Campaign: Blind Cord Safety
Client: Hertfordshire Safeguarding Children Board
PR team: Hertfordshire County Council comms team
Timescale: February-June 2012
Budget: £4,000
Objectives
- To raise awareness of the danger posed by blind cords, encouraging parents to remove or tie them up
- To engage the British Blind and Shutter Association (BBSA) and its members.
Strategy and plan
The team distributed leaflets to councils, children's centres and the NHS, among others. Working together with the BBSA and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, they offered free blind cord cleats - a hook that keeps cords out of the reach of children. Local retailers displayed posters supporting the campaign.
Measurement and evaluation
The campaign received more than 50 pieces of coverage, including in the Daily Mail and The Sun.
Results
BBSA members included warnings in brochures, while some retailers changed their policy on blind cords. The campaign initiated an Early Day Motion in Parliament over potential regulation changes.
