Communication Strategy for the Census in 2016 - Case Study Example

Communication Strategy Name: University: Date: Table of Contents Communication Strategy for the Census In 2016 1.0 Introduction This communication strategy focuses on the upcoming Census of Population and Housing (Census) that will be conducted by The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). In Australia, the census is normally conducted every ten years with the goal of measuring the number as well as key characteristics of Australian people. A communication campaign has been created in this strategy dubbed ‘We are in Australia’ that will take place between 24th July to 9th August 2016. The slogan ‘We are in Australia’ is used to motivate young people to take part in the Census. Young people aged between 12 and 24 years account for 25% of the population in Australia. Most young people live in the cities and close to 1 per cent are homeless. Young people are linguistically as well as culturally diverse. 2.0 Situation Analysis 2.1 Demographics and Psychographics As of 2013, the number of young people (between 12 and 24 years) in Australia was 4,280,322, which represents about 18.6% of the total Australian population (McCrindle, 2013). Males (51.3%) are slightly more as compared to females (48.7%). Most youths are aged between 15 and 24 years. The percentage of young indigenous people in Australia is high than the broader population. The percentage of indigenous people in Australia is 2.5%, but young indigenous people account for 3.6% of the total 15 to 19 year-olds as well as 2.8% for the total young people aged between 20 and 24 years. The majority of young people (79 per cent) in Australia are English speakers while the rest speak the European language (4 per cent), Asian language (10 per cent), and other languages. Young people of European or Asian origin that are born in Australia are most inclined to speak English. Furthermore, 75% of the youth population are living in three states that are more populous; 33% as of 2009 were living in New South Wales, 25% were living in Victoria and 20% in Queensland. Presently, Australia is amongst the world’s most culturally diverse countries, with 25% of the population born out of the country. The youth population (15–24 years) born outside Australia is to some extent lower as compared to the general population; that is 22% of the total population of young people. As of 2009, the majority of the youth population in Australia (78%) were born within the country; approximately 5 per cent are from English-speaking countries; and 16 per cent are from other countries (Muir et al., 2009). For young people, education, as maintained by Tomlinson (2013) has the most crucial dimensions of their lives since it determine future outcomes and opportunities. Education is considered to be very important to the young people. In Australia, part-time and full-time students are over 1.3 million as of 2014 (Australian Education Network, 2014). The youth population going to school is quite small; according to Australian Bureau of Statistics (2011) only 26% young adults were studying. Youth population in remote and rural areas according to Stokes et al. (1999) are at an educational disadvantage with regard to participation, performance and attainment as compared to their colleagues living in the urban areas. Furthermore, students in rural areas are less likely to meet the set benchmarks for writing, reading, writing and numeracy. The gap between non-Indigenous and Indigenous students is very wide in remote and rural areas, and this exhibits the disadvantage compounding factors. Young Australians living in the rural and remote areas have poorer educational outcomes. This is evidenced by the fact that Australia is ranked top ten with regard to education in urban areas, but 25th out of 40 countries in remote and rural areas. In terms of psychographics’ characteristics, the social mind-set: Young Australians are moving around more efficiently by traversing different states of Australia. Their demand for unhealthy food, especially those found in fast food joints is increasing tremendously. Attitudes: Young Australians are eco-friendly, result oriented and price conscious. In terms of lifestyle and personality, youth population are motivated, care for the surroundings, dreamer, efficient and quick. They always want things fast. 2.2 Issues Facing Youths Health Issues Even though the majority of young people in Australia are healthy as evidenced by international comparisons, young Australians from Indigenous families, remote areas and those that suffer from socioeconomic disadvantage have poor mental, emotional and physical health. Issues associated with body image, obesity, overweight, mental illness, as well as alcohol and drug abuse are largely affecting the lives of many young people in Australia (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2011). With regard to sexual health problems and issues, young people experiencing social isolation and poverty are unable to access health education and information. Solutions offered by the health sector are essential but less sufficient. In 2009, close to more than 1 million young Australians (12 to 25 years) had a mental illness, and this was caused mainly by depression, substance use disorders, and anxiety. Because of mental illness, most young people’s social relationships and education are disrupted and the risks of suicide, self-harm, and chronic illness are increased. Despite the large number of Young Australians with mental illness, only 23 per cent of them can access services for support and intervention. Besides that, the AIHW established in 2010 that close to 30 per cent of young people aged between 13 and 17 years are either obese or overweight. Unemployment In 2016, the unemployment rates for young Australians aged 18 -25 years is 13.1% while for those aged 25-54 years is 4.9% (OECD.Stat, 2015). Most young adults are employed on a casual or part-time basis since they are combining study and paid work. According to Muir et al. (2009), this may assist them to successfully transition into permanent work and enable the young population to suffer the consequence of poverty. Still, young people from the Indigenous community have low employment rates than their non-Indigenous counterparts. Both unemployed and employed young people are worried about the prospects of their future employment. Alcohol Use Substance abuse amongst young Australians is very high, and normally leads to hospitalisations because of withdrawal symptoms, dependence, injuries, acute intoxication, amnesia and psychotic disorders. In 2009, AIHW found out that for every 100,000 young people (12 to 24 years) from the Indigenous community there were 576 hospital separations for behavioural as well as mental disorders because of alcohol and drug abuse. Sadly, 86.2 per cent of young Australians aged 14 years and above have taken alcohol a number of times with 37.3 per cent consuming weekly. 2.3 PEST Analysis Political Factors Basically, political decisions can heavily impact the lives of young people in terms of education, employment, and health. When parliaments decide to improve the quality of the infrastructure like rail and road systems in remote areas it can positively impact young Australians in those areas. Laws introduced by the government are important in re-engaging young people in education and reducing crimes. Economic Factors Young people that fail to take part in education and employment are more inclined to experience economic and social disadvantages as well as poorer mental and physical health that can lead to social exclusion. In some of Australia’s major cities such as Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth, the cost of living is less as compared to the most expensive cities in the world. Therefore, young Australians working or studying in such cities are more likely to benefit from relatively high employment levels as well as the low inflation rate. Social Factors Changes in the society can have an effect on the lives of the young people demand in terms of their willingness and availability to get education or Work. Despite the fact that higher education brings about the best employment opportunities, only a small percentage of Australians make to university because of various social issues such as poverty. Young people, especially those from the Indigenous community, those with the disability, unemployed and homeless are at a high risk of social isolation. Technology Factors Basically, new technology has big personal, social and economic benefits for the youth population in Australia, regardless of the documented costs related to too much use. Presently, scores of young people in Australia and globally are more skilled at utilising new technologies as compared to their older peers and are more likely to overcome the potential pit-falls and challenges presented by technology. However, young people from poor families are less likely to use technology. 2.4 SWOT Analysis Strengths In the last few years, there has been a steady increase in the numbers of voluntary groups across Australia seeking to improve the lives of the disadvantaged people within the society such as Aboriginals. Such groups are Australia has a high percentage of the young workforce and this helps in sustaining local employment in various retail outlets. Therefore, Australia has adequate infrastructure and amenities that can help meet the needs of the young population. Weaknesses In spite of improvements in various aspects such as education and health, it is not completely sufficient because the lives of young indigenous people are yet to improve. Australia’s young population are still over relying on their parents rather than learning to be independent. The unemployed youths engage in activities such as substance abuse and crimes while the employed spend most of their money on technology and unhealthy foods. Opportunities With the increasing population, the opportunity of increasing Australia’s cultural diversity is high. Furthermore, the young population provide an opportunity for new ideas within the social, education and working setting. Loans offered to university students provide an opportunity to young Australians from poor families to get the higher education. Threats Some of the threats include high costs of healthcare for young Australians from disadvantaged backgrounds, which act as a barrier. The growing number of young employed Australians can result in social exclusion for the unemployed. Additionally, lack of anti-racism educational programs results in the surfacing of chauvinisms and racial intolerance. High rate of alcohol and drug use amongst the youths can result in disability, death, injuries, or related disorders. 2.5 Type of Message Themes The campaign will target young population aged between 18 and 35 years; therefore, the themes that will be used will broadly resonate with the young people. The campaign will use all available media to draw the attention of the targeted population. The media that will mainly be used include social media sites such as Facebook Twitter and YouTube, outside posters and billboards as well as television. Besides that, the campaign will use poster in universities so as to engage the students. In the campaign strategy, the campaign poster and billboard advertisement will be connected with ABS website so as to encourage online self-response. The campaign information will be posted on Facebook as well as YouTube so as to encourage youths. Youths will be invited to information sessions and presentations will be made with themes that attract this group of the population. 3.0 Goals and Objectives Goals The main goal of the campaign is to motivate from all states in Australian to participate in the 2016 census. Therefore, the goal is to ignite mass participation of the youth population across Australia during the census. Other goals include; increasing the youth response during the census; improving the overall accuracy as well as decreasing the differential undercount; and improving the cooperation between the youth population and the enumerators. Objectives To develop a campaign strategy that will universally appeal the youth audience To segment the Australian population so as to ensure that the messages are relevant to each population group To monitor the communications plan efforts over time in order to offer well-timed information for course-correction and rapid response, if necessary. To communicate to the youths why the census is important To provide the required information that data so as to facilitate the assessment of youth population in Australia during the census period. To make sure that the proposed creative and strategic ideas are effectively resonated across the targeted population and to achieve the preliminary insights on how to modify the messaging for such audiences. 4.0 Target publics The Australian youths include kids (aged between 6 and 9 years), tweens (aged between 10 and 13 years), as well as teens (aged between 14 and24 years old) and the young adults (aged between 25 and 25 years). Youths are these days referred as ‘Digital Natives’ or ‘Generation Z’, especially those born between the mid-1990s and 2010. Importantly, youths are ‘virtually’ present, networked and are mostly driven by greater digital media exposure and spend most of their time engaging with their friends through social networking. Given that they were brought up in the digital world, they largely depend on technology. Importantly, the youth population as mentioned by Keene and Handrich (2011) are satisfied materially, but financially conservative. They are environmentally conscious and well-educated because of the easy access to the enormous pool of online information, extracurricular activities as well as new modalities of teaching. Many youths in Australia are well-informed on matters of advertising; therefore, they are more inclined to be influenced by friends as compared to the television commercials. Therefore, to satisfy them the campaign team will update an online presence continuously through social networks, website, and multimedia. Younger audiences according to 4imprint.com (2015) tend to be fickle due to their impetuous and sceptical attitude. Given that the youths are media-savvy, they are untrusting and cynical of campaign promises. Youths always want instant gratification and interaction and their attention span is very short. To attract their attention, the campaign will engage in a number of activities such as viral marketing so as to that the campaign passes on scores of times and become successful. For the campaign to be successful through viral marketing, the campaign team will come up with persuasive message that will engage the youths through interactivity. Other platforms that the campaign will use include; social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and MySpace; blogging; Peer to peer and word of mouth recommendations; and mass media. 5.0 Key Messages When engaging with the youth population, the campaign will use ‘trusted voices’ so as to ensure that key messages are communicated key messages and enable the audience to initiate conversations about the upcoming census. For this reason, a group of ‘trusted voices’ created to bring the key messages regarding the Census to the targeted audience will be the key to initiating the conversations. Some of the key messages will include; The 2016 Census requires your help so as to ensure the counting is accurate and represents every population. The accuracy of census count is beneficial to your community. The process of census process brings about benefits for every young person within the community The census form is easy to fill and information privacy is guaranteed It is your responsibility to fill out the census form and mail back. 6.0 Strategic approach According to Okigbo (2013), a good strategic approach is important to the failure or success of any communication campaign since it offers the connection between the why and how components. The strategic approach will offer a sense of direction as well as the roadmap for generating the important messages and also providing a basis for the different proposed actions. The espoused strategy will show the way with regard to what is important and valuable; what information, messages or benefits must come through; as well as what have to be done for the campaign to be successful. Identifying and collaborating with the strategic partners will be part of the strategy. Basically, getting support from partners such as government, Australian Bureau of Statistics, local media as well as other organisations is important. Because working with these partners will facilitate in engaging the community and improve local awareness for the upcoming census through opportunities such as unpaid placement in the media. 6.1 Tactics Tactics, as mentioned by Okigbo (2013), are certain activities or small alleys which have to be carried out so as to address the campaign objectives. Tactics will be the most visible aspects of the communication plan. They will enable the campaign team to reach the targeted audience with the above-mentioned key messages. Some of the tactical tools of communication that will be used during the campaign include the Web sites, World Wide Web, Texting, Webcasts, YouTube, blogs, Podcasts, media kits, news releases, media alerts, promotional events, and many others. In this case, a tactic is a census communication occasion that has been designed to ensure the set objectives are achieved by communicating effectively with the target group. Given that this is a digital age, combining both new social media and traditional mass media tools in a convergent way so as to improve the effectiveness of campaign will be much easier. The campaign team will be guided by the target audience characteristics as well as the nature of the campaign strategy. 7.0 Budget The cost is an important component in campaign planning, particularly because of high financial problems associated with the social services programs in Australia. The budget will be broken down into three categories; traditional media, Internet promotion, and social media. Importantly, 5% of the budget will be set aside for emergency purposes such as a new opportunity or unexpected expense. Most of the paid-media budget will be used to target multicultural youths such as aboriginals and others from different cultures such as Indians, Chinese and Arabs. Therefore, 70% of the budget which is around $14k will use on media, 20% ($4k) for production: billboard creation and videos, 5% ($2k) for labour cost and the rest for emergency purpose. 8.0 Evaluation Plan Evaluation will be the final step in the campaign process and will relate directly back to the goal and objectives as well as situation analysis of campaign program. The performance measurement will be associated directly with the campaign objectives through reliable and valid techniques. During the evaluation, the difference between output and outcome will be made. The evaluation will be carried out throughout the campaign course so as to catch any arising issue as soon as possible. Every message will be copy tested in order to make sure that the youths (targeted audience) understood them effectively. In this case, copy testing will involve presenting the messages to the audience members before launching the campaign. This will be achieved through surveys as well as focus groups. The campaign team will survey the audience at the time of campaign to ensure the message gets the desired outcome. This campaign will be evaluated through motivation or persuasion tests, memory tests, as well as inquiry tests. 9.0 Issues Management ABS should understand that issues are crucial to any organisation because they have serious impact on the resources of the organisation in the long term (Dalton, 2011). Human related errors may take some time to be discerned; however, the impact of the error can be felt six months later. Therefore, issue management is important during the pre-crisis planning. Using the Howard Chase model, ABS can manage the issue that arises through numerous sequential steps, which try to predict, identify, analyse, as well as offer strategic options of managing the issues. Howard Chase model outlined five primary steps for issues management; identification of the issues, issue analysis, strategic options and responses, issue action program, and evaluation (Jaques, 2012). Before identifying the issues, there is the need for environmental scanning to understand the emerging issues, based on discourses, opinions as well as debates happening in the environment. This can be achieved through academic journals, NGO-based publications, independent commissions, expert opinion or market research. 10.0 Crisis Management All organisations are likely to encounter reputational issues considering that in the present digital age, information is power. To tackle a crisis, particularly in the online environment, where dissemination of information takes place swiftly has become more challenging to the organisation. It is important for ABS to customise and regularly updated its crisis plan. It is an essential part of doing business. Even though all crisis situations need comprehensive planning tailored so as to fit the unique characteristics of the organisation, numerous time-tested communication principles must be utilised: the first principle is setting up a media policy; the   second principle is assigning a spokesperson to communicate on behalf of the organisation; the Principle 3 is training telephone gatekeepers in order to ensure that the company keeps accurate records. In view of other principles, ABS should ensure that the news releases are issued strategically and selectively. For this reason, ABS should make crisis preparation a continuous process and in a case of crisis, they should ensure they tell the truth quickly before the public starts speculating. Furthermore, when crisis happens the organisation should designate one spokesperson and makes sure that individual is surrounded with experts so as to ensure a consistent message is delivered. 11.0 Conclusion To sum up, census offers relevant and high quality data for small population groups and small geographic areas to match the broad level data. Furthermore, the census offers a snapshot of Australia’s people as well as their housing. The census will help estimate the population of Australia which may be utilised to distribute plan services and funds within the community. 12.0 References 4imprint.com. (2015). Marketing to today’s youth. Retrieved from 4imprint.com: http://info.4imprint.com/wp-content/uploads/1P-13-0711-Succeeding.pdf Australian Bureau Statistics (2011), Young Adults: Then and Now, viewed 11 March 2016 on: HYPERLINK "http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4102.0Main+Features40April+2013" \l "whatdo" http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4102.0Main+Features40April+2013#whatdo Australian Education Network (2014), Student Numbers at Australian Universities, viewed 11 March 2016 on: HYPERLINK "http://www.australianuniversities.com.au/directory/student-numbers/" http://www.australianuniversities.com.au/directory/student-numbers/ Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2011). Young Australians: their health and wellbeing 2011. Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Dalton, J. (2011). Reputation and Strategic Issue Management. In A. Hiles, Reputation Management: Building and Protecting Your Company's Profile in a Digital World (pp. 225-239). London: Bloomsbury Publishing. Jaques, T. (2012). Is issue m anagement evolving or progressing towards extinction ? Public Communication Review, 2(1), 35-44. Keene, D. L., & Handrich, R. R. (2011). Generation X members are “active, balanced and happy”. Seriously? The Jury Expert, 23(6), 1-15. McCrindle. (2013). Demographic Analysis of Youth in Australia. National Youth Week. Melbourne: McCrindle. Muir, K., Mullan, K., Powell, A., Flaxman, S., Thompson, D., & Griffiths, M. (2009). State of Australia's young people: A Report on the social, economic, health and family lives of young people. University of New South Wales. Melbourne: Social Policy Research Centre. OECD.Stats (2015), Short- Term Labour Market Statistics: Unemployment Rates by age and gender, viewed 11 March 2016 on: HYPERLINK "http://stats.oecd.org/index.aspx?queryid=36499" http://stats.oecd.org/index.aspx?queryid=36499 Okigbo, C. (2013). Strategic Urban Health Communication. New York: Springer Science & Business Media. Stokes, H., Stafford, J., & Holdsworth, R. (1999). Rural and Remote School Education A Survey for the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission. University of Melbourne. Melbourne: Youth Research Centre. Tomlinson, M. (2013). Education, Work and Identity: Themes and Perspectives. Edinburgh: A&C Black. Read More

As of 2009, the majority of the youth population in Australia (78%) were born within the country; approximately 5 per cent are from English-speaking countries; and 16 per cent are from other countries (Muir et al., 2009). For young people, education, as maintained by Tomlinson (2013) has the most crucial dimensions of their lives since it determine future outcomes and opportunities. Education is considered to be very important to the young people. In Australia, part-time and full-time students are over 1.

3 million as of 2014 (Australian Education Network, 2014). The youth population going to school is quite small; according to Australian Bureau of Statistics (2011) only 26% young adults were studying. Youth population in remote and rural areas according to Stokes et al. (1999) are at an educational disadvantage with regard to participation, performance and attainment as compared to their colleagues living in the urban areas. Furthermore, students in rural areas are less likely to meet the set benchmarks for writing, reading, writing and numeracy.

The gap between non-Indigenous and Indigenous students is very wide in remote and rural areas, and this exhibits the disadvantage compounding factors. Young Australians living in the rural and remote areas have poorer educational outcomes. This is evidenced by the fact that Australia is ranked top ten with regard to education in urban areas, but 25th out of 40 countries in remote and rural areas. In terms of psychographics’ characteristics, the social mind-set: Young Australians are moving around more efficiently by traversing different states of Australia.

Their demand for unhealthy food, especially those found in fast food joints is increasing tremendously. Attitudes: Young Australians are eco-friendly, result oriented and price conscious. In terms of lifestyle and personality, youth population are motivated, care for the surroundings, dreamer, efficient and quick. They always want things fast. 2.2 Issues Facing Youths Health Issues Even though the majority of young people in Australia are healthy as evidenced by international comparisons, young Australians from Indigenous families, remote areas and those that suffer from socioeconomic disadvantage have poor mental, emotional and physical health.

Issues associated with body image, obesity, overweight, mental illness, as well as alcohol and drug abuse are largely affecting the lives of many young people in Australia (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2011). With regard to sexual health problems and issues, young people experiencing social isolation and poverty are unable to access health education and information. Solutions offered by the health sector are essential but less sufficient. In 2009, close to more than 1 million young Australians (12 to 25 years) had a mental illness, and this was caused mainly by depression, substance use disorders, and anxiety.

Because of mental illness, most young people’s social relationships and education are disrupted and the risks of suicide, self-harm, and chronic illness are increased. Despite the large number of Young Australians with mental illness, only 23 per cent of them can access services for support and intervention. Besides that, the AIHW established in 2010 that close to 30 per cent of young people aged between 13 and 17 years are either obese or overweight. Unemployment In 2016, the unemployment rates for young Australians aged 18 -25 years is 13.

1% while for those aged 25-54 years is 4.9% (OECD.Stat, 2015). Most young adults are employed on a casual or part-time basis since they are combining study and paid work. According to Muir et al. (2009), this may assist them to successfully transition into permanent work and enable the young population to suffer the consequence of poverty. Still, young people from the Indigenous community have low employment rates than their non-Indigenous counterparts. Both unemployed and employed young people are worried about the prospects of their future employment.

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