Organisers of the campaign considered that, surrounded by the political messages from the candidates and the numerous institutional messages being broadcast about the mayoral contest - about voting procedures and the like, any general information about the needs of children and what mayors could do about them might easily gain attention. The strategy that was adopted to ensure that the Juanita campaign would attract the necessary attention was to integrate the mayoral contest in a politically competitive way by introducing direct challenges from and for children.

As result of this strategy, the mayoral candidates had to confront new demands from Juanita and the children she represented. This way, while remaining the protagonists in their own campaigns, the candidates found themselves converted into the intended audience of a campaign by children, led by Juanita.

Juanita, the character who symbolically represents children in the campaign, is a primary school pupil who is conscious of the shortages and needs facing the majority of Colombian children. She is interested in the forthcoming popular election of mayors, and she aspires to be a mayor when she is adult so that she will be able to resolve the problems of children like her. But waiting until she grows up takes too long, that is why she decides to write a letter to the future mayor of her village, on a page torn from her school notebook, in her child’s handwriting, and with faults in syntax and punctuation. In her letter she tells the future mayor about the problems facing children and asks for his help.



The text of the Juanita's letter reads:

"I am Juanita, you do not know me, but I know you. I know you are a very important person. Who is going to be in charge here. Who is liked and respected by people. My mother says that you are going to do a lot for us, because now there is money to do things in this community, and that you will do them. For this, you must think about me and the other children like me. I would like you to know that we are lacking schools, clean water, food, and health. Our problems are many but there are easy solutions that don’t need much money, only that you want to do them. I cannot vote because I am a child. I cannot give you my support yet, but you, yes, you can give me yours."

Excuse me and thank you!!!

Juanita

The final sentence of Juanita's letter to the mayor, became the slogan for the campaign and was reproduced and repeated in all the communication media. This slogan was accompanied by the motto of the campaign: "The children of Colombia: a great responsibility for mayors and communities."

Motivation and information to the candidates:

Juanita's letter was intended to reach each mayoral candidate. It was presented in a leaflet with other information that would sensitise each of the candidates and their immediate political colleagues to the problems of children in Colombia, explaining the magnitude of the problems and suggesting concrete actions for resolving them.

On the front of the leaflet was a photograph of the face of Juanita, with a thoughtful expression, and with the campaign slogan: "Mr. Mayor, I cannot give you my support yet, but you yes, you can give me tours. Juanita." Inside the leaflet, the whole of Juanita's letter was reproduced, on its page torn from a school notebook and in her child's handwriting. Next to the letter was a child's drawing that showed a child's view of an ideal village.

The other side of the leaflet contained information about the problems of children in Colombia, grouped and summarised into columns covering five issues: mortality of infants in their first year, malnutrition; pre-school child care; access to primary education; and children and youth in especially difficult circumstances. The treatment given to the five issues covered four points of view: the reality of the situation in the country; its causes; proposals to the mayor for easily implemented corrective actions; and the consequences and benefits that those actions would have for the community.



For example, regarding vaccines, the information on the leaflet was the following:

The leaflet also carried the logos of the three partners in the initiative. However, even more institutional support was considered necessary, so a letter signed by the top management of the three participating institutions was sent to the mayoral candidates with the leaflet. The letter reminded the candidates of the new functions and responsibilities of mayors in respect of care and development of children, and it also appealed to the mayors to work closely with their communities in this regard.



Attractive and arresting envelopes were designed. Three copies of the leaflet and one copy of the covering letter were sent in each envelope. The national registry office provided the names and addresses of the 3,500 mayoral candidates. These were then grouped by department and municipality to organise the direct mailing of the envelopes.

Diffusion through communication media:

Juanita's face, her letter to each mayoral candidate and the campaign slogan appeared in the press, on radio and television, and on large posters in streets and squares all over the country.

The mass media were used not only to reinforce the individual message sent to each candidate, but also to create public awareness and pressure at the community level for candidates to include programmes for children in their political platforms, which had never been the case in any political campaign of the past.

To achieve the communication media participation and collaboration, a letter was sent to the directors of the main newspapers, radio networks, private television programmers and to Inravisión (the National Radio and Television Institute, which is in charge of the three national television channels) explaining the strategy of the Juanita’s campaign. This letter outlined the problems faced by Colombian children and appealed to the media's responsibility and need for solidarity in highlighting the potential power of media in sensitising the future leadership of the municipalities and also in popularising basic knowledge about survival and development of children. The description and a copy of the video, audio or printed material according to the media activities were also enclosed.

The aim of the television spot and a radio spot produced as part of this strategy was to draw widespread attention to the needs of children. It was intended to create public consciousness that would result in voters choosing the mayoral candidate who offered the best programmes for their children and demanding action from their administrators.



Free broadcast time within Inravision's institutional framework on the three national television channels was acquired for the television spot and at least six private programmers aired it regularly for a month in prime time.

The response of the six main radio networks was also positive, and they offered their total cooperation. Each included the spot free of cost in commercial time slots. Radio services in Colombia had previously worked together, despite the intense competition between them, for earlier national vaccination crusades, under the slogan: "Radio united for the children of Colombia." This precedent was exploited for obtaining free broadcasting of the Juanita spot.

A poster was also designed on which Juanita's face appeared with a pensive expression, as if she were gazing into the future, her message to the candidates written in her own hand, the theme of the campaign and the logos of the three participating institutions. The posters were distributed and put up in the streets of the main cities, next to the candidate's campaign posters.

The network RCN, with wide national coverage, and Radio Sutatenza, with special penetration in rural areas, dedicated a great deal of air time to news and interviews about the situation of children in Colombia and to the solutions that were being proposed to Mayors and communities. Furthermore, Radio Sutatenza produced a special programme to launch the Juanita campaign and announced its commitment and support.

The leaflet was reproduced in full by the magazines Procomún and Cabildo, publications on the theme of local democracy, that were sent after elections to the new mayors.

Children, Health, Immunisation and Vaccines, Nutrition, Democracy and Governance.

One of the main reasons for the success achieved with the campaign was the high quality of the printed and audiovisual materials. The intention was to seek a level of quality that could compete on equal terms with a commercial product, and that would make an impact even when surrounded by the publicity being generated simultaneously by the 3,500 mayoral candidates. The design of the strategy was led by communication professionals and for the materials production, prestigious publicity agencies were asked to make proposals and submit budgets. The criteria for choosing the best agency were interest in social actions, creativity, and cost.

Another key element of this project's success, according to the organisers, was the linkage between the campaign and the political events within Colombia. There are many ways to advocate for children and children's rights. The organisers took advantage of the mayoral elections to bring the issues to the forefront. As a result, news services of the main radio networks and the local stations gave broad coverage to the Juanita campaign.

A few days after receiving the material, the most prestigious radio network in the country, Caracol, organised a roundtable discussion with the six candidates for the post of Mayor of Bogotá. Because of the prestige and importance of Bogotá, the roundtable was broadcast nationwide. During the roundtable, the candidates listened to a recording of Juanita reading her letter. Only one of them was able to present an action plan to improve the quality of life of children, in accordance with the problems and possible solutions described in the Juanita leaflet. A few days later, this candidate was elected mayor.



Given the limited reach and transient impact of most campaigns, a follow-up phase was planned for the Juanita initiative. The aim was to obtain the real commitment of the recently elected mayors, by then in office, to actions that would have a major impact in reducing child mortality and morbidity.