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Hoozu wants influencers to ask R U OK and generate life-saving data

Influencer agency Hoozu has joined forces with suicide prevention organisation R U OK? to use its roster of infuencers to help spread the message and track and measure conversation levels.

Lote TuqiriThe annual reminder to ask friends, neighbours and work colleagues if they are okay takes place next week on September 8 and Hoozu co-founder, former rugby league and union player Lote Tuqiri, has drafted in a number of sporting stars to take part in the drive.

Hoozu will also use video communication platform Kwickie to support the drive. The platform allows videos shot at different times and places to be synchronised to appear live when shared.

This year’s campaign is the first time R U OK? has used a dedicated influencer agency and the charity will use data generated through interactions to better craft its messages in the future and track how they are being picked up.

Tuqiri said it was a logical step for the charity after influencers had been seen to help drive successful campaigns overseas.

“We’ve seen the start of a trend in the United States where charities work with social media influencers but R U OK? is among the very first here and is taking a typically innovative communications approach,” Tuqiri said.

He noted that influencers would also play an important role in helping people join the campaign, particular sports people who did not want to look weak in the eyes of friends.

“There has been a big improvement in attitudes towards mental illness in recent years – but I still see a lot of reluctance to speak up and ask for help among young athletes,” he said.

“There’s a fear that it could be seen as a ‘weakness’. Having well known sporting stars and influencers encouraging people to start – or be receptive to an R U OK? conversation – can help change this.”

Campaign director Rebecca Lewis said where the charity had used influencers in the past in an ad hoc way, this as the first time it had adopted a clear strategy that would give it data and information it could use in the future.

“It’s about approaching it in a much more structured fashion,” Lewis said.

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