Think HQ and its multicultural division CultureVerse have launched a two-year national community engagement program to encourage more Australians to use bowel cancer screening kits.
The program, delivered in partnership with the Australian Government, will roll out more than 50 events across 2026 and 2027. It began last week with its first live activation in Adelaide.
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The initiative is designed to address a major behaviour-change challenge. Around six million free bowel screening kits are mailed to eligible Australians each year, but about two million remain unused.
A community-first strategy
Rather than using a short-term roadshow model, Think HQ and CultureVerse are building a program around community partnerships, pop-up experiences and trusted local voices.
The agency said the approach is designed to reduce stigma, procrastination and anxiety around bowel cancer screening.
The program includes three community engagement formats:
- The Loo Post Flagship Activations: An immersive walk-through experience showing the screening process from receiving the kit to returning it.
- Catch it Early Cafés: Local café pop-ups designed to create informal, stigma-free conversations about bowel cancer screening.
- Community Conversations: Smaller events delivered through community gatherings and cultural festivals, supported by local leaders and bilingual community figures.
Think HQ has also partnered with First Nations specialist agency Winangali to co-design and deliver a culturally safe engagement program for First Nations communities across Australia.
Building trust through local voices
Jen Sharpe, Founder and Managing Director of Think HQ, said the program was built to create longer-term behaviour change.
“If you want to create genuine, lasting behaviour change, you can’t just drive a branded truck into a town for a day and leave. We intentionally rejected the traditional roadshow format.
“Instead, we are building a sustained, two-year ecosystem of activities embedded within communities. By partnering with local champions and organisations who already hold the community’s trust, we are ensuring this work leaves a real legacy.”
Jess Billimoria, Chief Audiences Officer at CultureVerse, said the Community Conversations format was designed to create safer spaces for discussion.
“Our ‘Community Conversations’ are designed for intimacy and safety, complementing broader campaign channels to deepen trust and engagement.
“By taking these conversations directly into trusted community settings and working with bilingual community figures, we can help break down the taboos and cultural barriers that have historically kept screening rates low in some multicultural communities.”
Supporting the national campaign
Think HQ has also partnered with the Australian Government and Cancer Council Australia to support the national bowel cancer screening campaign, Bowel Cancer Waits for No One.
CultureVerse is leading the targeted multicultural campaign delivery.
The client is the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. The Think HQ team includes Sharpe, Sarah Wood, Jessica Billimoria, Georgie Oatts, Nickie Flambouras, Hasret Mehmedali, Blake Mason, Hannah Seeckts, Wellison D’Assuncao, Josella Bray, Zoe Mamo and Jamie Pond.