THE CHALLENGE
Students in rural and regional Australia continue to face education inequity, with only one in five Country Education Foundation (CEF) supported students receiving financial assistance from family and the vast majority moving away from home to study.

THE STRATEGY
To drive awareness of CEF’s mission to foster further education, career and personal development opportunities of rural and regional youth, we highlighted the huge education attainment gap between regional and rural students, and their metropolitan peers through a strategic yet wide Radio Day campaign with a particular focus on regional, rural and remote markets. 

THE EXECUTION
We utilised the organisation’s strong internal data and the expert voice of CEO, Wendy Mason, to inform Australians on the discrepancies in education attainment between metro and regional Australians. Our campaign had a balanced focus on regional and rural radio programs across Australia, and metropolitan shows to encourage Australians to get involved, put on their favourite pair of country boots and raise funds for regional and rural students.

THE OUTCOME
The campaign achieved 848 items of coverage across radio, resulting in an estimated 20.7 million impressions in the lead up to Boot Bash. Highlights included the 2GB rural news bulletin (34 syndications), National Radio News (326 syndications), The Wire (279 syndications), ABC New South Wales Drive, ABC Victoria Mornings and ABC Radio Canberra. In part with CEF’s fundraising efforts throughout the campaign, Boot Bash 2025 raised over $10,000 vital funds to support students living in regional and rural Australia.