An Introduction
In a bid to empower individuals with essential digital skills, Vodafone with their Hi Digital initiative, set out to highlight the difference its programme can make to anyone who needs help developing their digital skills.
The initiative, designed as free online learning courses, aims to support those who have rarely or never been online. Run by the Vodafone Foundation in partnership with ALONE, Vodafone Hi Digital provides practical, user-friendly courses that cover a wide range of digital topics.
Vodafone Hi Digital was first launched at the end of 2021 off the back of Covid-19, where the importance of technology came to the forefront of all our lives as it was the main tool used to stay connected with friends and family.
The Hi Digital campaign’s primary goal was to raise awareness about Vodafone Hi Digital and to encourage more people to visit the website and take advantage of the various online courses available. By doing so, the campaign sought to illustrate the transformative impact these digital skills could have on individuals’ lives.
Additionally, it was important for the campaign to provide context on the various topics users could learn about, sharing tips and tricks to give the audience a clearer understanding of the benefits offered by Vodafone Hi Digital.
Launched in 2021, Hi Digital is a first of its kind programme that provides digital skills training for people over 65, through online and in-person classes across the country. Aligning with Vodafone’s commitment to bridging the digital divide facing older people, the Vodafone Ireland Foundation, in partnership with ALONE, is also launching ‘Hi Digital Drop-in Fridays’ in 21 stores nationwide, which will give dedicated digital support for those over the age of 65, as part of the ongoing Hi Digital programme.
The Project
With lockdowns now behind us, we proposed integrating Vodafone Hi Digital into the heart of communities through the trusted local radio stations that serve them, using this familiar and comfortable platform to ease learners into the digital world.
Results of the latest JNLR/Ipsos report show that a large majority of Irish adults (80.2%) listen to the radio on an average day. More than half (51.8%) tune into their local or regional station. Considering the older 35+ age segment, local/regional radio is marginally ahead in terms of share of all minutes listened. [Source]
As essential services become increasingly digitised and brands push for cheaper “self-serve” options online, it’s crucial to address the digital divide between generations, which has been causing anxiety and social isolation among older people.
The Innovative Approach
To answer the brief’s needs, we created the Vodafone Hi Digital spotlight segment, where each of our local radio stations communicated to listeners how to use a certain feature of their phone/PC/tech.
Through live mentions and prerecorded 60” content, the IRS+ stations helped to highlight the difference Vodafone Hi Digital can make to an individual’s life.
Each 60” content covered a range of topics such as Smartphones, Online banking, Connecting with Others, Online Shopping or Hobbies. Before each piece of content, the local DJs also gave a short live mention explaining what Vodafone Hi Digital is and communicated the benefits of doing the course to its listeners.
The content pieces were recorded by each station in a local tone of voice and included a short outro sting directing people to the Vodafone Hi Digital website for more information.
We focused on the power of local accents, as the results of our experiment on the benefits of using local accents in radio advertisements across Ireland have been groundbreaking. Our experiment revealed that the geographically targeted local accent voiceover copies significantly outperformed the national accent in 22 out of 24 sample groups, while also helping to establish genuine relationships with our customers nationwide.
‘We’re delighted to continue our partnership with IRS+, we know the importance of local radio stations to our audience. Having local, approachable, and trusted voices raise awareness of our Hi Digital program was extremely valuable in our overall campaign for driving usage on the platform.’ – Olivia Farrell, Brand Manager Campaign Lead, Vodafone.
Did you know that 65% of older people lack basic digital skills*? Vodafone Foundation and Irish Girl Guides partner to teach digital skills to older people. The partnership will see over 800 Girl Guides trained, with the aim of reaching over 3,000 older people to improve online and digital skills. To see more visit https://hidigital.ie/hidigital-in-action
To find out more about Hi Digital and Irish Girl Guides, call the Alone helpline on 1800 20 30 30 or email digitalskills@alone.ie. For more information about Hi Digital, visit https://hidigital.ie/en/.
*Digital Inclusion and an Ageing Population (ageaction.ie)
