Engaging communication—good storytelling and strong characters—is essential to entertaining viewers.  It’s also a great way to change social behaviors.

In Nigeria, radio dramas are used to change attitudes and behaviors that lead to overpopulation, abuse of women and children, and HIV/AIDS.  First broadcast in 2006 on public and private radio stations in Northern Nigeria, the serial radio drama “Gugar Goge” told stories of characters that improved their health and the health of their families by using maternal health and reproductive services.  A 2009 survey found that 66% of people that sought services at clinics said they were motivated by what they learned from listening to the “Gugar Goge” sequel “Ruwan Dare.”

Does this seem strange? It’s actually a very old form of communication that’s getting an update from the U.S. Census Bureau.   An October 7^th article in the Washington Post reports that the Census Bureau has partnered with Telemundo’s top telenovela “Mas Sabe el Diablo”  The story arc involves the character “Peral Baltran,” whose hard luck changes when she gets a job recruiting folks in her neighborhood for the 2010 census.  The Census Bureau is hoping to reach Latinos and show that participating in the census is “private, easy and very important.”  Will the Census Bureau campaign have the same success as the Nigerian radio drama? Stay tuned.

Photo courtesy of Telemundo