Comic Relief shifts focus from schools to social media to boost appeal among young people

Comic Relief is rethinking its strategy around engaging younger people in its fundraising campaign, moving away from a focus on schools to instead reach them online and on digital platforms. Three-quarters of Wattpad’s British readers are under 24. There will also be a Comic Relief custom branded profile on Wattpad where stories will be housed, and the ‘humour’ category will be taken over by the charity. We know there’s a specific tribe of young creatives on Wattpad. So we’re trying to create something bespoke for them. Pete Durant, Comic Relief The campaign marks a shift for Comic Relief, which has spent the last 20 years predominantly focused on building the brand through school programmes. “Rather than taking a one size fits all approach to the audience, we know there’s a specific tribe of young creatives on Wattpad. So we’re trying to create something bespoke for them. Durant admits the Wattpad campaign is “a test” for the charity, and that it will be looking at how many people read its stories and engage with the content, and how they react to the issues raised. He concludes: “This is just one part of a long-term investment in our new approach to young audiences.