Posted by Marketing & PR on 6 Jan 2025
Public campaigns are shifting. As people become more aware of social issues, environmental challenges and health matters, the approach to behaviour change marketing is evolving.
Campaigns that once relied solely on persuasive messaging are now integrating new strategies to drive meaningful and sustainable changes in behaviour. Here are the key trends shaping the future of public campaigns, with a focus on co-creation and collaborative methods.
1. Co-Creation Workshops
One of the most exciting trends in behaviour change marketing is the rise of co-creation workshops. Traditional campaigns were often designed from the top down, with marketers deciding what messages would be most effective. Co-creation turns this model on its head, bringing in community members, target audiences and stakeholders to collaboratively design campaigns.
Why Co-Creation Works
Co-creation workshops offer a wealth of benefits for public campaigns:
• Inclusive and authentic messaging: When communities help shape the message, it resonates more deeply and is seen as more authentic.
• Addressing real barriers: Through direct input, marketers learn about practical obstacles that might prevent behaviour change, allowing for solutions tailored to real-life contexts.
• Building trust and buy-in: People are more likely to engage with campaigns they helped create, fostering a sense of ownership and commitment to the desired changes.
For example, a local council aiming to reduce waste might invite residents, business owners and local environmental groups to participate in a co-creation workshop. Together, they can identify what has and hasn’t worked in past campaigns, brainstorm fresh ideas, and craft messaging that speaks to the unique needs and values of their community.
This collaborative approach can significantly increase the campaign’s effectiveness and relevance.
2. Data-Driven Personalisation
Data-driven personalisation has been a hot topic in marketing for some time, but in public campaigns, it’s only just gaining traction. Using data insights, marketers can create more tailored messages that speak to individual preferences, lifestyles and values.
In behaviour change campaigns, personalisation can take many forms, from segmenting audiences based on demographics to tailoring content based on specific behaviours.
How Data Improves Campaign Impact
• Relevant messaging: By targeting specific groups with tailored messages, campaigns avoid the pitfalls of generic appeals that often fail to inspire action.
• Behaviour tracking: By monitoring how different segments respond, campaigners can adjust their approach in real-time, optimising for better engagement and results.
• Creating actionable insights: Data can reveal surprising trends, such as motivations for certain behaviours or commonly faced barriers, which can then inform future campaign strategies.
For example, a public health campaign encouraging vaccination might use data to tailor messaging for different age groups. Younger people might respond to messaging that addresses misinformation on social media, while older populations might need reassurance about the vaccine’s safety and efficacy. This personalised approach ensures that each group receives information that feels relevant to them.
3. Storytelling as a Tool for Connection and Persuasion
Stories are powerful. They connect people on an emotional level, make issues more relatable and inspire action. Behaviour change marketing is increasingly using storytelling to build empathy and understanding among target audiences.
Rather than listing statistics or presenting facts alone, campaigns are turning to narratives that illustrate the human side of issues.
Why Storytelling is Effective
• Humanises abstract issues: For topics that might feel distant or irrelevant, like climate change, storytelling brings the issue closer to home.
• Creates an emotional connection: When people see themselves in a story, they’re more likely to feel motivated to make a change.
• Simplifies complex topics: Stories are easier to understand and remember, making complex topics like mental health or environmental sustainability more accessible.
For instance, a campaign aimed at reducing water consumption might tell the story of a family who has successfully cut their water use, highlighting both the challenges they faced and the positive impact of their actions. This approach allows audiences to see the steps involved, relate to the struggles, and feel encouraged to try similar changes in their own lives.
4. Leveraging Social Proof and Influencer Partnerships
In the digital age, social proof is a powerful force in shaping behaviour. People tend to follow the actions of those they admire or respect, which is why public campaigns are increasingly working with influencers, community leaders, and peer networks to spread their message. Influencer partnerships provide a way to reach specific target groups authentically.
The Role of Influencers and Social Proof
• Boosts credibility: When a trusted figure advocates for a behaviour, it lends the message greater credibility.
• Increases reach: Influencers have dedicated followings, which allows campaigns to reach audiences who may not respond to traditional media.
• Encourages normative behaviour: Social proof makes certain behaviours feel like the “norm,” increasing the likelihood that others will follow suit.
An example of this trend is in environmental campaigns where eco-conscious influencers promote small, sustainable lifestyle changes. When audiences see their favourite influencer choosing reusable products or supporting local businesses, they are more likely to mirror those choices.
5. Gamification: Making Behaviour Change Fun and Rewarding
Gamification introduces elements of play, competition, and reward into campaigns to make behaviour change more engaging. Public campaigns can harness gamification by offering rewards, milestones, and friendly competitions to motivate people to adopt new behaviours.
Whether through apps, interactive websites, or social challenges, gamification taps into people’s natural motivation for rewards and achievement.
Benefits of Gamification in Behaviour Change
• Increases engagement: Adding fun and rewards makes people more willing to participate.
• Sustains long-term change: By setting up milestones and progress tracking, gamification keeps people involved over time.
• Fosters a sense of community: When gamification involves social sharing, it builds a community of people working toward a common goal.
For example, a campaign aimed at reducing carbon footprints could use an app where users earn points for eco-friendly actions, like biking to work or using a reusable water bottle. As participants accumulate points, they could unlock rewards or earn badges, adding a layer of enjoyment to sustainable practices.
The future of behaviour change marketing is about collaboration, personalisation and engagement. By involving the community through co-creation workshops, tailoring messages through data insights, telling compelling stories, leveraging social proof and incorporating gamification, public campaigns can create a deeper and longer-lasting impact.
As these trends continue to evolve, they promise to make public campaigns not only more effective but also more meaningful and inclusive.
Our Expertise
We’ve been creating highly successful social marketing campaigns for our customers for over two decades. We love our work and use the latest marketing communication tools and most current segmentation and customer insight techniques, such as co-creation workshops.
This allows us to develop and integrate marketing concepts with other approaches to influence behaviour that benefits individuals and whole communities – for the social good.
Within our team, we have leading nationally recognised academic professionals within Psychology, Mental Health and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy that advise what messages and mediums will deliver the best response when we scope out a communications campaign or deliver any targeted communications.
This provides our clients with the reassurance and confidence of knowing that their communication objectives are underpinned by recognised academic behavioural theory, executed with award-winning creative design and using the latest Marketing Automation communication tools, whether it’s on a local, regional or national project.
Perfect Circle has delivered social change for clients like schools, local government, not-for-profit organisations, the health sector and niche commercial businesses, and we’re really proud of what we’ve done so far.
If you’d like our help on your next Behaviour Change Marketing or Social Marketing campaign, we’d love to hear from you. Please visit our contact page and get in touch.
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