WE JUST DON’T HEAR YOU, WE LISTEN

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: february 2016 :: RMTnews 20 Rail suicides have an enormous impact, particularly on train drivers, rail employees and witnesses, as well as the family and friends of the deceased. In February 2016, a new Samaritans communications campaign “We don’t just hear you, we listen”, will launch across the rail network. The campaign includes posters that will replace the existing campaign that has been running since 2012. The aim of the new campaign is to prompt behavioural change and encourage those most at risk to seek help whenever they are struggling to cope. It is also designed to raise awareness and increase understanding of Samaritans with the general public so that people see the act of calling the helpline as a positive, empowering first step in taking control of their lives. The new campaign focusses on the expert listening service provided by Samaritans volunteers. The creative posters contain hidden messages to highlight the real meaning behind a series of seemingly everyday conversations, accompanied by a range of different people with their heads turned away from the camera illustrating the sense of isolation people can feel when struggling to cope. Campaign ideas were tested in focus groups run by the independent market research agency Ipsos MORI to ensure that they resonated with both the target audience (men aged 30-55 from deprived backgrounds) and the wider general public and would be likely to encourage them to consider contacting Samaritans. The groups were held in a number of locations across England, Scotland and Wales. The “We don’t just hear you, we listen” posters performed consistently strongly across all groups in terms of its visual appeal and how it helps to explain the Samaritans service and who it is for. The campaign resonated with the target audience and general public alike; people identified with the themes contained within the hidden messages around loneliness, struggling to cope and feeling desperate and thought that showing people with their heads turned away from the camera would help to make the campaign eye- catching. They also agreed that showing the backs of peoples’ heads reinforced the WE DON’T JUST HEAR YOU, WE LISTEN Samaritans railway suicide prevention campaign launched