Communications to Promote Government Programs

You might have heard about the USDA’s new SUN Bucks program, which helps families get access to the nutritious food their kids deserve when school meals aren’t available in summer. Assistance programs like SUN Bucks are impactful resources available to provide additional support for families across the country.

Equally important is ensuring that qualified families know about these programs and understand how to enroll.

Case Study: Helping Californians Overcome Food Insecurity Through Calfresh Food Benefits

The California Department of Social Services partnered with Rescue Agency to create messaging that helped eligible audiences overcome barriers to accessing CalFresh food benefits, such as reducing stigma and clarifying misconceptions.

A Customized Approach for Unique Audiences

The campaign focused on unique audiences, such as college students, veterans, and mixed-status families. We developed tailored messages in 12 threshold languages to be culturally appropriate and accessible to our audiences. All materials addressed the specific barriers and misperceptions prevalent within each segment based on our extensive audience research.

College Students: We showed them how CalFresh fits seamlessly into their lifestyles and allows students to buy food they want on their schedules, reframing it as "financial aid for food.”

Veterans: Our messaging highlighted how CalFresh aligns with military values, complements other veterans' benefits, and supports families during transition periods.

Mixed-Status Families: We emphasized CalFresh's positive impact on child health and development and assured the safety and security of enrolling.

Campaign Outcomes Show Significant Behavior Change

Success metrics from the CalFresh campaign showcase positive behavior changes and intentions to apply for CalFresh among those who were aware of the campaign, including:

• 86% of students 
• 69% of veterans
• 52% of mixed-status families

This comprehensive approach led to increased awareness, positive reception, and higher application rates for CalFresh benefits, ultimately helping to address food insecurity in California communities.

We executed a similar approach to promote California’s Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) program, a federal food program created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This approach directly increased the number of P-EBT cards pinned (or activated) by 35%.

If you'd like to work with us on your next government program promotion campaign, please don't hesitate to contact our team.