Cancer Council launches Get2it bowel cancer campaign calling Aussies to screen their number 2s

The Cancer Council has launched the Get2it campaign – an integrated mass media drive in partnership with the Australian Government, encouraging all Australians aged 50-74 to Get2it and participate in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP).

The announcement:

Cancer Council, leaders in cancer prevention and social marketing, has launched an integrated mass media campaign in partnership with the Australian Government, encouraging all Australians aged 50-74 to Get2it and participate in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP) when they receive their free test in the mail.

The Get2it campaign, which is funded by the Australian Government, has been informed by extensive research undertaken by Cancer Council’s Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer (CBRC) which was designed to uncover why only four in ten (43.5%) Australians undertake the bowel screening test every two years. The mass media campaign includes a national media buy across TV, radio, digital and OOH, as well as PR.

The formative research identified key non-screening groups across Australia and their behaviours towards bowel cancer screening which revealed that more than one in four eligible Australians (26.9% of people aged 50-74) intend to do the test, but state lack of time, difficulty remembering to do the test and planning as barriers to completion.

The integrated campaign includes amplification across the NRL 2022 State of Origin series, designed to reach this ‘Intender’ audience en masse, and drive participation in the program.

Cancer Council CEO Tanya Buchanan said Cancer Council’s latest bowel screening campaign continues to push the boundaries when it comes to cancer prevention campaigns driven by the use of thorough research and marketing data.

“If we can increase screening participation rates and help detect bowel cancer early, we can save lives. We know that if participation reaches and is sustained at 60%, 84,000 lives could be saved by 2040,” said Buchanan.

“The team at Cancer Council continue to lead the way when it comes to cancer prevention campaigns and we’re excited to see the Get2it campaign come to fruition after months of extensive research and modelling to ensure we are constantly evolving and implementing innovative campaigns that drive change,” added Buchanan.

The Get2it campaign was developed using the 70:20:10 model and in addition to ad placements, Cancer Council will execute a variety of innovative tactics to bring the importance of bowel cancer screening to the forefront of Australians aged 50-74 years old minds.

The comprehensive bowel cancer screening campaign includes partnerships with well-known Australian personalities including NRL’s Petero Civoniceva, Geoff Toovey and commentator, Andrew Voss, Channel 7’s Mark Beretta and radio powerhouses, Jonesy and Amanda; the implementation of a reminder functionality based on the key campaign insight that the ‘Intender’ audience needs regular reminders to do the test; and the introduction of a new bowel cancer screening campaign tagline, Get2it, which draws on insights from past successful Cancer Council campaigns including ‘Slip, Slop, Slap’.

In addition, the campaign will also target communities with increased risk of developing bowel cancer and increased barriers to participating in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program. These include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, five culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities, and health care professionals including general practitioners.

Data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2018-2019) indicates that Indigenous Australians had lower participation rates (27.3%) compared to non-Indigenous Australians (42.6%), and that those who spoke a language other than English (LOTE) at home had lower participation rates (24.8% to 34.3%) compared to those who spoke English (45.4% to 49.2%)

“We are excited to have worked with specialist Aboriginal and Torre Strait Islander researchers and strategists and local health professionals including Dr Joel Wenitong to build a really important program of work to help reduce health inequities. This activity aims to ensure that everyone has access to culturally appropriate information about the screening program and understands how and why they should participate.

“We want to ensure we are reaching as many Australians as possible during the campaign period to normalise bowel screening and encourage eligible Australians, particularly men, to complete a bowel screening test every two years,” said Buchanan.

Every year around 15,500 new cases of bowel cancer are diagnosed in Australia. However, 90% of bowel cancer cases could be successfully treated if caught early.

The National Bowel Cancer Screening Program delivers screening kits to the homes of eligible Australians aged 50-74 every two years. The test is free, quick, and hygienic and can be completed at home and returned in the post.

For more information, visit cancer.org.au/bowelscreening.

Credits:

Creative Agency: Three Wise Men
Media Agency: Customedia and Carat
CALD Creative Agency: The LOTE Agency
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research Agency: Cultural Partners
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Creative Agency: 33 Creative
PR Agency: Herd MSL