Help Ahead is the centralized phone line for child, youth and family mental health and well-being support in Toronto. The service aims to connect those in need to immediate counselling and/or to ongoing local, community-based mental health services.

Originally called Mental Health TO (MHTO), the service was not well known or understood in the sector or by the public. Using “mental health” in the name was also a barrier for some users who felt stigma towards the term. To effectively relaunch, Co-Effect was asked to create a complete, refreshed brand including a new name, visual identity, effective and clearer messaging and a website.

Our team met with key stakeholders including parents/caregivers, youth, referring professionals from the education, social services and health sectors, and partners. We heard first hand how different groups relate to and speak about mental health and the emotional, social and logistical challenges that prevented people from accessing help. We gained insights on how people get connected to support and their habits and trusted channels for referrals and information.

Our challenge was to create a brand that was approachable, accessible and professional, with the flexibility to tailor messaging and visuals depending on the specific audience needs and preferences.

Throughout the entire process, ideas and concepts were assessed in multiple parents/guardians and youth focus groups. Insights and feedback from these directly influenced the outcome of the brand.

Help Ahead is approachable and optimistic. The name, messaging and logo all emphasize an easy, low-barrier next step. The tone is conversational and normalizing, deliberately considering target users that may not immediately identify as having a mental health need, but are struggling with an aspect of life. A more clinical tone is used in select ways to build trust and legitimacy for referring professionals and caregivers that have already had some experiences with mental health services or feel less stigma around mental health terms.

WEBSITE APPROACH:
Based on research and insights, we adopted a user-centred approach for Help Ahead’s website. Upon entering the site, visitors choose the experience most relevant to their needs (families, youth, referrals) allowing for simpler navigation, focused messaging and a a tailored, step-by-step roadmap of the service. The mobile-friendly site also features resources, an automated chatbot, click-to-call, language options, an accessibility widget and referral options for professionals.

OUTREACH AND MARKETING:
Our team partnered with Society, etc. to develop a relaunch strategy centred around building awareness, education and scaled uptake of the service.

Based on stakeholder insights and behaviour, we prioritized paid media efforts on parents/caregivers and professionals from sectors that intersect with mental health in order to have the best impact for the budget.

We leveraged a combination out of home (OOH), radio, TV segments, advertorials, search and social media ads and digital web ads.

The campaign had a a direct impact on the number of inquiries for the service, which grew as planned alongside the client’s capacity to deliver the service. As well, the campaign received an additional 40% in donated media, doubling the ingoing forecasts.

In addition, our creative team supported Strides Toronto with social media assets, post templates and messaging. Our team continues to support the organization on an ongoing basis creating additional outreach materials as needed to promote Help Ahead in schools, communities and with professionals.

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strategy
naming
brand development
visual identity
website
promotion and launch campaign
creative assets (digital ads, animated spots, social posts, ad scripts)

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Marketing strategy in collaboration with media buyer, Society, etc.