached to many people's routines and social lives, as well as being used as a coping mechanism. It’s a challenging habit to change, so our behaviour change approach focused on encouraging conversations to expand the longevity of the message salience.

The campaign also needed to speak to two different core audiences - Canberrans and GPs - to encourage them to learn more about the guidelines and start conversations with each other about the link between alcohol and cancer. A two-phased approach was required to reach these distinct audiences.

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Solution

The reboot strategy required a sophisticated, integrated mix of government relations, press, paid media, digital platform creation, and design and delivery of creative assets.

Reduce your Risk leveraged the Spread campaign and included a behaviour prompt to encourage conversations around the link between alcohol and cancer.

A microsite was created to act as a single source of truth, communicating the new alcohol guidelines and building understanding around how to moderate drinking behaviour.

To raise awareness of the campaign among the GP audience posters, flyers and an eDM were distributed to clinics across Canberra along with a 30s video to play on select in-clinic screens. Industry bodies and ministerial stakeholders were also engaged to validate and amplify the key messages to this audience.

One month later the campaign launched to the public, aiming to increase awareness of the new guidelines and encourage people to talk to their GPs about the link between alcohol and cancer.

The comprehensive eight-week broadcast media campaign launched on TV, OOH, Radio, VOD and social, along with specialised digital channels to include mobile video and digital audio ads, driving reach and frequency. The full media campaign was complemented by PR and media relations as well as further stakeholder engagement.

Outcome / results

1,500,000 ad impressions (all channels)
561,600 video completions
104,800 audio completions
28,900 website page views
80% of GP clinics in Canberra reached
159,500 minimum unique social reach
1,930 views of the Guidelines

Reduce Your Risk Campaign Video

To see more of our work, click here.