Objective

Rotary stories about Polio focus on ordinary individuals in extraordinary circumstances. The goal is to create integrated marketing & communications messaging and campaigns about Rotary’s polio efforts that inform and encourage action. Stories also need to be honest and engaging, just like the people doing the work.

Execution

With the African region certified free of the (wild) poliovirus in the end of 2020, there are now only two endemic countries left: Afghanistan and Pakistan. Seeking and finding the stories and individuals to feature in these parts of the world is only half the challenge. Working with a diverse team of collaborators in various locations, and keeping them strategically aligned and on-brand with the organization is the other half.

Vaccinations have an embedded message of power, control and tolerance, but also fear. Therefore, it is important that stories 
are accurate, revealing, and have an affirmative tone, despite the often challenging environment. Certain pieces are designed with the target audience of families in mind. And everything needs to be designed so that it can be translated into 10 (or more) different languages.

The vaccine itself isn’t the biggest expense in an immunization campaign. It’s the distribution of the vaccine – transportation and staffing, for example – that costs so much. Rotary members have contributed more than $2.1 billion and countless volunteer hours to protect more than 2.5 billion children in 122 countries.