Advertising & SafetyReframing the Issue of Safety at Work

Richard BarkerHead of Marketing and DigitalWorkSafe Victoria

June 2013

We aim to make a difference

• Legislation – laws and regs• Responsive Workplace Insurance scheme

(rewards lower claims and incentivises performance improvements)

• Safety and Guidance • Inspectorate (24,000 visits per year)• Marketing – campaigns to target the moral

justification, complemented by tactical campaigns

First, in a galaxy far, far away...

BureaucracyGovernment regulationOut of touch with my realityInsurance (tax), workers compensation

Health & safety contextA proactive ringPotential to involve workers & employersThis brand could potentially own positive values

One organisation, two brandsOur brief – create a health & safety brand campaign

In 05, things were different

• Issues concerning Victorians were

Homecomings

• We now refer to our history as ‘pre-Homecomings’, and ‘post-Homecomings’

Reframed the issue – a basic rightPositioned WorkSafe above just rules & regulations‘A licence to feel human’ (WorkSafe inspector)It began to create social pressure and normalise expectations

Brand trust: 79%Employer respect: 76%Works with the community to make workplaces safe: 84%

“...the major concern about these results is that anticipated future improvements can only be incremental...” Sweeney Research

Homecomings

Extended the notion of ‘home’

Challenged people to think about their most important reason

Attempted to up the emotional ante

And for a couple of weeks lead people to believe the worst

After resisting, we responded to an appetite for a negative ending.

A campaign circuit breaker and new lease of life for the campaign

Home Early elicits concern, worry, anxiety and intrigue. Respondents could project themselves into the story.

I pictured myself and my wife

I feel like I need to go and call my husband

Key messages about the broad impact of workplace incidents are clear.

The concept worked equally well with workers and managers, and had high impact.

It got me thinking about the dangers and risks in the workplace are only a few feet away, one bad decision away. It made me think about some of the possible risks in my workplace.

I was thinking, how would my family react?

Home Early

Change has been profound

Research shows it legitimises the more hard line activities of WorkSafe – if enforcements or fines occur, it is because some violation of a basic safety right has occurred

Sweeney Research

It’s amazing that when people talk about vacancies, they invariably mention the TV ads and how good they feel about working at a place live WorkSafe

HR manager

It gives me a licence to feel human and proud of where I work…

WorkSafe employee

But Good cop doesn’t always work

• But we found we have to balance this positive message with messages around ‘Attitudes and Norms’

Our results have been worth the effort

2000/01 2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/129

10

11

12

13

14

15Claims/000

Claims/000

14.2

Brand Effect

Challenges

Building (or at least maintaining) trust & engagement

Staying one step ahead and relevant

Improving our clients’ online experience (and living up to expectations)

Media fragmentation How best to engage in social media (and not the cult of volume)

Stakeholder’s subjective views

Internal complacency