As reports and observations show, the growing numbers of coronavirus cases in Armenia have been due to the negligence of the anti-COVID regulations by the citizens. As the scientific evidence shows, behaviorally informed and targeted messages can serve as additional policy actions - effectively nudging citizens to change their behavior and behave as law-abiding citizens during emergency situations.
Prior to the National Lockdown, Armenia National SDG Innovation Lab had teamed up with professionals from various walks of life: marketing specialists, anthropologists, sociologists, psychologists, designers and policy advisors. The working group has conducted a primary mapping of the messages being circulated by the officials in Armenia as well as the most effective messaging used around the world. As a result, the working group came up with a package of COVID-19-specific text messages tailored for different age groups using behavioral insights. The messages were provided to the Office of Deputy Prime Minister – Commandant’s Office and to the Ministry of Healthcare to be channeled through mobile operators to the citizens as a text message (SMS). Based on this research, the need to develop a wider communication campaign was identified.
Building on our unique behavioral science capacity, we developed video materials for the campaign. The campaign was implemented in close collaboration with the RA Commandant’s office and was part of the COVID19 Communication Strategy developed by the Governments Communication Task Force. As a result dozens of videos capturing human stories of those infected and frontline workers were developed along with documentaries from hospitals.
Public service announcements were used for the government’s mainstream information campaign during the first weeks of the Emergency Situation.
The COVID19 text and video messages were part of UNDP efforts to navigate uncertainty through innovation in Armenia.
Watch all the COVID19 advocacy videos.