ESTONIA IS MOVING

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PROMOTING THE BENEFITS OF SPORT AND REGULAR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY TO THE PEOPLE OF ESTONIA.

To make regular physical activity an inseparable part of the Estonian everyday life for every member of the population.

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SUMMARY

The “Estonia is Moving” programme is a nationwide campaign which aims to achieve three specific goals. The first of these is to increase the number of Estonians that are physically active. The second is to inform the population of the options open to them in terms of participating in sport and physical activity. The third is to raise the awareness within the population of the benefits of a physically active lifestyle.

The programme operates in a huge number of varied initiatives in pursuit of these goals. This includes the staging of mass participation events, the activation of sporting programmes within schools and the organisation of seminars and lectures on health-related topics amongst many, many others. This is all achieved through coordination with a range of diverse partners from across Estonian society.

“Estonia is Moving” prides itself on the message that becoming physically active is easy and fun. It ensures that the Estonian population have the ability to participate in physical movement anywhere in the country at any time they like.

The campaign goals are strategically selected based on the long-term effects that they will have across Estonian society. These include an improvement in overall public health, increased productivity and a reduction in harmful behaviour.

KEYS TO SUCCESS

Working closely with partners

From the beginning, Estonia is Moving recognised that to achieve its vision, it was necessary to involve a large number of partners. The diverse and varied nature of the campaign activities has seen partnerships established from a range of different backgrounds. This has included working with sport and health institutions to share information and to align communications. It has involved coordinating with national media outlets to ensure nationwide visibility of the campaign across television, radio and online channels. Interaction with sports clubs, event organisers and facility managers is needed on a regular basis. There have been also partners who are not directly connected with sport such as cultural and scientific institutions and various social bodies.

Emphasis on messaging and communication

The programme target is the entire population of Estonia. As a result, a clearly defined communications strategy has been established. The messages communicated are designed to inform, inspire and motivate. People are constantly reminded why, how and where they can get physically active across the country. Each message is positive in tone and designed to convey the fun and openness of sport and physical activity. There is also a heavy emphasis placed on using viral communications to reach the target market. This is achieved through fun and creative activations with partners as well as using famous Estonian figures to champion the campaign, such as President Toomas Hendrik Ilves and Prime Minister Taavi Rõivas.

Jarek Jõepera / Ain Liiva

SPORT FOR ALL OBJECTIVES

Promote sport and physical activity

The focus of Estonia is Moving is both broad and ambitious. It is to simply promote a culture and lifestyle of sport and physical activity throughout the whole population of Estonia. This has seen initiatives both on-the-ground and elsewhere. A huge calendar of sporting events has been developed and promoted. Alongside this, all kinds of information connected with the benefits of physical activity has been produced and made freely available. The general public now have at their fingertips a whole range of previously inaccessible, trustworthy information about physical activity, effective training, sport, health, diet, etc.

Support active societies

Every aspect of Estonia is moving is focused on getting as many people active as possible. This has seen a focus placed on organising mass participation events, with over 1,700 taking place annually. Specific public seminars and lectures on the benefits of sport and physical are being delivered nationwide. Joint ventures with schools have seen thousands of school children becoming more active, ensuring that the benefits of the programme are carried forward into the next generation.

Provide equal access

Estonia is Moving involves a number of different disadvantaged groups. Two key partners are the Estonian National Paralympic and Special Olympic bodies. Local social bodies concerned with orphaned children or those suffering from specific diseases, for example, are also heavily involved. This approach ensures that no group is overlooked and everyone enjoys equal opportunities to benefit from the programme.

HOW IS THE PROGRAMME COMMUNICATED?

The programme is supported by a nationwide communication plan. This plan has facilitated contact with the target group through a number of different channels. This has included huge amounts of information delivered through online media, close interaction with targeted national media channels, social media strategies and a physical outdoor campaign. The plan also placed a heavy emphasis on leveraging the existing communication channels of the programmes partners.

HOW IS THE PROGRAMME EVALUATED?

An annual physical activity survey is conducted by third party consultants to measure the trends and changes in physical activity amongst the population.

This research is performed through both direct questionnaires and assessments as well as face-to-face interviews. Statistical data is also collected from event organisers, media and other interested stakeholders before being analysed by the programme organisers.

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