Best Social Media UNICEF Campaigns

After discussing how NGOs can use social media to promote their causes by accessing Google Ads grants, it's time to bring to your attention some top-notch social media campaigns performed by UNICEF.

In this article, we will cover the following:

Top 10 most creative UNICEF digital marketing campaigns
The Unicef campaigns that we liked
Top 3 Best-Performing UNICEF Instagram posts
Best Performing UNICEF Twitter posts
Best Performing UNICEF Facebook posts

We're treated to innovative social media marketing campaigns and programs from significant companies each year. Some are created in-house, while others hire digital agencies or third-party marketers. For example, Unicef India's new campaign, I am for Children, aims to spread awareness among Indians on how kids suffer in conflict zones.

UNICEF's Literacy Campaign: UNESCO's literacy rate definition is based on a person's ability to read and write a simple sentence in any language.

We've compiled a list of the most creative and the ones we historically liked. We'd love to hear what other UNICEF campaigns inspired you.

Top 10 Most Creative UNICEF Digital Marketing Campaigns

We're treated to innovative social media marketing campaigns and programs from significant companies each year. Some are created in-house, while others hire digital agencies or third-party marketers to lead their social media programs. While many of these commercials aren't necessarily geared toward children, they help spread awareness about important issues that impact young people worldwide. Here is a list of the top 10 most creative UNICEF Digital Marketing Campaigns.

#Unselfie: I am for #children: We have already written about Unicef India's new campaign, I am for Children, which aims to spread awareness among Indians on how kids are suffering in conflict zones and how it affects other countries as well. Unicef has been encouraging Indians to share selfies with signs that give out some message regarding raising funds for children around them. The exciting part is that celebrities such as Sachin Tendulkar, Hrithik Roshan, and Parineeti Chopra have joined Unicef to promote the cause.
Child Sponsorship program: If you search online, you will find plenty of sponsorships, but not child sponsorship specifically! Undoubtedly, finding local donors who could sponsor your child through elementary school is a challenging task but very rewarding too. For example, my son was supported by his neighbors when he was just two years old, and it felt great knowing someone cared enough to spend time with him and help him learn.
Dream 4 Equality: Dream 4 Equality is UNICEF Australia's (Funded by BHP Billiton Foundation) official merchandise range that raises money for development projects worldwide across boys' and girls' education. All T-shirts cost $35 each, 100% cotton with a print area measuring 8cm x 5cm on the right chest. Prices include GST and delivery within Australia only. Shipping prices will be shown at checkout when an address is entered. Add $10 postage per order internationally. To date, UNICEF Australia has sold over 500 shirts since its launch, with profits exceeding $5000 and counting.
Malala Fundraising efforts: Malala Yousafzai is one of those personalities who inspire youngsters worldwide with her bold stands on various controversial issues, especially women's rights to education. Even though she was deprived of access to schooling during her childhood days due to the Taliban Regime in Swat Valley, where she belongs, UNICEF nominated this Pakistani student activist as a Goodwill Ambassador on 14 July 2013 for her work in the fight for every girl's right to education. She is also listed as a Champion of Change by U.S. President Barack Obama.
Donate 2 Education: If you are looking for a platform to help you donate to education and make it tax-deductible, look no further. You are welcome to join us and make a difference in a child's life. You may choose how much or how little you wish to donate, but rest assured that every dollar makes a difference. Your donation provides education to children in need. Your gift offers educational material for students who cannot afford paper, pencils, and other essential supplies. Your contributions provide scholarships for gifted but poor students and bursaries for orphans and widows.
Literacy Campaign: UNESCO's literacy rate definition is based on a person's ability to read and write a simple sentence in any language. UNICEF believes that every child, boy or girl, from birth to grade five has a right to first-grade reading skills. Many young people are never given a chance to learn to read and write or attend schools where teachers do not have adequate training in child-centered teaching. Illiteracy is often linked to poverty and high unemployment, reinforcing a vicious cycle of poverty that forces families to send their children into paid labor at an early age.
Set up learning environments: Did you know that up to 75% of brain development occurs in children's first five years? That's why setting up an environment conducive to young children's learning is so important. The brain grows tremendously in these early years, and how children experience their world directly impacts their learning and behavior.
Encourage Problem Solving: Children are natural problem solvers. Problem-solving is an essential type of learning at home and in preschools because it helps children develop cognitive abilities such as memory, attention span, flexibility, and self-control.
Preschools are important: Experts agree that pre-primary education is critical for children in low and middle-income countries. It prepares children to enter primary school and helps protect them from early marriage, child labor, and HIV/AIDS. Pre-primary education offers benefits not only to children but also to communities. Studies have shown that children who attend pre-primary education are more likely to participate in school and achieve a better education later in life.
Make learning fun: Fun and play are essential to every child's development. Research shows that playing helps children learn! Children learn faster when they are having fun. When we teach young children to read, write, count, or do math while engaged in a game, they tend to remember what they learned longer than if we taught them while sitting still.

The Unicef campaigns that we liked

Tap for Clean Water: UNICEF created a Facebook app through which users could donate 5$, in return for which they could send water to 2 friends, who were then invited to donate 5$. This campaign used virality elements, as it took advantage of the friends' network of a Facebook user. "With the power of social networks, we think we can reach tens of millions of people." - said the head of brand planning for this campaign.
UNICEF also used celebrity involvement, asking several celebrities to start their water networks or post on social media about the campaign. Water Drop Social media marketing campaign: This campaign promotes safe water, hygiene, and sanitation in support of UNICEF's mission to provide children with safe water, sanitation, and hygiene education to prevent diseases. The campaign was created to educate users about HIV/AIDS prevention using clean water. Users could upload photos or videos showing how they use pure water in their everyday lives. Water Your Body social media marketing campaign: This campaign uses social media to help spread information on the reality that malnutrition begins before birth and that women are mainly at risk during pregnancy. It aims to raise awareness of how nutrition can affect a woman's health and her unborn child through various online posts and by sharing real-life stories.

T his Pinterest campaign against child poverty
cleverly used the "wish list" like albums usually posted on the social network by creating a profile for a fictional 13-year-old girl from Sierra Leone. On her "really want these" board, pictures were posted, showcasing things such as a handful of rice, soap, or a bucket of water – basically, simple things essential to daily life. The Pinterest board also linked followers to the UNICEF website, where they could donate to support this cause. All in all, this was a highly effective and emotional campaign. (By U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jonathan Kulp [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons)
The most recent campaign, #thisability, was linked to the yearly launch of UNICEF, a state of the world's children report - this year, they put the focus on children with disabilities, and the purpose was to draw attention to 93 million children in the world suffering from disabilities. To promote the report, they created a campaign on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, titled "#Thisability portraits," encouraging people to post pictures of inspiring persons showcasing an ability each of them has. Fifteen pictures will be selected to be displayed at UNICEF's Manhattan headquarters.

Top 2 Best-Performing Unicef Twitter Tweets

About 300 MILLION people do not have access to essential medicines because they are too expensive & some are even out of stock. #AccessTheMedicines RT & SPREAD THE WORD
Investing in HIV/AIDS treatment saves money and lives. If everyone starts treatment early after diagnosis, it saves up to US$114 billion globally & US$845 million in low-income countries RT IF YOU AGREE!

Best-Performing UNICEF Facebook Posts

7 Ways You Can Change a Child's Life This Holiday Season.
The United Nations predicts that by 2030, over 3 billion people will live in water scarcity areas, and that's more than half of Earth's population! We cannot stand by while so many lives are at risk. You can now help bring clean drinking water to children worldwide through your generous donation. For just $1 per day, you can provide a child with safe drinking water for 20 years. That's one small step for every person on Earth, one giant leap for every child with dirty hands!
There are about 640 million women and girls alive today who were married before they turned 18 years old. How would you feel if your mother, sister, or daughter was married off before her eighteenth birthday?
With your support and our partners, we immunized more than 11 million children against deadly diseases like measles last year alone! Thank you! At least 10 vaccines currently exist—all backed by scientific evidence—that protect vulnerable populations from preventable deaths such as diarrhea, pneumonia, and measles.
There is also an arguable example of how not to perform a campaign: UNICEF's Sweden communication agency thought it would be a good idea to post on Facebook messages such as: "Like us on Facebook, and we will vaccinate zero children against Polio." They wanted to emphasize that actions on social media of UNICEF supporters must be followed through with actual donations; however, this campaign was mainly viewed as alienating the social media community of UNICEF Sweden. However, it has generated many reports in the media – for example, this article: "UNICEF Sweden launched a somewhat humorous (for Scandinavians, this counts as humorous)" - and the approach is undoubtedly brave. Since arguably there is no bad publicity, could this example be considered a "good campaign"?

Please feel free to share your insights and thoughts in the comments sections below. In addition, if you manage the digital campaigns for your NGOs, don't hesitate to contact us to find out what opportunities you can leverage and what best practices you can engage for your NGO.