Influential has launched the latest creative for its award-winning ‘Simple Things’ health campaign, with this year’s theme focusing on how little ones can help keep us all well this winter.
Now in its third year, the campaign has earned acclaim for its effective approach to driving behaviour change and promoting healthy habits throughout Cheshire and Merseyside.
The ‘Simple Things’ campaign has always celebrated the small, everyday actions that contribute to better health. This year’s campaign, ‘Simple Things – Little Ones Can Help Keep Us All Well’, shines a spotlight on the vital role children can play in preventing the spread of illness by adopting simple yet effective hygiene practices.
Developed in partnership with the Champs Public Health Collaborative, this year’s focus follows research which showed that three-quarters of parents (74%) report having to take time off in the past year to care for sick children, while two-thirds (62%) say they often catch illnesses from their children.
The research led to an investigation by Influential and the Collaborative, which revealed that microbes, including bacteria commonly found in faeces, are present in child-friendly spaces, such as soft play centres, outdoor playgrounds, and even on toys in the home.
Influential used these insights to inform this year’s campaign which aims to encourage parents and carers to remind children to wash their hands regularly, especially before eating, and after coughing or sneezing to reduce the health impact.
Tracey Lambert, Head of Communications at the Champs Public Health Collaborative, said: “Our key message with this latest campaign was to highlight how children can play a role in helping to keep everyone in the family well, by simply washing their hands.
“We were keen to show how easy it is to pick up germs from everyday items but, crucially, accepting that we come into contact with bacteria all the time and that we cannot avoid it – the important thing is to make sure we are washing our hands at key points. This campaign manages to do just that and we’re confident that, as it rolls out, we can have a real impact on people’s behaviours across Cheshire and Merseyside.”
The multi-channel campaign is running across out-of-home, social media and PR. The stand-out PR campaign reveals the full suite of results from the recent investigation, including images of petri dishes growing bacteria to highlight just how it can build up on these everyday surfaces.
Karen Swan, Director at Influential, said: “After hearing the emotional and practical impact illnesses can have on families, we wanted this year’s campaign to empower parents and children to take a role in supporting health and hygiene practices.
“By using strategic insights to shape campaigns, we know we can resonate with our audiences and achieve real impact. The Simple Things campaign is a great example of how data can be used to effectively deliver behaviour change.
“Ultimately, the findings from our research highlight a strong case for why children need to wash their hands regularly to stay well – which is exactly what this year’s health campaign set out to do!”
For more information about the Simple Things – Little Ones Can Help Keep Us All Well campaign,
visit: www.simplethings-nhs.com.
To find out more about our services, check out the rest of our website or email us at marketingteam@thisisinfluential.com for a chat.
