The Risk is Real

About the Program

Category: Civic Education and Public Information (Best in Category)

Year: 2021

The Risk Is Real is a unique multi-media educational campaign created to increase awareness among young adults about the continued risks of COVID-19. Our job was to communicate critical public safety guidelines using a grassroots approach that looked and sounded nothing like traditional government messaging. To reach our target audience, ensure maximum awareness, and promote a culture of transparency, we engaged directly with the people young adults trust most for authentic, credible messaging—themselves. By collaborating directly with members of our target audience, we were able to develop a true partnership with social media influencers and local high school students to bring authentic #TheRiskIsReal messaging to social media platforms, digital billboards, television news, even a local community town hall. Because the message was fresh and non-authoritarian, it spread seamlessly and attracted positive attention for the young influencers as they demonstrated safe mask-wearing behavior and showed that following the public health guidelines wasn’t just smart—it was cool. Amplifying diverse com-munity voices on our County social platforms was an intentional, measurable program that provides endless possibilities for local and national transference to revolutionize government messaging. Even during an emergency—especially during an emergency—innovation is an essential part of our communications toolkit.