From community apathy and anger, to involvement
Situated in regional South Australia, the Port Pirie smelter is the economic lifeblood of the Upper Spencer Gulf Region.
In 2005 and in conjunction with SA Health, new owners of the smelters, Nyrstar had set a goal to reduce the blood lead levels of Port Pirie’s children.
When this program commenced, only 48.3% of Port Pirie children aged under five met the World Health Organisation standard.
And since the ‘70s, messages to the community about the environmental lead issue had been technical, and had a predictable public health messaging tone. This proud regional community was highly sensitive and very divided around the issue, and in 2007 we were invited to look at things.
Within eighteen months of our new brand message and campaign being in place, 72.5% of children met the goal. And where there had been apathy, and at worst anger, now there was real understanding of the goal and widespread enthusiasm in the community for the ways people could participate.
The campaign was so successful that our partnership with Nyrstar in Port Pirie continued for fifteen years.
It also led to working with the company executive in London and Zurich, for both corporate and community engagement projects across five continents.
First up, we changed the conversation
By the end of 2009 ‘tenby10’ was being acknowledged across Australia and around the world
Acknowledged as a new benchmark and case study for any city challenged with a lead exposure issue - such were the KPI’s for engagement and results occurring in Port Pirie.
Transitioning the brand through more complex change
The tenby10 project had been an overwhelming success on many fronts.
However it became clear that the ambitious stretch-target would not be met by the end of 2010, despite the significant progress made over the tenby10 years. Midway through that year, planning was underway for a post 2010 transition strategy.
The tenby10 name and logo had become very familiar within the community, with everyone understanding the aim of the project.
It was important that the new logo and theme continued to assist the work done to date and in keeping awareness high about the importance of lowering children’s’ blood lead levels.
Rowan conceived the new name, ‘Ten for them’ – and this was launched in September, 2010.
‘Ten for them’ provided an excellent transition to a new brand, still retaining a strong connection to what people were familiar with. ‘Ten for them’ ensured that the number ten was still the important number still (at this time) moving forward.
‘For the future we all want’ remained an integral part of the message.
The outcome of these campaigns has resulted in a message transformation from denial to ownership.
The community now had ‘ownership’ of the community blood lead reduction programs.
While the previous campaigns focused on lead in blood reduction in the community, the ongoing message, ‘For the future we all want’ reflected the importance of achieving reductions to ensure the community had a sustainable future.
The Targeted Lead Abatement Program (TLAP) was introduced in 2014.
Reaching a new generation of parents
How we re-invigorated the Top Tips within the context of Port Pirie having a new smelter and being a city that has positively changed.
Ten years ago…
To reinforce this through powerful storytelling, the Port Pirie residents featured in this series are the same people as appeared ten years ago in a campaign we created in 2009 called, ‘If they could tell you they would’.
And ten years on
In the series, these residents also tell a whole new generation of parents and carers about a new tlap.tips microsite containing all the tips.