Few things match the profound influence and impact of a well-executed awareness campaign. In this blog post, we bring you the success story of an American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) awareness campaign that achieved remarkable results within its first two months.
Every remarkable success story starts with a clear purpose and a passionate team of individuals committed to making a positive impact. Our story unfolds in the dynamic Tri-Border Area (TBA), where Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay converge. Within this unique context, our ABA ROLI regional office, as part of the Countering the Financing of Terrorism in South America Program, initiated a groundbreaking pilot campaign titled "See the Signs." Its goal is to bring to light the compelling issue of money laundering and its devastating implications for funding terrorism and criminal networks globally. The “See the Signs” campaign was designed to raise awareness about the issue of Anti-money laundering-Countering the Financing of Terrorism – Countering Transnational Organized Crime (AML-CFT-CTOC). The campaign used digital media to test people's reaction and interest towards AML-CFT-CTOC, using two key approaches:
Identifying red flags/what to avoid and
Identifying inspiring practices.
Initial Results
The "See the Signs" campaign has exceeded all expectations after only two months. You can find the Spanish and Portuguese landing pages linked.
Here are some of the remarkable results achieved:
Social Media Impact - Reach: Using engaging content, including impactful images, stories, and reels, that helped spread the message far and wide, the campaign's social media presence skyrocketed, reaching 3,247,323 users across various platforms in the three countries that comprise the TBA.
Clicks: the campaign's posts and ads received 40,180 clicks.
Website traffic: 12,851 unique users visited the campaign’s landing page (Spanish / Portuguese), "See the Signs," obtained a whopping 30% conversion rate, confirming the general public’s interest in the campaign ads and organic posts.
Emails and letters sent: The campaign's impact extended beyond social media reach. With the support of ABA's local consultants, Brazilian, Argentinian, and Paraguayan NGOs were mapped and categorized as supporters, influencers, and vulnerable organizations. Each of these NGOs received letters or emails inviting them to join the efforts and support the campaign.
The "See the Signs" campaign's achievements within its first two months prove how an organized, intentional awareness campaign can spark interest in an otherwise unknown topic, igniting conversations and raising awareness as the first step towards decreasing citizens' unwilling participation in these crimes.
Join the movement and see the signs! With information, we know. With knowledge, we become aware. With awareness, we change.