The health sector is one of Australia’s largest industries, and getting the right message to the right people can be a challenge.
While working on the Australian Government’s National Bowel Cancer Screening Program’s community engagement campaign, we were faced with this challenge. With only 40% of eligible Australians participating in the program, we had to create messaging that:
- Shared the right facts and was informative.
- Helped encourage uptake in the program and bust myths.
- Reached our diverse audience groups appropriately.
To do this, we considered the following things:
- Use plain English and evidence based facts – If a message is too technical or long, you risk your audience not understanding the key takeaways. A lot of misinformation and mixed messaging can circulate throughout the media landscape, so it’s important to ensure your key messaging is fact-driven and concise. The clearer the message, the easier it is for the public to digest the information they need.
- Be culturally sensitive in your approach – A key message that works for one audience group may not work for the other. Before publishing communications or content, research your audience groups. Do they include Culturally and Linguistically Diverse groups, First Nations groups or people with disabilities? We found that partnering with experts helped guide and shape standard communications into a format that worked best for that group.
- Use visual content to help communicate your key message where possible – A well-designed infographic or visual component can make content more digestible and easier for people to understand. It increases accessibility, making health information or medical terminology more inclusive to all language backgrounds, literacy levels and learning styles. Imagery can also humanise sensitive health topics, reduce stigma and create an emotional connection. Don’t be afraid to use visual led content to further strengthen your key messages.
Start a conversation with LKB or reach out to Kyra at kyra@thelkbagency.com.au to see how we can work with you to drive meaningful impact on your upcoming health project or campaign.
You can also view our health expertise here.
