18 Communication and Campaigns
The coordinated course of action within the network for the
promotion of physical activity should be comunicated coordinated
alike. PR work should raise the awareness of the problem
among the general public and report any success of measures.
The efforts of key players should be recognised within
the network and also given a wider publicity. Municipalities
should use platforms to exchange and manage knowledge,
and ensure that high-quality information is available if
required.
Communication with the programme target group is essential for
the success of any programmes. Therefore, the target group members
should be informed regularly and targetedly (see also Guideline
18). Positive communication is decisive for a sustainable impact on
the target group. The participants should receive true but also positive
information. However, it is not always easy to reach the target
group and to inform it targeted. A communications campaign as a
back-up to a programme can help here.
Where possible, municipalities should run campaigns to accompany
their programmes. Care should be taken that the campaign is journalistically
well prepared and the reports are target-oriented and
explain about the problems and the solutions offered. For instance
athletes could be taken on board for a campaign. Due to their intensive
media presence these sport celebrities can have an effective
role model function. This should be used in addressing the children
and their parents to create a higher degree of identification among
the stakeholders and increase their concern.
Special events on this issue – whether these are to enlighten, inform
or a hands-on affair – should directly address the target groups and
be used as a communications platform.
Possible elements of a campain:
1. Definiton of the target group
2. Development of objectives
3. Development of a communication idea
4. Planning of communication channels
5. Support through experience-orientated events
6. Measurement of results
7. Further development of the campain
Initiatives
The “Move for Health Day“ is a WHO initiative to raise the awareness
of and promote the benefits of exercise as essential for
our health and well-being (http://www.who.int/moveforhealth/
about/en). The “Day of Dance” is a project by the
member cities of the WHO network “European Healthy Cities Network”.
The idea is that young people from many cities and countries
get together to dance on the same day, at the same time. The
aim of the ZOOM campaign (March - November every year) is to
help children cover their daily distances environmentally friendly
and on their own. The campaign modules and materials offer ideas
and activities for teachers, parents and children.
Best Practice Austria (AT)
‚schoolwalker’
The idea of the ‚walking bus’ already exists since several
years and in different modes and projects. Schools participate
worldwide. The idea is quiet simple: pupils walk together
and mostly in accompaniment to school. Therefore
they meet at an imaginary ‘bus stop’ to cover the way to
school together, often accomanied by parents. In Austria
the initiative is named aks schoolwalker. Here, the pupils
are encouraged to walk to school by collecting points on a
schoolwalker card (Schulwegausweis) for distances covered
on foot. October is the yearly ‘walk to school month’. 2009
millions of people walked to school together in 40 countries.
More information:
www.iwalktoschool.org.
