In the summer of 2023/24 Cancer Council, in partnership with the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care launched the first national skin cancer prevention campaign targeting young Australians in over a decade.
The campaign aimed to drive up the use of sun protection behaviours to reduce the rate of skin cancer by addressing young Australian’s attitudes towards suntanning.
Target audience research1 identified that the audience were resistant to behaviour change messaging from authoritarian voices like Cancer Council and the Australian Government. Instead, the campaign leveraged authentically influential voices that resonate with the audience.
A three phased strategy was developed, in which both phases one and two were delivered by trusted and aspirational brand, media and influencer voices, before branded messages were launched.
This ensured the audience felt safe in shifting their attitudes and in turn behaviours, because they could see those they look up to doing the same.
There are several considerations when selecting third-party voices including who has the authority to deliver behaviour change messages in a credible and persuasive way, how do you engage those voices to be the first to get onboard with a movement and cultural shift? How do we utilise these voices to reach the audience in contextually relevant environments while maintaining impact and the audience’s attention? Finally, how do we activate across all industries that are driving and influencing culture?
The 2023/24 campaign partnered with nine youth media publications, The Iconic and St Jerome’s Laneway Festival.