'Salesian Life Choices is a small yet powerful NPO based in Cape Town. Since 2005, we have impacted over 200 000 people with choices, not charity. We work with youth from the Cape Flats communities to make choices that can change the world. We believe that inequality is a matter of the heart and that it can be eradicated if youth are provided with a solid foundation. We provide this foundation through our services in five key areas: Family Stability, Health, Education, Leadership and Employment.' - Salesian Life Choices
In June 2014, Salesian Life Choices launched a ’30 Stories in 30 Days Campaign’ to celebrate South Africa’s National Youth Month and has run it every year since. The campaign shares one inspirational story a day for the month of June, honoring the youth of today and their life struggles. The stories are derived from the real-life stories of youth impacted by the efforts of Salesian Life Choices.
The Challenge
Salesian Life Choices tasked our team with creating a digital communications strategy, specifically for the 2018 edition of the ‘30 Stories in 30 Days’ campaign.
THE AIMS:
- increase visibility, reach and engagement across multiple digital platforms.
- create a positive brand association by sharing positive youth stories on various digital platforms.
Insights
KEY ISSUE
Our primary and secondary research found that South African youth had become desensitised to broad social matters due the vast amount of information they had to process on digital platforms. The huge clutter of content presented to them on social media platforms played a leading role.
We found that the youth engage with stories far more when they are delivered in an emotional, dynamic manner as opposed to when they are delivered in an informative, static manner.
INSIGHT
"Stories should be felt and not just simply read"
Strategic Intent
GET
the emotionally-disconnected youth of Cape Town
TO
connect with other youth
members and relate to the 30 Stories in 30 Days campaign on an emotional level
members and relate to the 30 Stories in 30 Days campaign on an emotional level
BY
sharing engaging video posts on Facebook and organising a unique offline event
gathering that celebrates the youth and their stories.
sharing engaging video posts on Facebook and organising a unique offline event
gathering that celebrates the youth and their stories.
“30 Stories in 30 Days"
This edition of the campaign was about starting open and honest conversations with the broader youth and public about social matters relating to South Africa's youth.
We sought to tackle the emotional apathy among the youth by spreading awareness of the inspirational stories lived by the Life Choices youth in an emotional and engaging manner.
Communication Tools
Key Touch Points
Website Optimisation
The central point of content for this campaign is the Salesian Life Choices website.
During Youth Month, the “Story of the day - #OurStory today” content was displayed at the top of the homepage, and the first thing the user sees.
The content was displayed as follows; the story title, image of the Storyteller, a brief summary and a “read more” link that expands the full story, and a link to the other 30 stories, all this appearing above the fold.
The reading experience had to be altered for digital consumption. The width of the text paragraphs were reduced to a predetermined maximum line length. This was done to limit the number of words in a line and keep the text paragraphs narrow. Narrow paragraphs read faster and provide better memory retention than wide paragraphs (IBM, Amalden, 2004)
Social Media Content
Engaging, shareable video content based on youth stories social media.
Event
Leverage large TedX Cape Town audience to organise a localised NGO hotspot event in Cape Town on Youth Day, 2018. Providing an alternative platform for the ‘30 Stories in 30 Days’ content and an offline space for the youth to connect and share their stories.
Sponsored localised Facebook ad promote the hotspot event.
Email Marketing
Campaign messaging was integrated with the daily emails sent throughout the Youth Month to existing Salesian Life Choices email database.
Integration through direct links to the Facebook content to drive awareness and engagement.
Emails contained a prominent Call to Action, guiding readers to the relevant landing page on the website.
Emails helped create hype and a build up to the Hotspot Event on Youth Day where all subscribers would be invited to either attend the event or livestream the experience.
#ourstory
Attach the hashtag #OurStory to all Facebook content throughout the month,
including both boosted content as well as organic posts on the Life Choices
Facebook page. This hashtag connects the various campaign
elements and is a relevant keyword that relates to the ‘30 Stories in 30 Days’
campaign.
including both boosted content as well as organic posts on the Life Choices
Facebook page. This hashtag connects the various campaign
elements and is a relevant keyword that relates to the ‘30 Stories in 30 Days’
campaign.
