Full of energy we worked together with all our media partners on the new campaign for SIRE: Children in poverty. Because 1 in 13 children in our country lives in poverty and that's what we need to talk about.
Child poverty is a growing and underestimated problem
In the Netherlands, 251,000 children grow up in poverty. The Sociaal Cultureel Planbureau expects an increase of another 28% in the coming years as a result of the austerity of Social Assistance. Added to this are the consequences of the corona crisis. Almost 80% of Dutch people underestimate the number of children living in poverty, according to research by PanelWizard commissioned by SIRE. Faced with the facts, 88% of Dutch people find it (very) unacceptable that so many children are growing up in poverty.
Let's talk about that
The theme of the campaign is "1 in 13 children in our country lives in poverty. Let's talk about that'. SIRE does not only want to stir up indignation, but also stimulate the Netherlands to enter into a real discussion. Taboo and shame play a major role: people who are affected do not like to talk about it. People who do not live in poverty often do not dare to start the conversation.
A child growing up in poverty often simply cannot participate. Not participating in sports at an association, not going to birthday parties, not going on school trips. As a result, children in poverty run the risk of being excluded. They experience stress and tension at home, experience social exclusion and have stomach aches and feelings of anxiety and powerlessness.
'We are outraged that in a prosperous country like the Netherlands so many children live in poverty,' says SIRE director Lucy van der Helm. 'We are all responsible for this, politicians first and foremost. And that is why we have to talk about it together. Everyone. From circle talks at school to debates in the Lower House. This problem deserves a structural solution.'
Broad visibility for growth in awareness
Together with our media partners, we will bring the campaign to the attention of the Netherlands via television, online, radio and on the streets. Through this mass visibility we want to ensure growth in awareness. It is estimated that we have reached 89% of Dutch people aged 25 and older in the first 1.5 weeks of the campaign.
Since 2020, STROOM has worked as a media partner for SIRE. Samantha Catsburg, client service director at STROOM, is also part of the SIRE campaign board. 'It's cool to see how this campaign has been created with a lot of energy and passion over the past few months. It's a sensitive subject that we need to do something about. At least we need to talk about it together! I look forward to a successful campaign and many great conversations," Samantha said.
In terms of media engagement, Samantha emphasizes that it is all about achieving high reach: 'For campaigns with emotional content, a combination of high reach with contact building across multiple channels is necessary to achieve the objective. As always, our media partners are mobilized to achieve broad visibility for wide reach across different medium types, from TV to radio and from online to outdoor advertising.
Media partners thank you!
Since early March, the campaign has been seen on television, online and on the streets and heard on the radio. We thank all media partners who contribute and provide media space: STER, AdAlliance, Talpa, DPG Media, Mediahuis, Q-music, E-power, ORN, Hillenaar, Centercom, JCDecaux, Exterion, Ocean Outdoor, OOHA, Mundu, Azerion, [M]Media and all local radio stations: Radio Soest, UrPlay.Blue & UrPlay.Pink, Radio Amstermeerland.nl, Salto, XXL Radio Rotterdam, Studio040 - Eindhoven, Geldrop-Mierlo and Waalre, ZFM Zandvoort, Omroep Hoeksche Waard, Radio Ideaal, RTV Stichtse Vecht, Radio Amor and Radio Stanvaste.
From awareness to political impact
As part of the campaign, SIRE is launching a petition on SIRE.nl calling on the new cabinet to come up with a concrete plan to structurally solve child poverty.