The NSW Government faced a critical challenge: immense pressure on Emergency Departments (EDs) from non-urgent presentations, particularly within Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities. Language barriers and a lack of understanding of alternative healthcare pathways often led to EDs being the default, even for minor issues. The goal was to promote Healthdirect as the first point of contact for advice and care, aiming to reduce 180,000 unnecessary ED presentations annually and relieve the strained NSW healthcare system. Our focus was on key multicultural groups in NSW: Chinese, Arabic-speaking, and Vietnamese communities.
Etcom's approach recognised that fear and a lack of clear alternatives drove the ED default. Our strategy focused on building trust and providing accessible information about Healthdirect as a viable option. Collaborating with creative and media agencies, we implemented a multi-phase approach. This included tailored advertising materials across radio, digital, and social platforms with integrated Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) assistance. We also executed a robust PR and stakeholder engagement strategy, supporting the NSW Health Minister's campaign launch and empowering community leaders to advocate for Healthdirect. Authentic multicultural talent and relevant scenarios were used, alongside engaging community activations to ensure maximum cut-through.
The campaign successfully reached and engaged target multicultural audiences with in-language materials online and offline. Ultimately, Phase I alone saw over 175,000 individuals who called Healthdirect successfully redirected to alternative care pathways, significantly reducing unnecessary ED presentations between winter seasons in 2024 and 2025. Preliminary data from Phase II indicates a substantial increase in Healthdirect calls for common symptoms, showcasing a clear shift in public behaviour. This ongoing success underscores that addressing in-language communication needs is critical to influencing entrenched behaviours and encouraging the adoption of alternative, more appropriate healthcare options, providing a key learning for future campaigns.