Social Media
for
Social Change
Presented by Simon Young
Catalyst/Cofounder
iJump

2003

“mental health gains
will be minimal if the
person lives in a
hostile and uninformed
community”
- 1996 Mason Report
Photo by D Sharon Pruitt

Two goals:
• Create supportive environment for people
with mental illness
• Bring down barriers of stigma and
discrimination

Phase One (2000)
• Raising awareness
• Getting people talking and thinking
• Featured famous, aspirational NZers

Phase two (2001->)
• Strengthen positive public attitudes
• Improve public understanding/acceptance
• Improve understanding of impact of mental
illness
• Create dialogue
• Counter negative stereotypes

Phase 2 (contd)
• Encourage people working in mental health
sector
• Create a positive platform for policy change

Facts
• 1 in 5 NZers suffer from mental illness
• Most NZers discriminate through
ignorance, not malice
• Maori and Pacific Island views need to be
addressed differently

To significantly reduce discrimination ...
education is not enough... litigation is not enough.
multi-stranded,
What is required are
persistent strategies. ”
Liz Sayce

Multi-Stranded
(more than mass media)
• Relationships built with 26 regionally-based
organisations around NZ
• Included 11 Maori-based orgs
• Included 3 Pacific Peoples orgs
• Local relationships = local media coverage

2002 campaign
• Focus on friendships
• TV for mainstream audience
• Targeted radio for Maori/Pacific Island
audience

Multi-stranded
• Training for other government agencies
• Relationships with journalists
• Media training for spokespeople
• Newsletter for influencer groups

A Beautiful Mind
Movie tie-in

Success
• 87% “people with mental illness can lead a
normal life”
• 80% “I am more accepting of people with
mental illness”
• 93% “mental illness can happen to anyone”
• 79% unprompted ad recall
• 60% discussed advertising with others

Since then...
• website: likeminds.org.nz
• national contractors: events, training,
freephone service
• regional providers: workshops, promotional
events, developing policies and procedures

2008 Effie Awards
• Won the grand award for “sustained
success”
• Other results:
• Acceptance levels improving
• Documentaries resulting from campaigns
• More people seeking help
• WHO recognises best practice

Success secrets?
• Strong, simple message
• Relationship-building with key stakeholders/
influencers
• Conversational focus
• Acknowledging larger context

Online
• Lots of online resources
• But not much social media - yet

Conversation
• How could they do this better?

Other social media/
social change initiatives
• The LowDown
• Internet Blackout
• Twestival
• Givealittle

LowDown
• Web-based
• Interactive
• Music/Pop culture
• Why not social media?

#blackout bingo
if all the avatars are black, yell
“COPYWRONG!”

Protest on parliament

Blackout
• Grassroots
• Simple, clear idea
• Easy to take action

Twestival
• Global
• Easy to be involved
• Automated

Givealittle
• Platform for individuals
• Can be a ‘hub’ for other social media activity

How would you do it?
Simon Young
Catalyst/Cofounder
simon@ijump.co.nz