Radon (elements of awareness campaign)

How would you develop a national awareness campaign? Name some of your potential collaborators (stakeholders).

The elements of the campaign

In order to make a change and increase the understanding of radon gas and its relation to lung cancer, awareness must be developed among the people. The awareness campaign needs the following elements:

1.     A goal of the campaign.

2.     Step-by step implementation.

3.     Measure the success.

The goals of the campaign are the following:

-       to educate Americans about the dangers of radon exposure and to encourage citizens to take action to protect their homes and families.

-       Increase the awareness of the radon gas and its effect.

-       Encourage all communities to engage in the radon test.

-       Highlight the local services available.

Step-by-Step Implementation:

Step 1: Plan the campaign

General assessment should be provided including the strengths and benefits of the goal and the communities’ role. Things to be considered are:

1.     Budget: a good budget in the beginning is needed to avoid pitfalls later. The budget will determine the need of workers, number of workers, how much should be paid, number and cost of brochures and posters will be needed, need of advertisements, and social media and how much it cost, etc.

2.     Timeframe: determine the time constraints of the campaign including the time of the campaign, the hours of the works, and the hours of the advertisements.

3.     Volunteer Recruitment: Organizations and volunteers.

Step 2: Develop Awareness Strategies

-       Elevator Speech: to tell the people that we are here, we care, we want to change, we need to live in safe environment, and we need to take an action.

-       Donation: Solicitation of donation is really important to the success and sustain of the campaign.

-       Brochures: brochures and fliers are important to be distributed among the people and it should explain the impact of radon on our health.

-       National Media and Social media: Television, radio stations are important to send message to the people. Social media is the most important element can be used to send message and distribute awareness.

Step 3: Implement the Campaign

-       Advertise:  spread the work about the campaign is important, advertise what the campaign accomplished and what hope to do in the future.

-       Centralize: it’s important to have a centralized location, email, phone number for interested in donation, volunteering, and answer questions.

-       Presentation: A campaign needs to be presented in the community’s events such as fairs, town hall meetings, etc. High visibility in the community is pivotal to the success of awareness efforts.

Measure the Success

Different elements can be helpful in measuring the success of the campaign like surveys, track media subscriber and followers, and web analytics.

·      The stakeholders need to engage, participate, promote radon action in their regions, communities, and industries. The stakeholders can include government, individuals, organizations like Environment Protection Agency (EPA), American Association of Radon Scientists & Technologists (AARST), Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors INC. (CRCPD), Air Quality Control Commission, and Health and Human Services.