The Health of Digby Depends on All of Us.
A Campaign Connecting Inclusion and Healthcare Access
Like many rural communities across Canada, Digby faces ongoing healthcare staffing shortages and increasing reliance on internationally trained and racialized healthcare professionals to keep care close to home. While recruitment efforts were strong, community engagement revealed a critical challenge: retention was often impacted by feelings of exclusion, isolation, and a lack of belonging.
The Welcoming Communities Campaign was created to address this issue through education, storytelling, and community participation. The campaign reframed inclusion not as an abstract social issue, but as a shared community responsibility directly connected to healthcare access and long-term community wellbeing.
The Challenge: Shift Perception Through Community-Led Storytelling
We needed to Increase understanding of how discrimination affects healthcare recruitment and retention
Encourage residents to see welcoming behaviours as part of protecting local healthcare access
Create messaging that felt authentic, hopeful, and grounded in the realities of Digby
Reach audiences across generations and communication channels, including those less engaged digitally
The goal was not simply awareness, but meaningful behavioural and cultural change.
Our Approach: Strategy Rooted in Local Voices
Locality led the strategic development and execution of a multi-channel campaign grounded in community consultation and creative storytelling.
Stakeholder Engagement & Research
Working alongside NS Health, YMCA, ISANS, municipal representatives, educators, and healthcare workers, the campaign gathered insights through stakeholder interviews and community surveys to better understand local perceptions, barriers, and opportunities for engagement.
Campaign Strategy & Creative Development
The campaign centered around a clear message:
“The health of Digby depends on all of us.”
“The health of Digby depends on all of us.”
To bring this to life, Locality developed:
A full messaging framework and campaign identity
Direct-to-home educational mailers distributed to 6,000+ households
Digital and paid social campaigns featuring both video and static creative
Posters, signage, and educational materials for healthcare sites and local businesses
Long-form web content designed to deepen understanding and encourage reflection
Youth Engagement: Creativity as a Catalyst for Change
A core component of the campaign focused on engaging youth as community storytellers and advocates for inclusion.
In partnership with Digby Regional High School and Digby-raised artist Mony Zakhour, Locality helped facilitate:
A school-wide presentation
Two collaborative workshops
The creation of a permanent mural titled “We All Belong Here”
The workshops encouraged students to explore themes of belonging, racism, identity, and community through hands-on creative participation.
The Outcome: Awareness, Engagement, and Community Momentum
The campaign exceeded performance expectations across digital and community engagement metrics:
44,641 unique Meta accounts reached
284,591 campaign impressions
Strong engagement rates well above industry benchmarks
Broad visibility through direct mail, healthcare signage, social media, and community placements
More importantly, the campaign sparked meaningful conversations around inclusion, healthcare retention, and the role residents play in creating a welcoming community.
Why It Matters to Locality
This project reflects Locality’s belief that economic and community development are deeply connected to belonging. Through strategy, storytelling, design, and engagement, the Welcoming Communities Campaign demonstrated how creative communications can help communities tackle complex social challenges in ways that feel human, hopeful, and actionable.
The campaign also reinforced a core Locality principle: meaningful change happens when communities are invited into the conversation—not talked at, but engaged with authenticity, empathy, and purpose.
Client: Digby Area Health Employment (DAHE)
Services Provided: Strategic Planning, Community Consultation, Creative Development, Go-to-market execution (Direct Mail, In Community Marketing, Social Media, Paid Media, In-School Education & Special Event, Digital Content)
Industry: Healthcare + Public Awareness + Community Inclusion
Services Provided: Strategic Planning, Community Consultation, Creative Development, Go-to-market execution (Direct Mail, In Community Marketing, Social Media, Paid Media, In-School Education & Special Event, Digital Content)
Industry: Healthcare + Public Awareness + Community Inclusion
