World Suicide Prevention Day and

R U OK?Day 2017 Campaign Planning Meeting

Post Meeting Briefing Notes

Notes and key actions from the meeting held at the R U OK? offices on Monday 29
May.

Meeting aims and objectives

1. To get together as a group to discuss collaboration ideas for WSPD (10
September 2017) and R UOK?Day (14 September 2017) as well as catch up on
upcoming organisation campaigns/projects that would benefit from greater
sector support and promotion.
2. In recent years, the Suicide Prevention Australia team has offered an advocacy
tool for sector use, in line with the international theme for World Suicide
Prevention Day with R U OK? offering a public facing/community wide campaign
idea for use.

Reflecting on the 2016 campaign

The 2016 international theme was Connect. Communicate. Care. To support this, SPA
presented the sector with a research report on understanding the exposure to an
impact of suicide in Australia, drawing on lessons from those with lived experience. R U
OK? provided marketing collateral and media based on the Reconnecting. This
included video stories of friends reconnecting as well as encouraging people to
reconnect in person following research findings in relation to how much time we spend
online.

Group Discussion: What worked well in 2016

Agreement that while we still have a lot of work to do to work as one on sector
wide campaigns, weve seen a lot of progression over the years and should give
ourselves a pat on the back for that
Meetings like this help us come together as a sector and support us to continue
connections after the campaign
Positive reflection on R U OK? deepening its engagement over past few years
International theme provided consistency of messaging which helped. Was
relevant and easy to put into organisation context and coordinate activities
Use of real life experiences in stories, media and social media worked well

Kim Borrowdale, Deputy CEO/Head of Communications, SPA 0406 149099

Katherine Newton, Campaign Director, R U OK? katherine@ruok.org.au 0468 867 442.
 Lobbying tools and data coming from SPA appreciated with education based
information and statistics very useful
R U OK? Day itself and R U OK? messaging present multiple opportunities for us
to promote own resources and services
Good to see activity across the sector in surrounding months from August to
October.
Group Discussion: What could have worked better?
Longer and shorter lead times would be helpful e.g. 1 month out and 1 week
out as a reminder
Timing testing messages; fine balance to get together early enough before
campaigns are planned, but not before everyone knows what they are doing
Would like to see more sharing among the sector in social media
For organisations that dont have specific campaigns, it would be good to share
other organisations campaigns behind the scenes earlier so that these
organisations can plan to support
Why do we focus on Sept/Oct for joint activity in the sector? Shouldnt we plan
across the year so it is consistent and we dont flood the market?

2017 Campaign Ideas

1. SPA team introduced the international theme of Take a minute, change a life
2. SPA noted that beyondblue intends to run a longitudinal research study on
stigma (Stigma index) and plans to provide the sector with results of a stigma
pulse survey as an advocacy tool for World Suicide Prevention Day. That is take
a minute to think about whats stopping you asking R U OK?
3. R U OK? team and will be releasing complementary research results that will
encourage discussion on whether people feel equipped when someone says
no, Im not ok working title youve got what it takes. They also introduced
the Convo Convoy idea see PowerPoint presentation.
Group Discussion: 2017 campaign ideas
Theme is positive; discussed how to break it down to link in with various
services. Need to think carefully about impact of messaging on bereaved.
Service providers can be present at the R U OK? events and be involved in the
convoy; great for getting local spokespeople and pooling talent for use across
sector
Every organisation should map out ambassadors and speakers who can join
carpool conversations series of joint interviews and possibly Facebook live
events for organisations
Portable stigma survey could we use the conversation convoy to collect more
survey responses in regional areas?

A: Level 21, 320 Pitt St Sydney NSW 2000 P: 02 9262 1130

M: GPO Box 219 Sydney NSW 2001
W: www.suicidepreventionaust.org ABN: 64 461 352 676
E: admin@suicidepreventionaust.org ACN: 164 450 882
 Youve got what it takes empowerment angle is good in terms of building
community capacity for conversation however group highlighted issues in areas
that dont have what it takes in terms of services and support is the Convo
Convoy an opportunity to highlight gaps that SPA can report to sector and
government?
WSPD Stigma survey National LGBTI Alliance is interested in sample
population demographics and selection. Would like to ensure this is inclusive of
LGBTI communities
Welcome provision of R U OK? collateral and assets as well as WSPD messaging,
research and data, particularly given one or the other might work better for
specific organisations request to make PNG graphics available so customisable
Request more direct connection with communications managers to have
proactive implementation, not just providing the toolkit
Would be good for SPA/R U OK? to provide templates/invitations for
organisations to use with their networks and community advocates
For Take a minute, change a life could produce 1 minute videos/stories/online
forums on topics based on evidence e.g. safe conversations
Could we have a schedule of messages involving each organisation promoting
their resources; need to also show pathways to good information and resources
Need to be conscious of Head to Health digital gateway launching in September
Could we create a FB page for the sector to share ideas closed group?
Big Idea what about a truly joint campaign with no organisational branding?
Some specific ideas shared on how organisations could participate included:
AISRAP - Forum on WSPD on the Friday before WSPD in Brisbane, with lived
experience panel discussion on live podcast all welcome to share invitation to
join online
Headspace centres keen to have presence at Convo Convoy
Relationships Australia keen to provide counsellors on the ground and
spokespeople would be interested to get involved in Convo Convoy
ReachOut youth ambassadors can be involved in a social media campaign
Movember incorporate messages into their whole month of comms
Superfriend could use R U OK campaign concept for workplaces and create
video in workforce setting and will support social media
Orygen could approach youth councils, create video, podcast and tie in suicide
prevention
ReachOut could engage volunteers and communities, incorporate dashcam
conversations with community education clips
Peer Support Australia Idea for students to produce 60 second videos around
take a minute theme, helping schools to build capacity, and integrate R U OK
concept as call to action.

A: Level 21, 320 Pitt St Sydney NSW 2000 P: 02 9262 1130

M: GPO Box 219 Sydney NSW 2001
W: www.suicidepreventionaust.org ABN: 64 461 352 676
E: admin@suicidepreventionaust.org ACN: 164 450 882