Writing For Municipal Projects

✍Work in Government or NFP communications or campaigns?✍ Did you know there are more than 1,000,000 people in Australia who speak a language other than English at home and have low levels of English proficiency? Unfortunately, this audience group is often left out of marketing and communication efforts even though they—like everyone else—require access to information to help them make informed decisions about their lives. So, how can you connect with this audience? 1️⃣ Well, one way is to translate your content. If you’re creating content for English-speaking audiences, think about how it could be translated for other audiences. Consider some of the most widely spoken languages in Australia, like Simplified Chinese, Arabic, Vietnamese, Traditional Chinese, and Punjabi. Or think about languages that best meet the needs of specific audiences that you're trying to reach, like recent refugees, or older populations. 2️⃣ Another approach is using in-language advertising. If you have a budget for paid ads, allocate some of it to multicultural media. For example, in Victoria, the government requires at least 15% of campaign media spending to be directed to multicultural media. An example of this could be running ads on community radio or advertising in publications like "Neos Kosmos" for Greek communities or "El Telegraph" for Arabic-speaking audiences. This helps ensure your message reaches your intended audience. 3️⃣ Finally, sometimes translation alone isn’t enough. Think about adapting your campaigns to align with cultural norms and values. Maybe your slogan or humour doesn’t quite resonate with certain communities. For example, a campaign for a health service might need to emphasise family-oriented messaging in some communities or adapt visuals to align with modesty norms in others. Working with a specialist multicultural communications agency, like Ethnolink, can help make sure your message is both culturally sensitive and impactful. So, what’s the takeaway? Commit to creating communication strategies that include all Australians. Because making your message inclusive isn’t just the right thing to do. It’s how you truly connect with the people who need to hear it most. #translation #CALD #multicultual #communications #culturaldiversity

Democratizing public health communication isn’t just about multilingual press releases or Google Translate accuracy (the bane of my existence). It’s about shifting from a top-down flow of advisories to communication that is: 𝗜𝗻 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲’𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀: easily remixable, shareable, and locally contextual. 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲’𝘀 𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀: community leaders, creators, and businesses embedding health cues in their everyday touchpoints. 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲’𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀: meeting them in their cultural humor, habits, and consumption patterns. So that could be your community health worker or your elder sibling or your Resident Welfare Association or surprise, surprise- Blinkit Yes, the same Blinkit that delivers groceries and more in 10 mins has a clever little series called “Buzzcast”, presumably because the rains have unleashed mosquito season. [See picture] And here is what's working 1. Everyday Integration-It’s printed on the brown paper bag in which groceries get delivered-this health messaging literally piggybacks on an everyday object. It takes it out of official “public health channels” and puts it right into people’s kitchens and living rooms. 2. Action-Oriented Design-The “Make Your Home Mosquito-Free” section is interactive and asks what we already know. That tiny checkbox makes the advice more memorable because it becomes an activity, not just a list. Also it's super kid friendly. The myths vs. facts section simplifies science into quick, debunkable nuggets (“Mosquitoes only breed in dirty water” → “Even clean water in buckets can breed mosquitoes”). 3. Relatable Humor & Storytelling-The “Buzzcast” comic turns mosquitoes into podcasters (“Top on my list are gym-goers. So sweaty!”). Humor lowers resistance, making the message sticky and shareable. No finger wagging! 4. Localization & Timeliness-Bangalore rains = mosquito season. Blinkit has timed this perfectly. It’s not abstract global health advice; it’s hyper-local, seasonal, and immediately relevant. 5. Democratization in Action-This is exactly what I am here for. It’s not a ministry campaign or WHO alert-it’s a private company using its own creative voice to slip health communication into the consumer experience. 6. Cross-Over Value-Though it’s playful, the advice is evidence-aligned: covering stagnant water, repellents, nets, daytime mosquito bites, etc. That means it straddles both worlds: credible information and consumer-friendly packaging. 7. Design Choices That Work-Clear sections (“Myth vs Facts,” “Make your home mosquito-free”). Big checkboxes and bold myths vs. facts → easy scanning. Black line art illustrations on brown paper → eco, minimal, not overwhelming. It’s topical, adorable, and instantly makes you pause. Can we track it? No. But is it an example of health messaging landing in people’s timelines, framed as part of daily life rather than distant advisories? Absolutely. Well done Team Blinkit [ #LinkedInFam / LinkedIn Editors (India)]

If your messages reach but don't convert, you may have a system-behavior disconnect Imagine for a moment a healthcare marketing team making a medication adherence campaign. They have strong engagement metrics across digital channels and creative that tests well in focus groups, however the refill rates are barely moving. This disconnect happens constantly, and across many industries and contexts. Marketing teams create materials that satisfy all the dashboards but fail at the only outcome that matters: changing behavior. When campaigns underperform, teams typically fix surface elements, but these adjustments miss the underlying behavioral dynamics. If you want to move to action, a Behavioral Friction Map can help you surface what analytics can't, because it will help uncover a root causes. Perhaps the health system's regulatory team required compliance language that inadvertently positioned medication as something patients needed to be "managed" about, which may conflict with their self-perception as independent adults. In practice, nothing would be wrong with the campaign execution. Instead the miss would live between regulatory requirements, marketing objectives, and patient psychology. This insight builds on Elizarova and Kahn's (2018) "Align and Combine" methodology, which integrates journey mapping with behavioral analysis. I've adapted this for comms strategy and other industries we have worked on, where we map behavioral barriers against messaging touchpoints to find where message, moment, and mandate misalign. When we do this, we are able to preserve the campaign creative but restructure the hierarchy. Instead of say leading with "Stay on track with your medication" (the compliance headline), we'd lead with "Maintain your independence with simple medication support." The regulatory language would remain but no longer dominate perception. This shift would align with patients' self-perception while satisfying the requirements. Marketing teams sometimes end up optimizing channel metrics while missing how messages interact with identity and environmental constraints. When organizations require certain language, when systems limit personalization, when compliance mandates specific terminology, these realities shape how audiences receive messages. So maybe before your next campaign, examine what organizational constraints might be forcing contradictions between your intent and audience perception. What assumptions about your audience's identity are embedded in your required messaging? Where might system requirements be creating psychological resistance? The most effective comms don't just reach audiences, they respect the complex systems where decisions actually happen. By mapping these intersections of message and motivation, teams can identify precisely where small shifts will create significant behavioral impact.

Text-heavy health information often falls flat, and that's no surprise. Research from journals like JMIR and Patient Education and Counseling suggests that well-crafted, engaging content—especially when it’s visual—can make a world of difference. By using concise storytelling and clear illustrations or animations, patients tend to grasp complex topics more quickly and feel more empowered to act. Why it works: • Simplicity & Story: Animated or visually rich explainers break down medical jargon, boosting understanding and recall. • Behavioral Frameworks: Tapping into models like the Health Belief Model(HBM) or the Transtheoretical Model ensures the content addresses specific challenges and motivations. • Relatable Scenarios: Illustrating real-life situations helps viewers see themselves in the story, making them more likely to adopt the recommendations. Bottom line: Switching from “just read” to “truly engage” shifts patients from passive observers to proactive participants in their own health journey. By prioritizing clear, visually engaging elements, we give patients the best shot at making informed decisions—and sticking to healthier habits.

The "Mirror Test" for Health Campaigns A few years ago, I was walking through a community health centre when I saw a poster that read: “Don’t be ignorant. Wash your hands.” The message was technically correct but something about it felt wrong. The tone. The judgment. The “us vs them.” It made me wonder: Would the person who designed this poster ever speak to their own family this way? That’s when I started using what I now call “The Mirror Test” for every health communication idea: If you wouldn’t say it to your own mother, father, or friend, don’t put it on a poster. Because effective communication isn’t just about awareness. It’s about respect. Why This Matters? In public health, we often forget language carries power, class, and emotion. ➡️ A single word like “ignorant” can shut down listening. ➡️ A tone that sounds “educational” to us may sound insulting to someone else. ➡️ And a campaign that wins awards in Delhi may quietly fail in a village because it never spoke the local truth. Our messages are not just sentences; they are reflections of trust. And when trust breaks, even the best information falls flat. Before finalizing a slogan, image, or video, ask your team three questions: 1️⃣ Would I say this to my own family without hesitation? 2️⃣ Does it sound like I’m talking with people, not at them? 3️⃣ If this message appeared in a mirror, what emotion would it reflect back? If the reflection feels uncomfortable, the message needs rewriting. Public health doesn’t just run on vaccines, policies, or campaigns, it runs on empathy. Every time we choose words with care, we build not just awareness but dignity. “Respect is the first dose of every campaign.” #publichealth #healthcommunication #behaviourchange #socialandbehaviourchange #healthpromotion #communicationmatters #healtheducation #publichealth #communityhealth #empathyinhealth

If your message isn’t landing, it’s probably not the audience—it’s the writing. One of the most tactical, high-impact sessions at #PRSAICON came from Steven Kelly, the former Chief Speechwriter to Vice President Kamala Harris. It was a crash course in persuasion, precision, and the responsibility we carry when we use words to lead. My key takeaways (they are quite a few!): 1) Use Monroe’s Motivated Sequence. Attention → Problem → Solution → Visualization → Action. A structure used everywhere from campaign speeches to op-eds, because it works. Get people to see themselves in the story, then lead them to act. 2) Play the hits. Martin Luther King Jr. didn’t plan to give the “I Have a Dream” speech that day. Mahalia Jackson called out, “Tell them about the dream.” He shifted. The rest is history. When you’ve said it 100 times, your audience is likely hearing it for the first. If it still works, use it. 3) Test everything with one question: “WDTM?” Ask: What does this mean? Mark anything remotely complex or technical. Rewrite it. Nine times out of ten, your second version will be simpler, sharper, stronger. The nuance you lose probably wasn’t adding anything. 4) Apply the Happy Hour Test. Would a stranger at a bar understand you? If not, you’re writing for yourself, not your audience. “We’re deploying an AI-enabled predictive analytics platform to enhance demand planning accuracy across the supply chain” becomes: “We’re using AI to predict what to buy.” Say what you mean. Mean what you say. 5) Cut hard, cut often. - Write a sentence. Cut a word. - Write a paragraph. Cut a sentence. - Write a page. Cut a paragraph. - Write a speech. Cut a page. Squeeze the water out of your draft. Keep only what moves. 6) Respect your audience. When you write clearly, you show respect for time and attention. People aren’t listening as closely as you think. Meet them where they are. These lessons were not only excellent lessons for speechwriters but for anyone who needs to move hearts and minds with words. Thank you, Steven, for such a great, standing-room, overflown session. It was that good!

How do you develop a public health campaign that people truly connect with? At NorthWest Public Health Services (NPHS), we’ve found that the key isn’t just effective messaging, it’s cultural intelligence. Here’s how we approach it: 1️⃣ Start with listening, not assumptions. 2️⃣ Use language and visuals that reflect community identity. 3️⃣ Test messages with the audience before launch. When individuals feel recognized and understood, engagement ensues, and influence expands. Because connection is not incidental; it is intentionally designed. #PublicHealth #CulturalCompetence #CommunityEngagement #HealthEquity #NorthwestPHS #SocialImpact #InclusiveStrategy