A Plan for Change The Ontario Campaign for Kids
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A Plan for Change
Presented September 25, 1998, Metro Hall, Toronto
Background & Objectives: what are we trying to accomplish and why
Situation: what do we know
Campaign Strategy and Framework
Creative Theme: what do we need to do
Action: how will we do it
Next Steps: where do we go from here
How Did This Begin?
• 8 organizations applied for funding to deliver public awareness/education around healthy child
development-- within days of each other and independently
• Idea of a collaborative campaign was born
How Did This Begin?
• Two all day meetings held among representatives of the sector
• Decision to hire communications consultant to develop a collaborative plan
• This is the outcome of that consultant working with a Steering Committee representative of a
broad range of organizations and individuals
Where Are We At Today?
• Exciting multi-year program designed to make a difference for children
• designed to benefit your organizations
• initial funding from Trillium, Lawson and Health Canada
• early days of fundraising next steps but promising
How Much Will It Cost?
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This is a big vision:
– The cost to reach across this province with a multi-year, interdisciplinary strategic
communications program that will draw attention to the needs of children and youth and
engage community action is not cheap
Many dollars, many resources, much commitment to changing the way we work together
Who Will Pay For It?
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Until now, funded by Trillium Foundation, Lawson Foundation and Health Canada
Children’s Aid Foundation and Health Canada committed to next steps
Promising discussions with corporations
Early days of fundraising
Need coalition vote of confidence to move forward
Why Are We Here?
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To engage the entire community in acting on behalf of children, youth and families
To speak loudly on behalf of children in a united, supportive fashion
To increase the “value” placed on kids--for kids themselves, not only future benefit
A Plan for Change The Ontario Campaign for Kids
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To work toward the end goal of healthy children who can succeed
To see every child in Ontario supported in their healthy development
It’s About Change
Awareness + Education + Engagement = Action
Our goal is to make a difference!
It’s About Time
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to change the way we think about kids
to change the way we treat kids
ultimately, to change how we service their needs
Framing A Global Context
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Building awareness and understanding creates a context for action and support
What’s Different?
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A collective initiative, not the work of one organization
Province-wide public awareness and education project of unprecedented vision
Goes beyond awareness-building to engaging action at local level
What’s Different?
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A unique special project that will capture new funds unavailable to individual organizations
Funnel resources and tools from campaign centre through to local level
What’s Your Benefit?
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Designed to help you reach your goals
– Increased visibility for key factors affecting healthy child development
– Ongoing support and resources to enhance your work
– Increased support in the community for your work
– Provincial activities draw attention to your own
What’s the Benefit to Kids?
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Increased public participation and support as part of the solution
– More voices speaking out on public policy affecting children, youth and families
– New connections, new learning, new partners for children
– New powerbase to magnify the needs of children
The Situation
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One in four children enter adulthood without the confidence and skills they need to become
healthy, competent and product contributors to society
The knowledge, expertise and know-how exists to make a difference in the life chances of all
children
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A Plan for Change The Ontario Campaign for Kids
Situation
• Many children are adversely impacted by the stress and demands of our busy society but
parents or caregivers may be unaware of the programs and services that can help them
• There is no significant public awareness and education activity on a provincial scale--none
target children from 0-18
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Many children are adversely impacted by the stress and demands of our busy society but
parents or caregivers may be unaware of the programs and services that can help them
There is no significant public awareness and education activity on a provincial scale--none
target children from 0-18
Road Map Survey
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Why did we do it?
– who was doing what, where in Ontario
– what was needed or wanted
– how we might help
– locate exemplary communications
– build a directory for networking and sharing
Key Learnings
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Public education generally piecemeal activity
People are too stretched/expertise limited/money scarce
Exciting work being done in community development
A wealth of knowledge out there -- waiting to be tapped and built upon
Abundant need to educate and draw attention
The Bottom Line
No significant amount of PA/E activity on provincial scale
Nothing covering healthy development 0-18
Nothing we would define as a full ‘campaign’…
Our Definition of “Campaign”
A major, planned communications initiative comprised of:
 public awareness
 public education
 community engagement strategies
...designed to influence behaviour over time.
Current “Campaigns”
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With little money, expertise or time, it is not surprising that most of the communications
efforts we surveyed are, by professional standards, missing the mark.
With exceptions...
Current Campaigns include:
• Kids Help Phone
• Campaign 2000
• Psychology Foundation “Parenting for Life”*
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A Plan for Change The Ontario Campaign for Kids
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Voices for Children
CICH “I am Your Child”*
Invest in Kids “Get Set for Life”*
Child Abuse Monument Project
*A significant number of education campaigns focus solely on the early years.
Campaign Framework
Need to focus on:
The urgency and importance of the situation
The need and opportunity for action that will make a difference
(The strength of the Coalition is the ‘know-how’ and commitment to kids vested in this group.)
The Opportunity
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To mount and sustain a viable campaign that will move those people, who can and are able, to
actions that will have a positive impact on the quality of life and the life chances of Ontario’s
kids
To improve the reach and leverage of kids related organizations to do that to which they are
committed--making a real and meaningful difference in the lives of kids
The Starting Point
 Life chances for kids can be improved
 The knowledge, expertise and know-how exists
 Kids at different stages need different things
 Must involve all of society
The Campaign Foundation
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Position the Coalition as the source of the campaign: individuals and organizations on the
front-lines who are making an impassioned and informed call to action
The strength of the Coalition:
– knowledge, conviction, credibility, efficacy, urgency
The Core Strategy
• Create an agenda for attention and action
• Build awareness and stimulate individual/community action
• Create communication, marketing and engagement initiatives that:
– crystallize the issues
– target groups intersecting with kids at nodal points
– speak to the child-target group relationship
– are branded and consistent
Strategic Thrusts
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Information and enabling tools
Mass media
Special events
Speakers bureau
Research
A Plan for Change The Ontario Campaign for Kids
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An Integrated Campaign -starts with grabbing attention, leading to learning and ultimately involvement in new actions that
apply the learning. All of this is supported by a dynamic, collaborative network of resources in
the sector representing the full spectrum of diversity in our province.
The Audiences
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5 audiences: family, school, community, workplace and society at large (gov’t and media)
4 transitional stages: todderlerhood, school, youth, independence
Approach builds on the work of the Premier’s Council, Funders Alliance and Sparrow Lake
Focused on desired outcomes and the many steps to get there
Framing the Audiences/Issues in this context:
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What can we do, individually and collectively to give kids a chance every step of the way ?
Circle Power
Start with knowledge base
Get attention
Deliver messages
Involve the community
Link back to coalition
Support coalition
Start with knowledge base
Etc. etc.
Campaign Characteristics
• Campaign Character
– confident
– user-friendly
– hopeful
– empowering
– tough-minded
Must do…
Sense of urgency
….Can do
Sense of efficacy
Creative Challenge: The Campaign Strategic Theme
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To put the issues that span children and youth
0 - 18 years within a global context
To do so in a way that has punch (small “a” advocacy or big “A” depending on the user and
type of vehicle)
To create a slogan that can serve as a positive rallying cry for all our children
Healthy Development involves:
•secure attachment
•being wanted
•self esteem/well being
•literacy/opportunity
A Plan for Change The Ontario Campaign for Kids
•primary needs
•safety and security
•quality child care and parenting
•quality play
•access to quality education
•access to special services
•supportive communities
•positive parenting models
Creative Strategy
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Mount a powerful, engaging, integrated communications program that hits people in their
everyday lives with the call to…
Give Kids a Chance... Donnez une chance aux jeunes
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To develop in good health
To know they are loved
To believe in themselves
To speak out and be heard with respect
To achieve their potential
To be well fed, clothed and sheltered
To feel safe in their homes and community
To listen to other unafraid
To enjoy their childhood
To be well looked after day and night
To voice their thoughts and ideas…
To seek knowledge and find it
To receive help when they need it
To be taught in ways they can learn
To live with a sense of community and friendship
To play their part in the world and feel it matters
To see parents as trusted, loving guardians helping them find our way
To view the future with enthusiasm and hope
To become the future with arms wide open.
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A Plan for Change The Ontario Campaign for Kids
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ChanceMakers
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Those among us who are on the lookout for children with the objective to seize every possible
opportunity to Give Kids a Chance to become the future with arms wide open.
The Campaign In Action
• Give Kids A Chance is designed to hit people in Ontario in their everyday lives, in many ways
• Based on three principles:
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Get Attention
Engage Action
Provide support
How It Will Work
Attention leads to Awareness
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Launch the campaign -- to capture attention quickly
Ongoing activities - to sustain the interest
Awareness + Knowledge leads to changes in attitude which leads to changes in behaviour
OVER TIME!
Getting Attention
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will be structured around the “Give Kids a Chance” theme
will bolster interest, passion and excitement about OCK as a whole
will seek to influence both attitudes and behaviours
Engaging Action
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generate response at local level
grassroots community-driven by those who care
seek to influence at individual level “Each one reach one”
Providing Support
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those who can help, support those who need and want help
those who provide help, are supported by the umbrella campaign
1. Getting Attention: Communications and Advertising
The Goal of Communications is to use mass media to frame kids’ issues in a global context as a
collective responsibility.
Getting Attention
• Why: Need to create climate of receptivity
• Challenge: break through the communications clutter-have our message heard - and be
remembered
• Credibility is key
• How: Use a variety of channels to touch our audiences - multiple ways, many voices
A Plan for Change The Ontario Campaign for Kids
Getting Attention
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advertising
media relations
special events
communications materials
web site
1-888
speakers bureau
Advertising
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Variety of media -- radio, TV, outdoor, transit, newspapers and magazines -- to maximize
reach and saturate with messages
High level of exposure to the OCK message (repetitiveness) helps build top-of-mind
awareness
Compelling creative inspires and motivates
Communication’s Power
1. Media determine the environment
2. Media sets the agenda--priorities
3. Media frames responsibility
4. No issue is an island
4. The media isn’t everything
Making the News Our Way
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Editorial media as a forum for discovery and influence
Use third party endorsement value
Build the story from different aspects
Making the News
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Information and enabling tools for the editorial media
– background information package
– information bureau for statistics, spokespeople, resources and referral to agencies
Making the News
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Generate coverage for campaign in print (weekly, daily newspapers, magazines); broadcast
(radio and TV); and new interactive media (internet)
Match the message to the medium/contact
Vary emphasis over time
Making the News
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Feature stories (“why, what, how” brought to life)
Tip stories
Knowledge-based surveys
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A Plan for Change The Ontario Campaign for Kids
Keep On Making the News
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Photo opportunities (eg: “pat on the back”)
Ongoing media contact: proactive and reactive to keep Give Kids a Chance visible
Track coverage, analyze messaging, determine gaps
...In Many Ways
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Communications materials
Utilize creative as often and in many ways as possible
Become tools for coalition members and support providers
Getting Information
• Web site can be a source of information and aid for involvement (US KidsCampaign model)
• 1-888 Info Line (multi-language)
• Face to face communication
A Day In The Life
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A campaign people will bump into over and over again in their daily lives
Leads to Action
Awareness creates the umbrella for action (community engagement) and support (coalition
services)
Action Specifics : Community Engagement
Get People To ...
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Plug-in to the opportunities for both individual and collective action at the community level
Bring the kids-issues to people at the level at which they live (and can act with efficacy)
Move from the personal to the political
Involve children, youth and adults
A Tried and ‘True’ Idea
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But never done before on this scale or with this polish
Similar initiatives:
– Kids Count
– CAPC projects
– Voices for Children
We’ll build on the learning of what’s gone before
Enablers for Neighbourhoods
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Information & enabling tools
Linkage to coalition groups for delivery of services
Support during the engagement process
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A Plan for Change The Ontario Campaign for Kids
How Does it Work?
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Neighbourhood action tool kit to help people come together
Helps identify the priority child-related issues in local community and potential action tracks
through
• Self-assessment questionnaires
• Leader kit
Self-Assessment Questionnaires
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Customized kids-related audits and checklists, easy and simple to use but provocative and
relevant
Companion materials (to build context and teach)
All integrated under the “Give Kids a Chance” campaign banner
Easily accessed by audience
What Comes Next?
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Provide ways to “go deep and go long”
– through website,
– 1-888, events,
– leader guides
– Web site - chat room forums
A Day In The Life
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A campaign people will bump into over and over again in their daily lives
Action Specifics : Coalition Link
Making the Link
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Connect to partner organizations with the requisite expertise/programs/services
Facilitation, participation training
Distribution of materials/tools
BUT local, community-based groups, businesses, faith groups etc...would lead“IMBY”
Coalition Outreach
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Sharing insight and expertise--two way
Keeping the link strong ie. web board
Advisory board and project committees
Semi-annual meetings
The Coalition is Building
Children’s Aid Foundation
Health Canada
Invest In Kids Foundation
Kids Help Phone
London Investment in Education Council
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A Plan for Change The Ontario Campaign for Kids
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Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services
Ontario Public School Boards’ Association
The Psychology Foundation of Canada
Toronto Community Foundation
Voices for Children
Your name Your name Your name Your name
Your name Your name Your name Your name
Your name Your name Your name Your name
Your name Your name Your name Your name
Your name Your name Your name Your name
How Can You Participate?
Networking
Development
Fundraising
Referrals
Speakers
Distribution
Content/research
Local leadership
Communications
Feedback
What’s Your Benefit?
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This campaign will help you reach your goals
– Increased visibility for key factors affecting healthy child development
– Ongoing support and resources to enhance your work
– Increased support in the community for your work
– Provincial activities draw attention to your own
What’s the Benefit to Kids?
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Increased public participation and support as part of the solution
– More voices speaking out on public policy affecting children, youth and families
– New connections, new learning, new partners for children
– New powerbase to magnify the needs of children
Bottom Line
Each of us, individually and as a community, must seize every opportunity to give kids a chance.
As a result, more and more children and youth in our province will be able to greet the future
with arms wide open.
A Plan for Change The Ontario Campaign for Kids
Next Steps
• Seek funding for interim and soft launch activity
• Assessment and research
• Soft launch
• Provincial roll-out
• On-going activities to evolve and sustain campaign
Thank You
From all of us.
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