By giving people information when they need it most.

The 2009 forest fires in BC’s Okanagan region posed a health threat to people most at risk from air pollution – and created a “teachable moment” to inform them about the relationship between air quality and health.  In response, Communication Solutions used the social media tool, Twitter, to inform people about BC’s Air Quality Health Index (www.airhealthbc.ca) and influence their actions – when they needed it most.

Promotion of the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) in BC is part of a national program to help Canadians understand how air quality affects their health. The Index itself is a “real-time” report on health risk on a scale from 1 to 10.  The challenge in BC has been making air quality relevant in a province known for its pristine landscapes and attractive four-season weather.

However, in July 2009, forest fires made air quality very relevant for many people. Hours after a sweeping blaze struck a West Kelowna area, social media applications such as Facebook and Twitter were abuzz with questions, comments, and advice about what to do and where to go. The AQHI played a prominent role in informing audiences and potentially influencing behaviour.

The activity on Twitter was fast and intense. We knew the audience could grow or shrink quickly depending on the level of trust our followers had in the information provided.  We wanted to help people identify their health risk from poor air quality, and encourage them to activate their medical plans to prevent complications.  Accuracy and timeliness were key to gaining credibility and followers.

 
Social media strategy

Social media implementation

Web-site support strategy

Social media & traditional media monitoring

• Increased awareness of the AQHI measured through an increase in followers, retweets and references to the Index by other people/organizations
• Increased promotion and referrals by third parties who learned of the Index through social media
• Media inquiries via twitter requesting interviews with experts on the Index
• Increased visits to the airhealthbc.ca website by 2,500 per cent
• New partners/referrers sent more than half of the visitors to the airhealthbc.ca website during the forest fires
• An increase in medical consultations through an additional 150-200 visits during this time period in affected communities (estimates by Interior Health Authority)