Don’t Hold Back is a digital communications campaign to encourage young adults aged 21 to 29 to initiate conversations on deceased organ donation with their families.
The Human Organ Transplant Act allows all Singaporeans and Permanent Residents to donate their organs after death. However, the campaign team realised that many members of their target audience were unfamiliar with deceased organ donation and may be uncertain of their loved one’s wishes to donate their organs after death. This resulted in conflicts between these family members and physicians, creating additional emotional turmoil during a time of grieving.
To address these issues, the team launched a campaign to encourage young adults to have clear conversations with their loved ones about their decisions to be deceased organ donors. The effect of these conversations is twofold: firstly, to ensure that families are better prepared in the event of the unfortunate, sudden death of their loved one, and secondly to enhance the quality of Singapore’s organ donor pool.
Watch the video below to hear from young adults and their parents in Singapore discuss death and their legacy.
The Highlights
More young adults pledged to initiate conversations about deceased organ donations.
Don’t Hold Back managed to secure 371 pledges from people to discuss their decision to donate their organs with their loved ones, which was more than they had anticipated. The campaign successfully motivated their target audience, prompting them to think more about the issue.
Convincing people by making the experts relatable.
The group released a two-part doctor react series that featured two transplant doctors from National University Hospital (NUH) reacting to medical dramas. This proved to be a relatable way to raise awareness of the role and expertise of transplant doctors and added credibility to their campaign. The videos proved popular as they were shared on both NUH and Tan Tock Seng Hospital’s social media platforms. Watch both videos below.
Providing a perspective of organ donation closer to home.
A profile that Don’t Hold Back covered on the perspective of a family member of a deceased organ donor was picked up by Shin Min Daily News. The article was also promoted on their social media platforms, increasing its reach. This helped them provide a fresh insight on deceased organ donation and allowed them to spread the story to a far wider audience.
The Memories
Reflection #1 – The Challenges
Niche topic which has difficulty to attract funding.
The niche and uncommon nature of the campaign meant that it was challenging for the team to find sponsors and influencers to fund and promote. Securing funding was made more difficult for the team because the campaign was fully online, and most sponsors prioritised funding campaigns that has direct engagements with their beneficiaries.
However, the group overcame this issue by approaching small businesses instead, which allowed them to secure sufficient funds.
Digital fatigue of target audience.
Even though it was the best way to reach their target group of young adults, the online nature of the campaign meant that it was challenging to truly capture people’s attention. This was because many social media users are already bombarded with swathes of information daily, resulting in digital fatigue.
To overcome this, the team used some of their funding to pay for advertising, which boosted their engagement rates.
Reflection #2 – The Takeaways
The power of social media.
The project emphasised to the team on how powerful social media can be as a mobilising tool to effect change in society. The team realised that social media could spark off a domino effect of people thinking more deeply about deceased organ donation and having more meaningful conversations with their loved ones in the long term, even after the campaign has ended.
Hands-on experience that will help build better campaigns.
The team felt that they have gained so much firsthand knowledge on how to launch a successful campaign. Through trial and error in the project, they have gained invaluable lessons about how to inspire action and increase engagement.
In addition, the team is also more educated on deceased organ donation on a personal level, having seen the tireless work of doctors and transplant organisers. They were also inspired by stories of organ transplant recipients who were given new life through the donations.
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