Success report: Dialogue initiative think new enthusiastic young adults!

Success report: Dialogue initiative think new enthusiastic young adults!

The church dialogue initiative "Think Dear REUS" draws an impressive record for 2024. In a comprehensive press release, the initiators emphasize that around 900,000 people could be achieved through a variety of offers, including over 200 events with 80,000 personal encounters. Gabriele Eder-Cakl, the spokeswoman for the initiative, explained that the focus was on direct contact with young adults from 18 to 25 years in order to promote dialogue and understand which topics they are busy. A great response was found on social media, where the initiative achieved around 5.6 million impressions and thus addressed 1.2 million young adults. As Kathpress reported, particularly through its presence at large music festivals, the use of a "café-bikes" and the "Walk-on-Water-Challenge" created many personal conversations and exchange opportunities.

successful strategies to address young people

The initiative has followed two main strategies: on the one hand the strong media presence with a focus on social media and on the other hand personal encounters at events. According to a representative IMAS study, the approach of addressing young people in their living environment was rated as very successful. Over 55 percent of the respondents thought "think newly" was suitable for establishing contact with the church. Eder-Cakl pointed out that the contents of the campaign, the topics such as the meaning of life and friendship take up the living environment of the young adults. A study also confirmed that the brand and the visual design of the initiative can be perceived positively and therefore can strengthen the credibility of the Catholic Church among young people.

For the coming year 2025, new initiatives are already in preparation in order to address the need for meaning and orientation aids among young adults. Those responsible for the initiative are planning to meet these challenges with fresh content and new formats, as Eder-Cakl finally emphasized. This continues to become the important platform for the dialogue between the church and the young adults in Austria.