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We all have heard the idiom - Prevention is better than cure. As the Maharashtra government slowly starts lifting up the lock down, we are seeing hot spots pop up all over the state. Villages face unique challenges – from misconceptions that they have better immunity to disease than urban populations, to lack of communication reaching the most rural parts. This is especially true in the rural and tribal parts where mainstream awareness campaigns sometimes don’t reach. The reality is, COVID-19 is caused by a “novel” corona virus and nobody is immune to it. There is a need for sustained and consistent efforts to educate villagers about the do’s and don’ts of social distancing best practices, particularly after the end of the lock down. And such a campaign should be designed with a human-centered approach so it is appealing to the audience.
Shramjiv Janata Sahayyak Mandal (SJSM) is an NGO with roots in over 300 villages across the districts of Satara, Sangli, Raigad and Ratnagiri in Maharashtra. We have deep ties in some of the most remote villages in these communities. Safeguarding the health of our rural communities is one of the core areas of our mission.
We would like to execute an awareness and educational campaign, namely “COVID-19 Post-lock down Awareness and Education Campaign” in the four districts of Satara, Sangli, Raigad and Ratnagiri. We have identified four key demographics for such a campaign:
We have partnered with an expert media company for this project. Jingles have been effectively used in many successful social-cause campaigns of India in the past several decades (examples – “Ek Anek Ekata: 1974” and “Lifebuoy – Help a Child Reach 5” campaigns). Music can help us reach a wide audience through viral shares. And educational lyrics can help educate our audiences. With this in mind, we have designed a campaign of catchy and easy-to-sing-along music tracks with associated animated visuals. We will use Maharashtrian folk music with a modern twist (Bharud-style music with modern electronic beats) to connect with these audiences. We will work with renowned musicians who come from these parts of Maharashtra. The tracks will cover the immediate needs of each demographic. And the music will be complemented with fun and engaging animated visuals.
The campaign will cover COVID-19 related topics such as hygiene, cleanliness, social distancing, personal responsibility and livelihood after the infection. We have deep roots in these communities, and know how to reach the remote places. We have chalked out a plan to partner with local government agencies that we already have strong relationships with. We will work with Asha workers and Zilla Parishad schools to teach children the importance of maintaining hygiene, washing hands and other such topics. We will also work with Gram Panchayat members (average nine per village) to make sure that our message gets to every corner of every village. We also have a solid digital content distribution plan to make sure that our message is heard.
We will use methods such as:
Through this program we aim to reach 2+ million people in the four districts of Maharashtra over a period of one year.
For this program, we have partnered with The Change You Want To See, a media company that specializes in producing content with social messages. They are a US-based company, with active operations in India. They will help us produce the content and promote it via effective digital marketing strategies. They are currently producing a digital series in India that has garnered more than 2 million views in its first four episodes. Along with The Change You Want To See, we are currently identifying potential celebrity-tie-ups with musicians and talent to deliver the message of these videos.
We will measure the effectiveness of our program by using pre and post-program surveys of each demographic to ascertain quantitatively how many people followed safety measures on the basis of our message.
We are faced with a reality where COVID-19 will be a part of our ongoing conversation till an effective vaccination is available in the market at a reasonable cost. As per experts this could take anywhere between 18-24 months from now. This project is of utmost importance to ascertain the safety of our rural communities. SJSM has significant experience executing campaigns of large scale and has strong relationships with our local communities. Our partner, The Change You Want To See brings the much needed media and digital marketing expertise to the table. Together, we make the ideal partner to execute such a campaign.
Shramjiv Janata Sahayyak Mandal (SJSM) is an NGO with roots in over 300 villages across the districts of Satara, Sangli, Raigad and Ratnagiri in Maharashtra. We have deep ties in some of the most remote villages in these communities. Safeguarding the health of our rural communities is one of the core areas of our mission.
We would like to execute an awareness and educational campaign, namely “COVID-19 Post-lock down Awareness and Education Campaign” in the four districts of Satara, Sangli, Raigad and Ratnagiri. We have identified four key demographics for such a campaign:
- Children
- Youth
- Married couples/parents
- Senior citizens
We have partnered with an expert media company for this project. Jingles have been effectively used in many successful social-cause campaigns of India in the past several decades (examples – “Ek Anek Ekata: 1974” and “Lifebuoy – Help a Child Reach 5” campaigns). Music can help us reach a wide audience through viral shares. And educational lyrics can help educate our audiences. With this in mind, we have designed a campaign of catchy and easy-to-sing-along music tracks with associated animated visuals. We will use Maharashtrian folk music with a modern twist (Bharud-style music with modern electronic beats) to connect with these audiences. We will work with renowned musicians who come from these parts of Maharashtra. The tracks will cover the immediate needs of each demographic. And the music will be complemented with fun and engaging animated visuals.
The campaign will cover COVID-19 related topics such as hygiene, cleanliness, social distancing, personal responsibility and livelihood after the infection. We have deep roots in these communities, and know how to reach the remote places. We have chalked out a plan to partner with local government agencies that we already have strong relationships with. We will work with Asha workers and Zilla Parishad schools to teach children the importance of maintaining hygiene, washing hands and other such topics. We will also work with Gram Panchayat members (average nine per village) to make sure that our message gets to every corner of every village. We also have a solid digital content distribution plan to make sure that our message is heard.
We will use methods such as:
- Distributing our content on local radio stations, cable channels and cinema halls.
- Use of tradition methods such as flyers and pamphlets to train Asha workers and teachers.
- Use of a mobile automobile to take the message directly to villagers.
- Use of social media and digital marketing techniques to reach our audience on digital platforms and on their phones.
Through this program we aim to reach 2+ million people in the four districts of Maharashtra over a period of one year.
For this program, we have partnered with The Change You Want To See, a media company that specializes in producing content with social messages. They are a US-based company, with active operations in India. They will help us produce the content and promote it via effective digital marketing strategies. They are currently producing a digital series in India that has garnered more than 2 million views in its first four episodes. Along with The Change You Want To See, we are currently identifying potential celebrity-tie-ups with musicians and talent to deliver the message of these videos.
We will measure the effectiveness of our program by using pre and post-program surveys of each demographic to ascertain quantitatively how many people followed safety measures on the basis of our message.
We are faced with a reality where COVID-19 will be a part of our ongoing conversation till an effective vaccination is available in the market at a reasonable cost. As per experts this could take anywhere between 18-24 months from now. This project is of utmost importance to ascertain the safety of our rural communities. SJSM has significant experience executing campaigns of large scale and has strong relationships with our local communities. Our partner, The Change You Want To See brings the much needed media and digital marketing expertise to the table. Together, we make the ideal partner to execute such a campaign.
