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Leadership team
AutumnGehring
Autumn Gehring
VP, Client Partner
MichaelService
Michael Service
SVP, Healthcare Strategy
RobMcEwan
Rob McEwan
EVP & National Leader, Health

What complex challenges can we help you navigate?

BC Government – Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training

ChangeMakers designed an engagement program seeking to gather input from people with lived and living experience of poverty across BC. To ensure accessibility and inclusivity, we built in measures including honouraria, translation and interpretation, counselling, wellness supports, and coverage of other costs such as transportation, childcare, and food when necessary. 

Expertise
Social Impact Consulting
Services

Working with the BC Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction (SDPR), we were brought on to design and lead province-wide engagement to inform an update to TogetherBC: BC’s Poverty Reduction Strategy. As part of the strategy’s legislation, it must be updated every five years. We designed a robust engagement program seeking to gather input specifically from people with lived and living experience of poverty across BC. This included regional Town Halls, small group sessions, an online survey, DIY conversation toolkit, and other tactics including working with the Minister to host roundtable conversations. To ensure accessibility and inclusivity, we built in measures including honoraria, translation and interpretation, counselling, wellness supports, and coverage of other costs such as transportation, childcare and food when necessary. The project engaged approximately 10,000 people across British Columbia, including approximately 12% identifying as Indigenous. We crafted a What We Heard Report which will be presented to government to inform an update to the poverty reduction strategy in 2024. 

Situation

Based on extensive initial engagement in 2017-18, TogetherBC, British Columbia’s Poverty Reduction Strategy, was released in 2019 and sets a path to reduce overall poverty in BC by 25% and child poverty by 50% by 2024. With investments from across Government, TogetherBC reflects government’s commitment to reduce poverty and make life more affordable for British Columbians. It includes policy initiatives and investments designed to lift people up, break the cycle of poverty and build a better BC for everyone.

Targets, timelines, and accountability for TogetherBC are laid out in the Poverty Reduction Strategy Act. This act states that the strategy is to be updated every five years. To inform the update to the strategy, the Government of BC engaged us to design, facilitate and report back on what poverty currently looks like across BC and potential solutions to addressing it from the perspective of those with lived and living experience and community members. 

COVID-19, the housing crisis, climate emergencies and inflation are some major local and global events that have significantly impacted British Columbians. Government needed to understand the experiences on the ground and how these events have impacted certain populations and issues in different ways, as well as solutions that are making a difference, new programs and services needed, and where government can prioritize over the next five years of the strategy. 

Problem

Since the current government in BC came into power, more than 378,000 people have been lifted out of poverty, including 104,000 children. However, much of this can be attributed to COVID-19 relief supports from the federal government, as well as other temporary measures during the pandemic. Other important actions have been completed that are making a difference in reducing poverty, but for some groups, it is still not enough and challenges remain.   

Hearing directly from people with lived and living experience was also a direct mandate of this engagement, which presents major challenges requiring innovative thinking to ensure accessibility and very low barriers to participation.   

Solution

We designed and facilitated a comprehensive engagement program resulting in a What We Heard report summarizing all the input from throughout the engagement period. Engagement tactics for this project included:  

  • 5 virtual, regional town halls  
  • 30 small group sessions, both in-person and virtual throughout BC, in partnership with community and service organizations  
  • 4 roundtable sessions with the Minister  
  • Online survey accessible through the GovTogetherBC website  
  • DIY Conversation Toolkit with up to $2000 in funding available for groups to host their own sessions  
  • Consultation website and opportunity for written submissions  

To ensure accessible engagement options, we coordinated significant supports including the following:

  • Wellness support sheet for all sessions  
  • Language interpretation for virtual and in-person sessions when requested  
  • ASL and captioning for all town halls and for small group sessions when requested  
  • $100 honoraria for small group session participants and $30 honoraria for town hall participants
  • Food/catering for all in-person small group sessions and roundtables  
  • Up to $2000 in supports for each organization looking to host their own conversations  

Promotion of the opportunity to engage was conducted through widespread community outreach, including through organizations on the ground, digital channels, and ministry offices. A QR code and link to the engagement website was included on two rounds of income assistance payments, as well as the myselfserve.gov.bc.ca website where individuals can access their government assistance information.  

Results

The project remained on time and on budget, despite a large scope with a higher than average amount of expenses. The project engaged approximately 10,000 people across BC, including:  

8,337 survey responses, which included:   

  • 77% currently live in poverty  
  • 69% self-identified as living with a disability  
  • 44% identified as living with mental illness, substance challenge, or addiction 
  • 12% identify as Indigenous  
  • Over 300 downloads of the conversation toolkit and 18 organizations receiving funding support to host their own conversations  
  • Approximately 500 people in attendance through town halls, Minister’s roundtables, and small group sessions, including approximately half of which with lived and living experience  
  • Approximately 100 written submissions though the consultation website 

Crohn’s & Colitis Canada

Crohn’s and Colitis Canada is a leading national charity dedicated to finding cures and improving the lives of those with IBD. 

Expertise
Health
Reputation Management
Services
Creative strategy
Earned media, influencer relations and partnerships  
Strategic Counsel

Challenge

The Locked Out campaign faced several challenges to raise awareness for IBD and public washroom accessibility. The activation — a real portable toilet placed in a public space — often led to preconceived assumptions, mirroring the stigma those with IBD face when seeking washrooms. This reinforced the need for targeted engagement to shift perceptions. 

Stigma remains a barrier, as understanding of IBD, its symptoms and patient experiences are often overlooked. Positioning the stunt within Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness Month and sharing educational information was essential to breaking down misconceptions. The campaign relied on knowledgeable event staff to effectively communicate the message, which was supported by QR codes, signage, and live app demonstrations to ensure accessibility and education. 

Engaging passers-by required adaptable strategies to capture attention and encourage participation. Crohn’s and Colitis Canada’s network of advocates played a key role in staffing the event, providing credible voices to reinforce the campaign’s message.  Maximizing visibility required a strategic mix of organic and paid social content, ensuring reach beyond the physical activation. Targeted media outreach focused on Toronto to optimize resources and drive coverage, reinforcing the campaign’s urgency and impact. 

Insight

To effectively engage key stakeholders and promote the GoHere® app during Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness Month, we analyzed and applied existing research on the needs and challenges of those who live with IBD. It was important to understand disease prevalence and patient experiences to ensure our program resonated with audiences. We examined insights into public washroom access barriers, stigma, and the need for real-time solutions, ensuring our messaging addressed the most pressing concerns. We also leveraged Vividata research to deepen our understanding of audience behaviors and media consumption patterns. These insights guided our strategic approach, enabling us to craft compelling content, target key demographics, and maximize engagement across multiple channels. 

IBD Patients

IBD diagnosis rates in Canada are increasing – and so are the needs for support. There is no cure for IBD. Approximately 322,000 Canadians live with IBD, with new diagnoses every 48 minutes. Patients experience lifestyle impacts, including chronic abdominal pain, frequent bathroom visits, and fatigue.1 Addressing IBD requires a thoughtful, sensitive, and real approach to the stigma that patients experience. Our strategy balanced empathy with practical solutions to drive engagement and app downloads. 

Additional research findings: IBD often develops in young adults, typically between 16 and 35 years old, but can occur at any age. A second peak may occur in individuals over 60. Both men and women are equally affected.1 Patients experience significant lifestyle and psychosocial impacts such as mental health, diet and nutrition, and work and social life; Psychiatric disorders frequently occur among those with IBD: An estimated 21% have clinical anxiety; and an estimated 15% have clinical depression.2 

News and social media consumption habits: Mobile (hours per week)3: Gen Z: 16.8; Millennial: 10.1; Gen X: 12.8; Social applications (hours per week)3: Gen Z: 15.8; Millennial: 15.1; Gen X: 8.2; TV (hours per week)3: Gen Z: 14.4; Millennial: 17.5; Gen X: 16.5; Online (hours per week)3: Gen Z: 28.7; Millennial: 25.6; Gen X: 24.7. 

IBD Caregivers

Those who care for individuals who live with IBD, usually family members, close friends or partners of those diagnosed. Research revealed that 56 per cent of caregivers feel exhausted from caregiving duties, and 44% report anxiety.4 Women are more likely to take on the caregiver role for children with IBD.5 IBD caregivers in Canada are essential to the well-being of individuals living with the condition. We needed to show support for the care they provide and make them aware of the GoHere® app to increase downloads and usage.

Policymakers: Those who shape public policy and address issues through legislation and decision-making. For non-profit organizations, this audience can influence resources, support advocacy efforts and shape the broader environment in which Crohn’s and Colitis Canada operates. Engagement with policymakers was essential to raise awareness and garner support for washroom accessibility initiatives in a sensitive way to make it easy for this audience to share our messages. We needed a demonstration of local political support to increase awareness and action.  

News Media and Social Media: We targeted top-tier health reporters, online news outlets, and Crohn’s and Colitis Canada’s active social platforms (FB & IG) to reach key audiences. Insights showed that Gen Z, Millennials, and Gen X spend significant time on mobile and social media, making a shareable, timely event essential. Personal patient stories highlighted the GoHere® app’s impact, driving awareness and downloads. Securing a national health reporter with a personal connection to IBD further amplified engagement within the IBD community.  

Environmental Scan: To understand the IBD landscape, we reviewed media coverage and patient testimonials. Results showed IBD awareness remains low, and the stigma surrounding the disease often prevents open conversations. Public washroom accessibility and reduced stigma emerged as a critical need for IBD patients.  

Approach

To reduce stigma, we had to find a way to visualize the realities of washroom access needs for those who live with IBD. To achieve this, we produced a powerful visual centerpiece – an ‘out-of-order’ portable toilet – representing the challenges faced by individuals with Crohn’s or colitis in accessing public washrooms quickly. Through earned and social media, this activation sparked conversation and action on the GoHere® app during Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness Month. 

The campaign featured a high-impact public activation and a multi-channel communication strategy: 

Call-to-Action: Event materials, earned and social media materials, and conversations encouraged attendees to scan the QR code and download the GoHere® app. 

Event Execution: On November 26, 2024, we installed an ‘out-of-order’ portable toilet near Toronto’s Union Station to highlight the urgent need for accessible washrooms. Crohn’s and Colitis Canada staff and volunteers engaged the public with creative materials and a QR code for easy GoHere® app downloads. 

Media Engagement: To broaden education beyond the event, we needed national media coverage for our story. This involved securing a nationally syndicated feature story, booking interviews for patient advocates and Crohn’s and Colitis Canada spokespeople, and sharing event photos with media outlets to provide audiences with the powerful visual to include in their stories.   

Social Media Strategy: Organic and paid social media posts leveraged hashtags and influencer partnerships, and visual content from the event captured attention and drove app downloads.  

Policymaker engagement: To amplify event support and impact, we engaged local MPs and MPPs to demonstrate their support. Mary-Margaret McMahon, MPP for Beaches-East York and Toronto City Councillor, Paul Ainslie, Scarborough-Guildwood, attended the event, shared on their social channels and encouraged GoHere® app downloads. This demonstration of local political support allowed for increased awareness and actionable items for local communities to consider.  

Call-to-Action: Event materials, earned and social media materials, and conversations encouraged attendees to scan the QR code and download the GoHere® app.

Results

  • Over 28.3 million total audience reach through earned and social media tactics  
  • 131 stories published by news outlets 
  • Over 9,000 social media engagements (comments, likes and shares) 
  • Seven campaign spokespeople and patient advocates interviewed 
  • One national feature 
  • Seven interviews facilitated 
  • 100% of stories included GoHere® mentions 
  • 351% increase of daily GoHere® app downloads from November to December 2024, compared to app creation, November 2015 to October 2024  
  • 2,221 GoHere® app downloads from November 26-27, 2024 
  • 55,136 total GoHere® app downloads from launch of app until December 31, 2024 
  • 62x increase in daily average number of GoHere® downloads on November 26 and November 27, 2024, compared to January-October, 2024.  
  • 17x increase in average app usage on November 26 and 27, 2024 
  • 15x increase in webpage visits to CCC GoHere® site on November 26 and 27 
  • One MPP and one Toronto City Councillor attended the event and amplified our content by sharing it on their personal social media channels

References

  1. Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. (2023). Impact of IBD in Canada Report – Resources and publications – Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. https://crohnsandcolitis.ca/About-Us/Resources-Publications/Impact-of-IBD-Report​ 
  2. Dmagnus. (2024, July 8). The state of Caregiving in Canada. CareMakers. https://caremakers.ca/uncategorized-en/the-state-of-caregiving-in-canada/#:~:text=Being%20a%20family%20caregiver%20can,experience%20these%20emotions%20than%20men 
  3. Targownik LE, Bollegala N, Huang VW, et al. The 2023 Impact of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Canada: The influence of sex and gender on Canadians living with inflammatory bowel disease. Journal of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology 2023;6(Suppl 2):S55–S63. https://doi.org/10.1093/jcag/gwad011.​ 
  4. VIVIDATA SCC (2024). Study of the Canadian Consumer Digital Fall. Retrieved from https://vividata.ca/ 

Services

  • [01]
    Event management, including trade tastings and corporate events
  • [02]
    Importer and distributor identification and outreach
  • [03]
    Market entry advisory
  • [04]
    Regulatory and trade education and training
  • [05]
    Retail and foodservice promotions
  • [06]
    Social and digital program development
  • [07]
    Trade missions
  • [08]
    Trade show management and organization services
Leadership team
KylaBest
Kyla Best
VP, Health, Food & Trade
Laura Pixley
Laura Pixley
Senior Director, Agribusiness & Trade
Beatriz Moreno
Beatriz Moreno
Director, Agribusiness & Trade
Interested in learning how to increase product exports and drive sales in the Canadian market?
Reach out and start a conversation with ChangeMakers.

BC Government – Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training

ChangeMakers designed an engagement program seeking to gather input from people with lived and living experience of poverty across BC. To ensure accessibility and inclusivity, we built in measures including honouraria, translation and interpretation, counselling, wellness supports, and coverage of other costs such as transportation, childcare, and food when necessary. 

Expertise
Social Impact Consulting
Services

Working with the BC Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction (SDPR), we were brought on to design and lead province-wide engagement to inform an update to TogetherBC: BC’s Poverty Reduction Strategy. As part of the strategy’s legislation, it must be updated every five years. We designed a robust engagement program seeking to gather input specifically from people with lived and living experience of poverty across BC. This included regional Town Halls, small group sessions, an online survey, DIY conversation toolkit, and other tactics including working with the Minister to host roundtable conversations. To ensure accessibility and inclusivity, we built in measures including honoraria, translation and interpretation, counselling, wellness supports, and coverage of other costs such as transportation, childcare and food when necessary. The project engaged approximately 10,000 people across British Columbia, including approximately 12% identifying as Indigenous. We crafted a What We Heard Report which will be presented to government to inform an update to the poverty reduction strategy in 2024. 

Situation

Based on extensive initial engagement in 2017-18, TogetherBC, British Columbia’s Poverty Reduction Strategy, was released in 2019 and sets a path to reduce overall poverty in BC by 25% and child poverty by 50% by 2024. With investments from across Government, TogetherBC reflects government’s commitment to reduce poverty and make life more affordable for British Columbians. It includes policy initiatives and investments designed to lift people up, break the cycle of poverty and build a better BC for everyone.

Targets, timelines, and accountability for TogetherBC are laid out in the Poverty Reduction Strategy Act. This act states that the strategy is to be updated every five years. To inform the update to the strategy, the Government of BC engaged us to design, facilitate and report back on what poverty currently looks like across BC and potential solutions to addressing it from the perspective of those with lived and living experience and community members. 

COVID-19, the housing crisis, climate emergencies and inflation are some major local and global events that have significantly impacted British Columbians. Government needed to understand the experiences on the ground and how these events have impacted certain populations and issues in different ways, as well as solutions that are making a difference, new programs and services needed, and where government can prioritize over the next five years of the strategy. 

Problem

Since the current government in BC came into power, more than 378,000 people have been lifted out of poverty, including 104,000 children. However, much of this can be attributed to COVID-19 relief supports from the federal government, as well as other temporary measures during the pandemic. Other important actions have been completed that are making a difference in reducing poverty, but for some groups, it is still not enough and challenges remain.   

Hearing directly from people with lived and living experience was also a direct mandate of this engagement, which presents major challenges requiring innovative thinking to ensure accessibility and very low barriers to participation.   

Solution

We designed and facilitated a comprehensive engagement program resulting in a What We Heard report summarizing all the input from throughout the engagement period. Engagement tactics for this project included:  

  • 5 virtual, regional town halls  
  • 30 small group sessions, both in-person and virtual throughout BC, in partnership with community and service organizations  
  • 4 roundtable sessions with the Minister  
  • Online survey accessible through the GovTogetherBC website  
  • DIY Conversation Toolkit with up to $2000 in funding available for groups to host their own sessions  
  • Consultation website and opportunity for written submissions  

To ensure accessible engagement options, we coordinated significant supports including the following:

  • Wellness support sheet for all sessions  
  • Language interpretation for virtual and in-person sessions when requested  
  • ASL and captioning for all town halls and for small group sessions when requested  
  • $100 honoraria for small group session participants and $30 honoraria for town hall participants
  • Food/catering for all in-person small group sessions and roundtables  
  • Up to $2000 in supports for each organization looking to host their own conversations  

Promotion of the opportunity to engage was conducted through widespread community outreach, including through organizations on the ground, digital channels, and ministry offices. A QR code and link to the engagement website was included on two rounds of income assistance payments, as well as the myselfserve.gov.bc.ca website where individuals can access their government assistance information.  

Results

The project remained on time and on budget, despite a large scope with a higher than average amount of expenses. The project engaged approximately 10,000 people across BC, including:  

8,337 survey responses, which included:   

  • 77% currently live in poverty  
  • 69% self-identified as living with a disability  
  • 44% identified as living with mental illness, substance challenge, or addiction 
  • 12% identify as Indigenous  
  • Over 300 downloads of the conversation toolkit and 18 organizations receiving funding support to host their own conversations  
  • Approximately 500 people in attendance through town halls, Minister’s roundtables, and small group sessions, including approximately half of which with lived and living experience  
  • Approximately 100 written submissions though the consultation website 

BC Government – Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training

ChangeMakers designed an engagement program seeking to gather input from people with lived and living experience of poverty across BC. To ensure accessibility and inclusivity, we built in measures including honouraria, translation and interpretation, counselling, wellness supports, and coverage of other costs such as transportation, childcare, and food when necessary. 

Expertise
Social Impact Consulting
Services

Working with the BC Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction (SDPR), we were brought on to design and lead province-wide engagement to inform an update to TogetherBC: BC’s Poverty Reduction Strategy. As part of the strategy’s legislation, it must be updated every five years. We designed a robust engagement program seeking to gather input specifically from people with lived and living experience of poverty across BC. This included regional Town Halls, small group sessions, an online survey, DIY conversation toolkit, and other tactics including working with the Minister to host roundtable conversations. To ensure accessibility and inclusivity, we built in measures including honoraria, translation and interpretation, counselling, wellness supports, and coverage of other costs such as transportation, childcare and food when necessary. The project engaged approximately 10,000 people across British Columbia, including approximately 12% identifying as Indigenous. We crafted a What We Heard Report which will be presented to government to inform an update to the poverty reduction strategy in 2024. 

Situation

Based on extensive initial engagement in 2017-18, TogetherBC, British Columbia’s Poverty Reduction Strategy, was released in 2019 and sets a path to reduce overall poverty in BC by 25% and child poverty by 50% by 2024. With investments from across Government, TogetherBC reflects government’s commitment to reduce poverty and make life more affordable for British Columbians. It includes policy initiatives and investments designed to lift people up, break the cycle of poverty and build a better BC for everyone.

Targets, timelines, and accountability for TogetherBC are laid out in the Poverty Reduction Strategy Act. This act states that the strategy is to be updated every five years. To inform the update to the strategy, the Government of BC engaged us to design, facilitate and report back on what poverty currently looks like across BC and potential solutions to addressing it from the perspective of those with lived and living experience and community members. 

COVID-19, the housing crisis, climate emergencies and inflation are some major local and global events that have significantly impacted British Columbians. Government needed to understand the experiences on the ground and how these events have impacted certain populations and issues in different ways, as well as solutions that are making a difference, new programs and services needed, and where government can prioritize over the next five years of the strategy. 

Problem

Since the current government in BC came into power, more than 378,000 people have been lifted out of poverty, including 104,000 children. However, much of this can be attributed to COVID-19 relief supports from the federal government, as well as other temporary measures during the pandemic. Other important actions have been completed that are making a difference in reducing poverty, but for some groups, it is still not enough and challenges remain.   

Hearing directly from people with lived and living experience was also a direct mandate of this engagement, which presents major challenges requiring innovative thinking to ensure accessibility and very low barriers to participation.   

Solution

We designed and facilitated a comprehensive engagement program resulting in a What We Heard report summarizing all the input from throughout the engagement period. Engagement tactics for this project included:  

  • 5 virtual, regional town halls  
  • 30 small group sessions, both in-person and virtual throughout BC, in partnership with community and service organizations  
  • 4 roundtable sessions with the Minister  
  • Online survey accessible through the GovTogetherBC website  
  • DIY Conversation Toolkit with up to $2000 in funding available for groups to host their own sessions  
  • Consultation website and opportunity for written submissions  

To ensure accessible engagement options, we coordinated significant supports including the following:

  • Wellness support sheet for all sessions  
  • Language interpretation for virtual and in-person sessions when requested  
  • ASL and captioning for all town halls and for small group sessions when requested  
  • $100 honoraria for small group session participants and $30 honoraria for town hall participants
  • Food/catering for all in-person small group sessions and roundtables  
  • Up to $2000 in supports for each organization looking to host their own conversations  

Promotion of the opportunity to engage was conducted through widespread community outreach, including through organizations on the ground, digital channels, and ministry offices. A QR code and link to the engagement website was included on two rounds of income assistance payments, as well as the myselfserve.gov.bc.ca website where individuals can access their government assistance information.  

Results

The project remained on time and on budget, despite a large scope with a higher than average amount of expenses. The project engaged approximately 10,000 people across BC, including:  

8,337 survey responses, which included:   

  • 77% currently live in poverty  
  • 69% self-identified as living with a disability  
  • 44% identified as living with mental illness, substance challenge, or addiction 
  • 12% identify as Indigenous  
  • Over 300 downloads of the conversation toolkit and 18 organizations receiving funding support to host their own conversations  
  • Approximately 500 people in attendance through town halls, Minister’s roundtables, and small group sessions, including approximately half of which with lived and living experience  
  • Approximately 100 written submissions though the consultation website 

Argyle and Manitoba Association of Chiefs of Police (MACP) 

The MACP Organized Crime Committee is made up of representatives from the RCMP and Winnipeg Police Service. These members are experienced officers dealing with organized crime, gangs and guns, and illicit drugs. The committee came to Argyle with a list of issues related to gang activity, but their biggest concerns were rising gang activity in both Winnipeg and in communities throughout the province, and growth of youth recruitment in gangs.

Expertise

Social Impact Consulting

Welcome to the Life - MACP Campaign

In 2019, Winnipeg Police Service’s Gangs and Guns unit estimated Winnipeg had 25-30 gangs and up to 4,000 gang members and associates. In 2022, it was estimated that there were 40 street gangs, many of them Indigenous-led. Youth at risk of recruitment have often experienced childhood trauma or live in poverty — the ripple effect of oppression across generations. High dropout rates and few economic opportunities for youth also contribute to gang recruitment success. Manitoba Association of Chiefs of Police (MACP) secured funding from Manitoba Justice to help youth avoid or leave gang involvement and partnered with Argyle to develop a powerful campaign to promote off-ramps to vulnerable youth. 

This initiative featured three short, impactful videos, illustrating the vast difference between the myth of what gang life offers and the reality of what it delivers. The concept used a popular video game look and feel to reach viewers aged 13-16 in a way they could relate to as well as share. A phone number at the end of each video encouraged viewers to send a text message to The Link: Youth and Family Supports, a trusted community agency offering a potential lifeline for those wanting help to leave or resist gang life.  
 
We reached youth with a digital campaign on social platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok. Additionally, targeted YouTube ads ran on specific gang awareness channels in Manitoba. The initial digital campaign ran for six weeks from July 26 to September 12, 2023, with a second phase from November 9 to Dec 15, 2023. 

Research

To effectively reach Manitoba’s youth, Argyle worked closely with the Winnipeg Police Service’s anti-gang unit and reformed gang members to ensure our message, tone, visuals, and call to action resonated with young audiences.  

Our research included the following: 

  • Met several times with the steering committee made up of representatives from Winnipeg Police Service, RCMP and MACP. A number of these members are experienced officers dealing with organized crime, gangs and guns, and illicit drugs.  
  • Reviewed British Columbia’s End Gang Life campaign and website. 
  • Reviewed a variety of other gang-related online resources.  
  • Met several times with the Winnipeg Police Service’s Gang Prevention Coordinator who works directly with youth being recruited by gangs, are current gang members, or have left gang life.  
  • Through the Gang Prevention Coordinator, we secured a meeting with two reformed gang members. One spent 10 years in a federal prison for armed robbery; the other spent three years in a youth correctional centre for gun possession.  

As a result of our research, we learned:

  • Youth as young as 12 are recruited to deliver drugs and weapons as runners. Recruitment happens at corner stores, 7-Elevens, outside school grounds and at youth emergency shelters where kids are at their most vulnerable. 
  • The lure of money is huge as many kids live in poverty. They also look up to older gang members (17 to 19-year-old recruiters) who are often older brothers or older youth from their neighbourhood.  
  • Youth are looking for brotherhood, family, love, respect, security and ultimately – a sense of belonging.  
  • Some Indigenous youth may feel, due to a variety of societal and economic factors beyond their control, that they have very few choices other than to join a gang. People who live in these areas/communities who are not gang-affiliated are scared about going to authorities when incidents occur for fear of becoming targets of the gangs themselves. 
  • The development of an audience persona based on our insights revealed a digital campaign rather than traditional media (TV, radio, out-of-home) would best reach Manitoban 13 to 16-year-olds. Plus, a provincial reach – beyond Winnipeg – was required based on growing gang activity in many communities throughout the province. 
  • An anonymous way to reach out for help was desirable, preferably by text. The real-life stories of youth being groomed or recruited for gang involvement revealed intimidation tactics and fear of reprisal if one didn’t buy in to the gang way of life. Anonymity for youth looking for a way out was a requirement. 
  • Reformed gang members made it very clear that a message sponsored by police enforcement organizations would be quickly dismissed by youth. It was important to keep the client’s brand off the videos and include the community agency, The Link, offering help to youth.  

Analysis, Planning and Strategy

Our goal

Through a public education and awareness campaign, we would offer vulnerable youth off-ramps to avoid or leave gang involvement and teach them about the harmful realities of gang life versus the myths used during recruitment. 

Our strategy

To achieve this goal, we leveraged the lived experience of the reformed gang members we met to reach youth with authentic, real-life gang recruitment scenarios. As a first-year objective, we wanted to get young people’s attention, raise awareness and build trust. This is the starting point for a long-term approach to impacting gang recruitment. Helping influence youth to not move towards gang life was our goal, and one potential indicator would be the number of texts sent to The Link from youth looking for help.  Our partnership with The Link was key as they have been serving youth in Winnipeg and northern Manitoba for close to 100 years. They are well known by youth, approachable and credible. Trust was the leading factor needed to encourage youth to click on the ad, visit the website, watch the videos and text for help.

ObjectiveMetric
Awareness
Get young people’s attention to the risks of gang life
2 million advertising impressions 
2 media coverage pieces about the launch
Trust
Encourage youth to click on the ad, visit the website and watch the videos
3,000 clicks to the link’s website 
Action
Help influence youth to avoid / move away from gang life
30 youth using the text helpline
Gang Life is no life. Text 204-900-6010 to get out - Campaign Ad

Communication, Execution and Production

Using the insights we learned from our research, we developed three videos to address common scenarios within gang life including illegal drugs, sexual exploitation and gun violence based on real-life stories we heard about from our reformed gang member advisors. To make the videos attractive and relatable to youth, the style was based on popular video games, and we developed Gang Life is No Life characters, storylines and a call to action. In each of the three 15-second videos we were able to establish an action from a gang recruiter (The Ask; The Invite; and The Brotherhood) and then the resulting detrimental outcomes (The Give; The Cost; and The Bloodshed).  

The background settings created for these three videos depict scenes common to many towns and cities within Manitoba. From a social housing project, to a mall, to a downtown scene that is recognizable as Winnipeg with its overhead walkways, the familiarity helped create a sense of authenticity and credibility – an important point we learned in our research and knew we had to achieve. 

To make the action easy for youth, the end board offers the call to action to “text 204-910-6010 to get out”, and names The Link as the community agency offering help. Based on insights from our research, we deliberately did not include the MACP brand in the videos to ensure the message would be credible to youth. 

The Gang Prevention Campaign was launched on July 26, 2023, with a news conference hosted at The Link. Emceed by steering committee chair Inspector Grant Stephen from the RCMP’s Federal Serious and Organized Crime Unit, the event featured a representative from Organized Crime with the Winnipeg Police Service (Inspector Elton Hall), a founder and action therapist from Spirit Horse Initiative whose team provides support to youth on the streets of downtown Winnipeg (Matt Davidson), and the CEO of The Link (Kerri Irvin-Ross). Media interest at the event was impressive with coverage from CTV, Global, CBC, Winnipeg Free Press, Winnipeg Sun and ChrisD.ca. There were also over a dozen organic social media posts thanks to partners including RCMP, Winnipeg Police Service, MACP, The Link and Spirit Horse Initiative. 

We brought the videos to life with a digital campaign across social platforms popular with youth including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok. Additionally, targeted YouTube ads ran on specific Manitoba gang awareness channels that we learned were frequented by youth interested in learning about gang activity across the province. The digital campaign launched for six weeks from July 26 – Sept 12 with a second six-week phase from Nov 9 – Dec 15. 

Evaluation and Measurement

The campaign exceeded the client’s expectations, both on reach and engagement. On the ground, police enforcement tactics to reach youth attracted to gang recruitment had never before seen such success:  

Inspector Hall presented this campaign and its results to law enforcement audiences over the past few months. There is an appetite for replicating this approach in other jurisdictions both within Canada and into the US. MACP has secured funding from Manitoba Justice to continue the campaign in 2024. Creative ideation and planning are underway to build on our momentum.  

impressions

clicks to the Gang Life Is No Life webpage on The Link’s site

text conversations from 109 unique phone numbers

media outlets (print, TV, online)

SnapChat and TikTok were the most successful tactics of the campaign, demonstrating both strong click-through rates and low cost-per-click. This indicates a strong alignment between messaging and the target audience on these platforms. 

Navigating complexity in Pharma advertising 

Pharma ads aren’t trying to be clever – just compliant

My son’s hockey team was down 1-0, and the third period was drawing to a close. I sat in the stands watching anxiously, trying to focus on the game. However, I couldn’t help eavesdropping on the parents next to me talking about pharmaceutical advertising. As someone who’s worked in pharma advertising for years, my ears perked up.   

“What I don’t get is why they won’t tell us what the drug is for,” said the parent. “It’s all just, ‘See your doctor.’ I mean, What’s with the mystery?!” 

“Well, I’m sure there’s a good reason,” said the other parent, oblivious to the score. “Maybe they are trying to be clever.” 

I’m grateful there was a youth hockey game to distract me because every fibre of my being longed to leap out of my seat and shout at the top of my lungs: “We’re not being cute! We’re being compliant!” 

To those who aren’t well-versed in the complexity of pharmaceutical advertising in Canada, pharma ads can seem purposefully vague and mysterious. No mention of what the drug actually does and what condition it treats. Just a cryptic “talk to your doctor” at the end. What many people don’t understand is that in Canada, direct-to-consumer, or DTC, marketing is subject to Section C.01.044 of the Food and Drugs Act, which states that if advertising a prescription drug to the general public, only the brand name, the price and quantity of the medication can be referenced.  

It is quite literally against the law to mention the therapeutic use of a prescription drug in Canadian consumer advertising. Additionally, all pharmaceutical content undergoes rigorous internal reviews – by Medical, Regulatory and Legal Departments – and external evaluation by Ad Standards Canada. 

This makes marketing pharma very different from marketing other products; imagine trying to create an ad for paper towel where you can’t mention it cleans up spills! But, DTC is vital because there is a need for pharmaceutical communication and brand building. Canadians need encouragement to speak with healthcare professionals about disease care. Canadian patients want to be educated and empowered with the tools to engage their healthcare providers in dialogue about their health. Pharma ads are an important part of that education. 

For example, look at a common – and growing – disease like diabetes. According to Diabetes Canada, there are millions of Canadians living with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes (T2D) who don’t know it. T2D is one of the fastest growing diseases, with more than 60,000 new cases diagnosed annually. And the effects of T2D can be debilitating. Encouraging Canadians to speak with a healthcare professional, which is what advertising and communications do, is vital to our health.  

DTC that connects 

Because the stakes are high, research-based pharma would love to be more direct with Canadians. But strict regulations require a different approach. So how can pharma engage their audience in a compelling way while navigating the complexity of the regulations? Some best-practices our award-winning team at ChangeMakers has used: 

  • Memorable creative – As with all advertising, you need content that gets noticed. And because the content will be light on details, there’s room for exciting creative. Compelling images, quirky dialogue or a catchy jingle can help grab attention. Also, develop an emotional connection to the viewer by depicting realistic scenarios that speak to shared experience. It all serves to create something memorable for consumers and helps encourage them to start a conversation in their physician’s office. 
  • Surround sound and inclusivity – Don’t approach your audience from just one direction. You need an appropriate mix of out-of-home, print, digital, video and in-clinic mediums. Community and multicultural papers and websites are also great places to meet your audience. But don’t just translate copy for diverse audiences, develop new – culturally appropriate – creative and taglines for commonly spoken languages across Canada like Hindi, Italian, Mandarin, Punjabi and Spanish. 
  • Earned media – When there’s compelling creative, business and marketing reporters will often take interest. Marketing trades, dailies and online news sites can profile the strategy and creative insights that drive DTC development. In fact, the restrictions on advertising often make stories about campaigns that much more compelling. Through compliant editorial engagement, you can support disease understanding with consumer health reporters who are interested in addressing complex conditions impacting Canadians.   
  • Evaluate and course-correct as required – As with other campaigns, you must have a clear measurement plan to assess the success of your DTC initiatives. Stay flexible to allow for adjustments to the media buy to drive key performance indicators. 

Sometimes being in a restricted environment prompts innovative thinking. Some of the best campaigns I’ve worked on were pharma – not in spite of regulations, but because of them. Necessity is the mother of invention, and being hemmed in can bring out the best in creative and strategy. 

About the author
Rob McEwan / Executive Vice President, Health & Wellness
Rob is one of Canada’s top health communicators, actively consulting a dozen pharmaceutical companies, and engages with patient advocates, health professionals, journalists, clinicians, researchers and influencers on a daily basis. He lives in Toronto and when not working can be found at Leaside Arena.

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