Students link a health service with its local community

Link Health and Community operates in the south eastern suburbs of Melbourne offering a range of health and wellbeing services to residents.

Gentrification in the surrounding suburbs had resulted in a changed local demographic and some residents having an incorrect perception that Link was a low cost service with less qualified staff.

As part of final year course, Public Relations Campaigns, students from the Bachelor of Communication (Public Relations) worked with Link Health and Community to increase awareness about the range of services offered by Link and improve the community’s perceptions of the organisation.

Students ventured out into the local community undertaking research to uncover what residents most wanted from a local health service provider.

Utilising insights from the research, students then developed a strategic communication campaign to reconnect Link Health and Community with the local residents.

Sally Nadj, who is the Manager for Communications and Engagement at Link Health and Community, said it was a fantastic experience working with the RMIT students regarding the Health Day at Batesford event and then the corresponding projects afterwards.

“Their enthusiasm, skills and the ideas they had regarding social media content, graphic design and their listening post proposal including the story board brief, really contributed to the success of our Health Day at Batesford event”.

“They were even able to leverage their own contacts by organising a photographer and videographer who summed up the event perfectly”.

“The projects afterwards demonstrated their wider marketing and communication skills and provided us with unique ideas and concepts to take forward and develop,” Nadj said.

Student Sarah Plevnik said that working with an organisation like Link Health and Community allowed her to broaden her horizons on what it means to work in public relations.

“It also enabled me to develop new skills which will help me as an emerging communication practitioner,” Plevnik said.

A social media campaign was developed specifically targeting local residents using Facebook and WeChat, a popular messaging app used in Asian communities, recognising the large population of Mandarin speaking residents in the local area.

Students reviewed existing communication materials and developed a series of videos to better showcase the range of services offered by Link Health and Community and profile its’ highly qualified and passionate staff.

Lecturer Justin Rogers said that real that real world projects offer excellent opportunities for an exchange of knowledge between industry and our students.

“The project offered students the opportunity to be mentored by industry experts while being able to share the knowledge they have gained in the public relations program at RMIT.

“This helps build our students’ confidence to lead and witness firsthand the positive contribution they can make to an organisation.

“Projects like this one ensure our students are graduating ready for life and work,” Rogers said.

Students who worked on this project include Sarah Carey, Ai-Lin Chang, Joseph Curtain, Lauren Everett, Ruby Frost, Lucinda Greig, Tracy Hasselerharm, Samantha Kong, Deborah Li, Roxanne Lum, Myles McWhinney, Sarah Plevnik and Madeline Walker.

Story: Justin Rogers