Challenge: Breda: How can resilient role models help families to develop healthy relationships?

XS2Content (XS2AUDIO BV) – Video Avatar Influencers

According to figures from the Trimbos Institute, last year 10.2% of 12- to 14-year-olds used an e-cigarette. In the first two years of secondary school, young people often come into contact with ‘vapes’. GGD West-Brabant aims to positively influence young people to prevent them from starting to vape.

The European CommuniCity project aims to use new techniques to improve interaction and communication within communities, focusing on enhancing social cohesion and facilitating engagement and collaboration. The Hilversum-based tech startup XS2Content has been selected for this project to find a technological solution for the municipality of Breda to positively influence young people not to start vaping. XS2Content has developed a plan to use animated ‘Video Avatar Influencers’ in co-creation with health institutions and the target group itself to positively influence children not to start vaping. The avatars, tone of voice, and content will be co-created together with the involved parties. They will be loosely based on popular influencers (YouTube/Insta/TikTok) amongst the target group to increase impact and appeal. Naturally, this will also take into account the diversity of cultural backgrounds within the target group and how these specific subgroups want to be addressed. The videos will be produced in portrait format so that they can be used on popular social media platforms such as TikTok, WhatsApp, Instagram, amongst others. Texts can also be adjusted, optimized, or updated afterwards on the XS2Content platform.