Direction setting

Action and activation

Empowering young carers – Carers Australia

2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

WorkSafe ACT

How might we authentically engage young carers to drive awareness and applications for the Young Carer Bursary Program?

Since 2021, rowdy has partnered with Carers Australia, the organisation behind the Young Carers Network, to promote the Young Carer Bursary Program (YCBP).

Each year, the challenge has been to increase awareness, engagement and application numbers, requiring innovative strategies to effectively engage young carers aged 12–25 and their support networks. Through this ongoing collaboration, the campaign has consistently achieved year-on-year growth, with applications increasing by more than 50% from 2021 to 2023.

 

Rowdy delivered an integrated campaign combining strategic messaging, creative development, and targeted outreach to engage young carers and their networks effectively. This included:

  • Creative development
    Established an overarching campaign look and feel, supported by the development of engaging creative assets tailored to resonate with the audience.

  • Digital marketing
    Focused on platforms like TikTok, Meta, and Google to reach young carers and their support networks, prioritising cost-effective channels for greater impact.

  • Publicity
    Leveraged ambassadors and trending topics to secure widespread media coverage and raise awareness.

  • Authentic content creation
    Partnered with influencers, including young carer Ben McIntosh, to create relatable and authentic content on TikTok, connecting meaningfully with the target audience.

 

  •  

Greater value was achieved by:

 

  • Year-on-year growth
    Achieved over 50% growth in applications from 2021 to 2023, reflecting consistent campaign success.
  • Expanded awareness
    Delivered nearly 78 million media impressions in 2023, more than doubling the previous year’s reach.
  • Digital performance
    Generated over 4 million impressions and tens of thousands of clicks across all platforms.
  • Enhanced engagement
    Created memorable, authentic content that connected meaningfully with young carers and their support networks.
  • A trusted partner
    Rowdy has become an extension of Carers Australia’s team, continuing to be their trusted partner in delivering communications for the Young Carer Bursary Program since 2021.
  •