More than 30 radio stations from across the UK are coming together to support international charity WaterAid in helping to bring clean, safe water and adequate sanitation to communities in rural Malawi.
The Big Dig Appeal launches on Monday 18 June, with DJs encouraging their listeners to donate by sponsoring them to take on fun and varied challenges, including recording a special version of ‘Fever’ and presenting an all-day show without drinking anything.
With the support of First Radio and Real Radio stations as well as Bauer’s Kerrang! Radio, talkSPORT and Jazz FM, the appeal will be heard by more than 11 million people. The campaign will also be supported by other fundraising work with existing WaterAid supporters.
There is also a whole host of celebrities voicing their support for the public to dig deep for Malawi, including Rachel Stevens, Denise Van Outen, Cyrille Regis, Joe Calzaghe, and Camilla Dallerup and husband Kevin Sacre.
All money donated by the public will be matched pound for pound by the UK Government from the aid budget, helping reach twice as many people. Overall, WaterAid hopes to raise £1.2m to bring safe water and sanitation to more than 134,000 people in Malawi.
In Malawi, 20% of the population has no clean water supply, while 44% of people have nowhere safe to go to the toilet. Radio listeners will hear interviews with people living in the communities that will benefit from The Big Dig Appeal, getting an insight into the impact a lack of clean water and adequate toilets has on everyday life.
WaterAid is also inviting the public to follow the journey of two of communities, Bokola and Kaniche, as they gain access to these vital services. The Big Dig Blog (www.thebigdig.org) will give supporters the chance to meet community members and see how WaterAid is transforming lives, culminating in the live drilling of a borehole in September.
Radio advertising specialist RadioWorks and media agency MC&C were instrumental in setting up this unique appeal.
Stan Park, Chairman of RadioWorks, said: “We’re proud to have helped make this exciting partnership possible and look forward to a successful appeal that will help change thousands of lives for the better.
“It’s easy for us to take clean water for granted when it comes at the turn of a tap, but it’s a different story in Malawi. Gaining access to this basic necessity opens the door to improved health, education and economic prosperity.”
Mike Colling, MD of MC&C, said: “The appeal marks the culmination of six months of hard work, transforming the concept of a joint radio industry campaign to reality. A significant proportion of the UK commercial radio industry has come together to support WaterAid’s Big Dig Appeal and reach as many people as possible with clean water and safe toilets.”
Claire Wright, Strategy Consultant at the Radio Advertising Bureau, added: “This is a great example of the UK commercial radio industry working together and capitalising on the emotional relationship that listeners have with their DJs to benefit a fantastic charity such as WaterAid.”
Barbara Frost, Chief Executive of WaterAid, said: “It can cost as little as £15 to provide one person in rural Malawi with safe water, improved hygiene and sanitation, which means the money raised will make a real difference to people’s lives. With the UK Government matching every pound, the public’s donations will go twice as far.
“We’d like to thank everyone at the different radio stations for their support for The Big Dig Appeal, and wish the DJs the best of luck for their different challenges!”
Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell said: "Donations to WaterAid’s Big Dig Appeal will help communities in Malawi living without clean, safe water or proper latrines to get access to these vital resources that we in the West take for granted.
"To support this life-saving work, and in recognition of the generosity of the British public even in times of austerity, I am pleased to announce that the British government will help WaterAid transform the lives of twice as many people by matching pound for pound all public donations to the appeal."
To find out more about WaterAid’s Big Dig Appeal, go to www.thebigdig.org or call 020 7793 4594.
Support the appeal by texting DIG to 70500 to donate £5 to WaterAid.
Monday 18 June 2012
Tuesday 12 June 2012
Technology changes, but behaviours lag
Historically the perceived wisdom has been that outdoor media have had little to to offer for clients seeking immediate response. (The exception has been the role of uplifting or predisposing response via other channels.)
The value of this wisdom started to erode some five years ago, with the advent of near 100% adoption of mobile phones, and in particular the use of text as a response channel. The growth of smart phone penetration to above 50% has accelerated a rethink of outdoor media as immediate response generators.
One indication of this change in behaviour can be seen in the proliferation of direct response advertising in commuter trains. Advertising from subscribers, charities, financial services and travel companies abound. All with calls to action: text, web and even phone.
Several of our clients have been amongst them. And with some success. We have seen profitable response generated but it hasn’t come via the channels we might have expected in this brave new connected world. Much of it has come via web, at times of the day outside of the normal commute.
Quantitative consumer research has just given us some insight as to why - with commuters claiming yes, they do respond, but later, at leisure at home via the web. Another reminder that, just because technology now allows “always-on” connections between companies and consumers, consumers may not choose to change their established behaviours to use them.
The value of this wisdom started to erode some five years ago, with the advent of near 100% adoption of mobile phones, and in particular the use of text as a response channel. The growth of smart phone penetration to above 50% has accelerated a rethink of outdoor media as immediate response generators.
One indication of this change in behaviour can be seen in the proliferation of direct response advertising in commuter trains. Advertising from subscribers, charities, financial services and travel companies abound. All with calls to action: text, web and even phone.
Several of our clients have been amongst them. And with some success. We have seen profitable response generated but it hasn’t come via the channels we might have expected in this brave new connected world. Much of it has come via web, at times of the day outside of the normal commute.
Quantitative consumer research has just given us some insight as to why - with commuters claiming yes, they do respond, but later, at leisure at home via the web. Another reminder that, just because technology now allows “always-on” connections between companies and consumers, consumers may not choose to change their established behaviours to use them.
Thursday 7 June 2012
Does the Jubilee presage a summer of poor results?
Two months ago our newsletter highlighted the potential risk to response from a summer of partying. We warned that the Jubilee, Euros and Olympics could prove significantly more interesting for UK consumers than the allure of many marketing messages.
As I write this on the Thursday after the Jubilee it seems we were right. We have taken a selection of results, across a range of sectors, from retail to media owners, from travel to charities.
Three big learning’s emerge.
Firstly- the scale was about what we expected. It varied by client, but ranged from 30% to 50% decline in response across the weekend.
Secondly- the impact was very short lived. The down turn didn’t really happen until Monday. Saturday and Sunday saw some short fall, but very limited compared with Monday & Tuesday when the whole world seemed to be out to lunch. Wednesday we saw evidence of hangovers, but no mass absenteeism as results climbed back to approach normal. On Thursday morning all the evidence is of a return to near normality.
Finally- the impact vary significantly by channel (and thus by inference by audience) Phone response saw the largest falls- up to 85% down on comparable periods, with mobile, web and retail sales seeing the smallest impact.
Our conclusions- we are actually taking heart from this data set. Our view is that with careful channel management and very careful timing the impact of response downturns this summer can be managed. Coupled with selection of media for value there should be opportunities for very specific investments that may yield additional growth at the expense of competitors. Do call if you want to discuss further.
Mike Colling, Managing Director
As I write this on the Thursday after the Jubilee it seems we were right. We have taken a selection of results, across a range of sectors, from retail to media owners, from travel to charities.
Three big learning’s emerge.
Firstly- the scale was about what we expected. It varied by client, but ranged from 30% to 50% decline in response across the weekend.
Secondly- the impact was very short lived. The down turn didn’t really happen until Monday. Saturday and Sunday saw some short fall, but very limited compared with Monday & Tuesday when the whole world seemed to be out to lunch. Wednesday we saw evidence of hangovers, but no mass absenteeism as results climbed back to approach normal. On Thursday morning all the evidence is of a return to near normality.
Finally- the impact vary significantly by channel (and thus by inference by audience) Phone response saw the largest falls- up to 85% down on comparable periods, with mobile, web and retail sales seeing the smallest impact.
Our conclusions- we are actually taking heart from this data set. Our view is that with careful channel management and very careful timing the impact of response downturns this summer can be managed. Coupled with selection of media for value there should be opportunities for very specific investments that may yield additional growth at the expense of competitors. Do call if you want to discuss further.
Mike Colling, Managing Director
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