Behaviour change campaigns that turn good intentions into action
Getting people to do something differently isn’t always straightforward.
Whether you’re encouraging healthier choices, inspiring communities to get
involved, supporting environmental action or preparing people for change,
awareness is only part of the picture. People need to understand why it matters,
feel it’s relevant to them and believe it’s something they can actually do. That’s
where behaviour change communications come in.
At SBW, we work with organisations to better understand their audiences and
create campaigns that build trust, encourage action and make change feel
achievable. For more than 20 years, we’ve worked with public sector organisations
including national charities and NHS partners and purpose-led brands to help
tackle complex challenges and inspire positive change.
What is a behaviour change campaign?
Behaviour change campaigns help people take action. Rather than simply raising
awareness, they’re designed to encourage people to do something differently,
whether that’s booking a health check, accessing support, recycling more often,
changing everyday habits or getting involved in their community.
The most effective campaigns start with understanding people. What matters to
them? What’s motivating them? What’s getting in the way? And what might help
them take the next step?
By combining audience insight, behavioural science, creative communications and
integrated campaign delivery, behaviour change campaigns make action feel more
relevant, achievable and worthwhile.
Why behaviour change campaigns don’t always work
One of the biggest mistakes organisations make is assuming that awareness leads to action. People might understand a message, agree with it and even intend to do something differently. But if something feels difficult, inconvenient, unfamiliar or simply isn’t a priority, it’s unlikely they’ll act.
We’ve seen this time and time again across public health, sustainability and community campaigns, knowing what to do isn’t always enough.
That’s why successful behaviour change campaigns go beyond raising awareness. They take the time to understand what’s getting in the way, what motivates people and what support they need to take the next step. When campaigns are built around real audience insight, change feels more relevant, more achievable and much more likely to happen.
Our approach
Every behaviour change challenge is different, but one thing stays the same: People are at the heart of successful campaigns.
Before we start thinking about messaging, channels or creative ideas, we focus on understanding the challenge. That means building a picture of the people we’re trying to reach, the behaviours we’re looking to influence and the wider context in which decisions are being made.
The stronger that understanding, the more confident we can be that our communications, campaigns and engagement activity will have the greatest impact.
Audience insight
By understanding the factors shaping people’s decisions, we can identify where communications can have the greatest impact. We use research, insight and engagement to build a picture of the people we’re trying to reach, exploring:
- Current attitudes and behaviours
- Motivations and concerns
- Challenges and frustrations
- Beliefs and perceptions
- Media habits and trusted sources of information
- Social and cultural influences
Understanding what drives action
Behaviour change is about more than knowing what people do. It’s about understanding why they do it.
We use proven behaviour change frameworks, including COM-B and EAST, to help uncover what’s influencing people’s choices and identify opportunities to encourage positive action. These frameworks help us look beyond assumptions and focus on what will genuinely make a difference for the people we’re trying to reach.
Strategy, creative and delivery
Once we understand the audience and what’s driving behaviour, we turn those insights into a clear communications strategy. From audience segmentation and messaging to creative development, channel planning and delivery, everything works together to support the desired outcome.
Whether the objective is increasing uptake, changing perceptions, encouraging participation or influencing everyday habits, we use insight to shape communications that are practical, relevant and effective.
Measurement and evaluation
Understanding what worked is just as important as the campaign itself. We build measurement and evaluation into every stage of our work, helping organisations understand what’s making a difference, what can be improved and where future opportunities lie.
Using recognised methodologies such as OASIS and the GCS Evaluation Cycle, we track performance, gather insight and provide practical recommendations that help shape future activity.
Our work
Every behaviour change challenge is different. These examples
show how we’ve helped organisations better understand their
audiences and create campaigns that inspire action.
Why SBW?
For more than 20 years, we’ve helped organisations tackle complex behaviour change
challenges across public health, sustainability, community engagement and public services.
By combining audience insight, behavioural science, creativity and integrated
communications expertise, we help organisations understand what drives behaviour
and turn those insights into practical action.
From strategy and creative development to media planning, stakeholder engagement and campaign
delivery, we create campaigns that support organisational objectives and deliver measurable results.
Frequently asked questions
A behaviour change campaign helps people take action. Whether that’s encouraging healthier choices, helping more people access support or inspiring communities to get involved, it’s about turning awareness into real-world action.
Awareness is often the first step, but awareness alone rarely changes behaviour. Behaviour change campaigns focus on understanding what influences decisions, what barriers exist and what might encourage people to take the next step. The goal isn’t simply to inform people, but to help them act.
Yes. We use proven behavioural science approaches, including frameworks such as COM-B and EAST, to better understand audiences and shape more effective campaigns.
We work across public health, sustainability, education, community engagement, public services, charities and purpose-led organisations throughout Wales and the UK.
Every campaign is different, so we tailor our approach to measuring success. We combine campaign performance data, audience research and evaluation to understand what’s working and where we’ve made an impact.
Yes. Understanding people is at the heart of what we do. Using audience insight, community engagement and targeted communications, we help organisations connect with specific audiences and communities.
No. The right approach depends on the challenge. Campaigns can include anything from community engagement and stakeholder communications to social media, PR, digital advertising and integrated campaigns.
Any time success depends on people doing something differently. Whether you’re encouraging healthier choices, promoting a service or supporting community action, behaviour change communications can help.
Behavioural insight helps organisations understand what influences decisions and actions. Those insights can be used to shape strategy, messaging, creative development, channel planning and campaign delivery, helping communications become more relevant, effective and impactful.
Let’s start with the challenge
Whether you’re looking to increase uptake, encourage participation, change
perceptions or support positive behaviour change, we’ll help you understand your
audience, identify the right approach and create communications that work harder.
Get in touch to start the conversation
Leticia
Managing Director
Rich
Head of Client Services
