Very good points, Meena and Bettina. The solution would have to be community-appropriate and would definitely involve research of the local culture and context. A specific approach in a South African township may not be appropriate or relevant in an Indian slum or a rural community elsewhere. Definitely important to keep that in mind as we think through the various key moments to get the message across!

Hi Meena, thanks for sharing. This campaign makes great use of theories behind behavioral economics, giving people the reminder nudge in the moment before they would take an action that could be harmful in the long run (eating with unwashed hands). The edible reminders are especially effective in this large event setting, with so many people preparing large quantities of food for the attendees.

It would be interesting to explore how this approach could translate to year-round use among families with young children. Instead of imprinting a reminder on food, a similar message could be stamped on everyday items such as toilet paper, perhaps using child-friendly images instead of words. A major challenge to something like that would be the cost and availability of that novelty item, especially among low-income communities in developing countries. But a partnership with a major corporate brand could help alleviate that challenge: the brand could produce and distribute those products at discounted rates as part of their corporate social responsibility efforts.

This kind of nudge could be powerful for other elements of daily life and building healthy habits among children and parents, such as brushing teeth before and after bed or checking for head lice after bathing. (An alarm clock with cartoon toothbrush images at the appropriate hours, sponsored by Colgate? A plastic comb with a visual reminder to check for lice, included in packages of Dove conditioner?) I'd be interested to hear other people's ideas for products that could have family-friendly reminders, hygiene-related or otherwise!

Hi Ryan,

This is a great approach and I love the tone of the website; it really shows a lot of respect to the target audience--especially when so many of those young people are hearing lots of very strong opinions about college-to-career paths. It's telling young people that you can still be sharp, innovative, and confident in starting your career, that finding a job straight out of high school doesn't have to be anything "less."

And I love the mindset of looking at the end goal rather than the first step in the career path; it really changes the frame of reference away from "where can I get a job right now" and positions the job seeker to be thoughtful about that first entry-level job and where it can realistically lead them.

One of tricky aspects of the job search is understanding the language in the job description: what the titles really mean (Associate vs Assistant vs. Apprentice), sifting through the buzz words, and differentiating between the hard skills required and the skills that seem to show up on every job description. And identifying those skills in yourself. With someone who recently left high school as the end user, it may be helpful to consider key words and skills that may not be immediately obvious as job skills. As an exaggerated example: someone who enjoyed chemistry lab in school may assume they'll never get to create chemical reactions if they don't go to college, but those skills could be used in other jobs: there's chemistry in cooking, or in mixing cement. A job seeker could check boxes for their interests and skills, and potential job opportunities that use those skills could be served up in a search.

You may already have some kind of key words and interests check-boxes on the platform--I explored your website but couldn't see how the process itself works without registering first. You mentioned you've been distributing the platform through schools, community employment agencies, and online. Is there an online example of a user's job search process, either as an infographic or video? That would be a great resource for people who find Raise Your Flag independently and are curious to learn more, support, or consider getting involved as an employer or advocate of the platform.