There is a lot of talk about the need to change the world. There are a lot of people wondering about what they can do to help and feeling powerless at best and ambivalent at worst because they don’t know the answer.
Out There Impact, the philanthropic division of Out There Media, is providing the answer with a simple mobile facility, There Are 17 Numbers That Can Change The World, that anyone can use. Each of the numbers refers to one of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The campaign asks users to choose a number on their mobile to be provided with information about what they can do.
The UN’s 17 SDGs are a call for action by all countries, to promote prosperity while protecting the planet. They recognise that ending poverty must go hand-in-hand with strategies that build economic growth and address a range of social needs. They are: No poverty, zero hunger, good health and wellbeing, education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, affordable clean energy, economic growth, industry innovation and infrastructure, reduced inequalities, sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production, climate action, life below water, life on land, peace, justice and strong institutions and partnerships for the goals.
The initial pilot campaign saw hundreds of thousands of users interacting with the SDGs in Indonesia, Iraq and Nigeria, with a high engagement rate of 81%. Out There Impact then presented its methodology and findings to world leaders at the recent SDG Media Summit, at the United Nations HQ in New York, and is now extending its campaign globally, with a target of reaching 1 billion people.
Daphne Loukas, chief executive officer, Out There Impact, explained, “Using our Mobucks platform, we are addressing the right users at the right time and the right place, with the preferred, direct medium of mobile. The targeted messaging campaign will reach both rural and urban areas and users from all socioeconomic classes and age groups across the globe. This will create meaningful awareness and a constant dialogue between the recipient and the SDGs, helping achieve its 2030 goal.”
William Kennedy, director of partnerships, United Nations, added, “Out There Impact’s presentation at the SDG Media Summit was an eye opener for what capabilities can be achieved with mobile devices. We are excited to see how they can help advance the SDGs.”
Sergio Fernandez de Cordova, chairman, PVBLIC Foundation, concluded, “Out There Impact gives data a heartbeat. Our strategic alliance and partnership with them allows us to bring mobile and data to the fore and into the fold with regards to the data sets we have already been building. It’s a perfect augmentation.”
