BACKGROUND

Victims of gender-based violence often endure a lifetime of abuse, losing all confidence and self-belief, convinced they’ll never get out of it. Rather than speak up, they suffer quietly and feel completely alone. The Western Cape Government’s emergency hotline number can be called to get help for yourself or someone else, but the number wasn’t being used.

CREATIVE IDEA

When survivors do come forward to share their stories, it gives others in the same position the hope and confidence to speak up themselves.

ONE VOICE showed victims that they are not alone, help is available, and gave them the confidence to speak up by uniting them as one voice– because as one voice, standing together, victims are strong, powerful and limitless.

DIRECT:Strategy

Targeting parameters of Facebook provided the ability to discretely select a female focussed audience and deliver communication at relevant moments where our audience were most safe to view and engage the content. The safe space and curated content characteristic of the channel provided the opportunity to get be presented with the call-centre telephone number where help can be obtained.

INFLUENCER: Strategy 

Influencers are expectantly outspoken about matters that people are happy to participate in or easily rally behind. Using a recognisable personality such as Namisa Mdlalose taps into the keenness that the public have to engage influencers. Leveraging the recognition, fame and interest of Namisa Mdlalose to bring a voice to those who are too intimidate or embarrassed to speak up. Encouraging those who are suffering to share seek help.

MEDIA: Strategy 

Discrete deployment of media placements on Facebook through dark social posting allowed for safe and secure targeting of women. Media objectives were weighted 55% to Awareness & Reach with the remaining balance dedicated to Education & Brand Engagement. This strategy created the opportunity to drive engagement with the video content and encourage those in need of help to call.  

EXECUTION

Over 16 Days of Activism, we used someone synonymous for their strong voice - Namisa Mdlalose, a theatre actress known for her female empowerment monologues, as our one voice. Working with the emergency centres who had helped the survivors, we listened to the very real stories of these strong survivors who had called for help but couldn’t speak out publicly due to fear of their abusers finding them. Each video was then brought to life by a writer and Namisa’s performance, props and wardrobe. Our call to action inspired others to find and use their voice to make the call.

Released online, the campaign gained momentum and others bravely came forward to share their own stories, uniting online with the hashtag #OneVoice.They even took on abusers when they tried to take them down in the comments, with women and men uniting as one and calling the trolls out together.

RESULTS

Most viewed content series for the Western Cape Government in history, garnering more

engagement that any other campaign. But most importantly, over the 16 days, the call center had more than 110% increase in calls, helping to turn victims into survivors.