Switch Off
What was the start point?
How do you make people aware of the effect of the digital switchover on the over 70s?
With the government's desire to move all television services from an analogue to a digital platform, and the appointment of digital UK to effect this change, Whitehaven in Cumbria was chosen as the first to switch. However, there was no special provision for older members of the community to get help in what is a complicated process. As the television can play a large part in the lives of older people WRVS wanted to raise general awareness of the possible problem and to get communities to identify and assist their elder members.
What was the real question?
How can WRVS make sure that older people do not miss out in the digital switchover?
What was the answer?
A campaign using a range of media; buses, radio, door drops and press that illustrated the difficulties in understanding the problems of the digital switchover process.
The campaign worked by posing, in the language of the new digital platform, the kind of things that everyone would need to understand in order to make sure that they were ready for the digital switch on.
Consumers were then asked the question of what it would be like to read the ads if they were 70+. They were then given response details for WRVS volunteers to allow them to get help for older neighbours or family.
How effective has the Digital Switchover campaign been?
The campaign has led to digital UK forming an older person specific help unit and has raised the awareness of WRVS in the area.