SPRINGSTER GLOBAL
CONNECTING THE UNCONNECTED THROUGH STORYTELLING AND MOBILE TECHNOLOGY
Springster case study video. © Girl Effect (girleffect.org)
CASE STUDY SUMMARY:
Adolescent girls are one of the most vulnerable and marginalised groups in low-income countries. They face many threats from ostracism, forced marriage, gender-based violence, all those reasons often contribute to curtailing their opportunities in life.
But as the world gets more and more connected * even the most isolated groups are getting their hands on their phones.
To harness this opportunity, Girl Effect (Nike Foundation) created a digital mobile brand to empower girls to fulfil their potential. As Brand Director, I led the design of the brand strategy, media ecosystem and operational model to enable Springster to attain its reach and impact objectives.
In terms of brand positioning, Springster provided great utilitarian content on health, education and economic empowerment etc. to its audience but not yet an emotional story that would speak to the complex world in which girls lived in. To cut through competitive media markets such as Indonesia and South Africa, and to reframe the value of girls, we had to lead with an emotional brand story, reflecting girls’ lives and aspirations. So based on deep audience insights we evolved Springster’s positioning from a mobile platform delivering facts and figures on various topics to an emotive youth brand celebrating the convention-defying spirit of all girls.
RESULTS:
Globally:
Achieved our highest reach with 17.2m girls reached on Facebook, and an average monthly reach of 2.1m on our website, from June 2018 to May 2019.
Generated 2.8m unique clicks (individuals that engaged with our posts).
Girls generated 80k conversations from 2014 to 2019 showing their eagerness to engage on Springster’s platforms.
Content about girls’ confidence concerning puberty and social relationships got the most traction, positioning Springster as a relevant youth brand on critical topics.
Girls’ feedback has been incredibly positive. “Springster has influenced how I see myself as a girl, how I present myself to people and how I deal with my troubles. Now I know I’ve got tips on my phone.” Girl, Nigeria.
Indonesia:
Reached 8m girls (75% of the adolescent girl population) in Q1 2019.
Generated 1.5m reactions.
Triggered deep conversations around girls’ confidence and nutrition.
South Africa:
Increased Springster’s brand footprint by 60x in 6 months in 2019
RECOGNITION & AWARDS:
Hailed as an example of digital development best practice by DIAL (Digital Impact Alliance) (2017).
Recognised by the Medical journal The Lancet for its role in advancing girls’ sexual health rights (2018).
Shortlisted for the Kindness Award (2020) - Springster empowering girls to make positive choices that change their lives.