Save Your Sight
The Vision Initiative has worked in partnership with members and stakeholders to promote the importance of preventative activity in the form of an eye test since 2002 to the general community of Victoria through the Save Your Sight campaigns.
In 2009, vision loss affected almost 575,000 Australians, with this number predicted to rise to more than 801,000 by 2020. However, 75 per cent of blindness and vision loss is preventable or treatable if detected early. Save Your Sight promotes regular eye tests which can detect any developing problems and provide the best chance for treatment.
The first social marketing campaign ran in 2004 and since then a social marketing campaign model has been developed and refined to disseminate key community messages which focus on early intervention with the simple campaign message Save Your Sight – Get Tested. The call to action is to visit your optometrist, ophthalmologist or your doctor.
For more information on the Save Your Sight campaigns contact us at info@visioninitiative.org.au
National Eye Health Awareness Campaign
2009
In May 2009 the Australian Government launched the National Eye Health Awareness Campaign.
The advertising component included national radio and print advertising as well as some convenience advertisements which targeted people over 40 years with messages promoting the need to ‘get tested’. Information kits were produced and sent to key stakeholders.
To boost the national campaign in Victoria, the Vision Initiative ran the Save Your Sight – Get Tested television advertisements for a two week period across metropolitan and regional Victoria. The impact of the campaign was evaluated in collaboration with the Australian Government Market Research Unit, with the full evaluation report due in mid 2010.
Eye Chart
Save Your Sight Week
Wangaratta 2008
Supported by the Victorian Minister for Health, the Hon Daniel Andrews MP, Save Your Sight Week was launched on 11 March 2008 in Wangaratta by Angela Connors, the Regional Director, Hume Region at the Department of Human Services.
Both WIN and PRIME television attended the launch, with WIN running a story in their 6.30pm bulletin. The Wangaratta Chronicle also covered the launch in their 12 March 2008 newspaper edition.
Other activities during Save Your Sight Week included a community open day, an art workshop and an art exhibition at the Wangaratta Library. These public activities were complemented by a series of education sessions for regional health professionals in the weeks preceding the public activity.
A four week advertising campaign integrated with free media further supported the campaign which commenced at the end of February 2008. Paid advertising, featuring John Clarke and Brian Dawes, ran on local television, radio and in the Wangaratta Chronicle and Myrtleford Times.
Free media, focusing on the Vision Initiative's key community messages and local case studies appeared in all local papers including the Wangaratta Chronicle, Myrtleford Times, Bright Observer and the Kiewa Valley Times. Local and community radio stations aired Community Service Announcements featuring key messages.
Close collaboration with seven of Vision 2020 Australia’s member organisations active in Victoria was critical to the development and delivery of the Save Your Sight campaign. In addition, the Vision Initiative worked closely with a range of community partners including local government and education bodies and local media outlets to ensure the campaign was a success.
More information is available on the Vision 2020 Australia website.
Vision 2020 Australia and Vision Initiative Save Your Sight campaign
Victoria 2005
In March 2005 Vision 2020 Australia and the Vision Initiative launched a five-week Save Your Sight campaign to raise public awareness of the importance of good eye care, especially for people aged 40 years and over.
The campaign encouraged people to get their eyes tested regularly so that eye conditions can be detected and treated at an early stage. It also aimed to inform Victorians about common eye conditions and their symptoms.
The integrated campaign goal was to reach a large number of Victorians across metropolitan Melbourne and regional areas.
It took place during the Victorian Seniors Festival and included media interviews, articles and community events. An independent campaign evaluation showed that a large group of the target audience responded that the campaign would motivate them to get their eyes tested.
Save Your Sight campaign
Geelong 2004
In October 2004 the first Vision Initiative public awareness campaign was conducted as a six-week pilot Save Your Sight campaign in Geelong.
The primary aim of the campaign was to raise awareness about the importance of regular eye tests for those aged 50 plus. Geelong was identified and adopted as the testing ground for this pilot activity due to a high concentration of the target demographic aged 50 plus, localised media opportunities and pre-existing partner networks.
The integrated campaign included advertising, media, community events and library promotion.
An independent evaluation of the campaign was carried out at its completion in Geelong. It demonstrated that Geelong had a moderate level of awareness among the target group but there was definitely more opportunity to reach a larger proportion of the target audience. This pilot campaign was the catalyst for the 2005 wider campaign in regional and metropolitan Melbourne.