Introduction
 Key Aspects of the Publicity Campaign
 Conclusion

Introduction
The 2001 Census publicity campaign in England and Wales was designed to:

• ensure that there was a critical level of awareness of the Census;
• influence attitudes amongst those who might be suspicious or resistant to taking part.

so as to achieve a high level of response in terms of completed Census forms posted back from all groups of the population.

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Key Aspects of the Publicity Campaign
The development of the strategy took account of experience from the 1991 Census, research and the results of a local pilot exercise. This work emphasised the need to improve overall understanding and awareness of the Census as well as the importance of targeting groups who were most liable to be missed such as students and babies. Campaign activity promoted the key messages of confidentiality and the social benefits of the Census, which had been shown by research to be the most influential and important to the public.

Techniques used to ensure that the campaign reached as many people as possible included:

Advertising - designed to increase levels of public awareness, complement and support the enumeration process and the post-back of forms. The national advertising campaign showed that a simple but positive idea delivered with frequency was the most successful formula. The volume of Census forms posted back was much higher than expected, indicating that both the amount and type of advertising was right.

National and Regional Public Relations Events and Promotions - to generate public awareness of the Census and its aims, including recruitment of enumerators, Census at School, the Census Bicentenary and the Census Babies initiative for babies born on Census day. Each event was designed to increase coverage and to highlight the people-friendly nature of the Census.

Partnerships - with local radio, television and the press, including key partnerships with BBC Local Radio, Coronation Street and The Sun. There were also collaborative ventures with the public, private and voluntary sectors which helped to improve public awareness and to disseminate core census messages to specific target groups.

Special Activities in Wales - designed to support the write-in of 'Welsh' to the ethnic group question, to demonstrate ONS' concern for a successful Census in Wales, and to reassure members of the public about the Census. These activities helped to promote the particularly high level of post-back of Census forms in Wales.

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Conclusion
The publicity campaign achieved its main objectives of generating public awareness in the Census and promoting a rapid return of forms. This was accomplished by:

• a successful advertising campaign;

• a co-ordinated approach at the national and regional level;
• the effective use of partnerships;
• disseminating facts and figures, historical information and points of special interest.

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This page last revised: 29 July 2002