Strategy
Issues Management
Positioning
Creative
Design
Execution
Feral (or Wild) Deer are an introduced pest in Australia that cause significant damage to farmland, native forests and ecosystems. NFDAP is working to limit their spread and reduce impact. The scale of the problem is not always visible to communities, leading to misunderstanding for why control actions are needed.
Rivergum was asked to help NFDAP engage with and educate communities around Australia on the issue of feral deer – to correct misunderstanding, explain their impact and improve support for control actions.
We consulted affected communities across Australia to understand how feral deer affect different regions. A strategic communications approach was developed, aimed at correcting misconceptions (such as that deer are native to Australia) and to address the ‘Bambi effect’ in relation to deer control – without unduly shocking audiences.
We created a core, national campaign position of Cute, but costing us deerly., allowing for different issues to be highlighted locally under a consistent national message.
With limited budgets, we maximised impact using paid social media along with targeted press and mobile billboard placements. PR and print assets were also developed, with all materials shared across regional teams to further amplify messages.
Our call to action encouraged public participation by reporting deer sightings to the DeerScan dedicated website.
Following an initial successful pilot program, successive campaigns have been run as budgets allow. Each time, we see significant increases in reports to DeerScan and strong engagement with digital and social posts.
