The new app hopes to spread care and kindness instead.
Isobar Australia today launched ‘CareMonger’, a new app designed to counter all the scaremongering surrounding COVID-19 by encouraging Australians to spread care and kindness instead.
Inspired by the caremongering movement in Canada, there was an opportunity to leverage Isobar's expertise in product development and creative.
Partnered with a generous anonymous benefactor to develop the app which helps bind communities together and support each other during current events.
With social distancing and self-isolation rules now enforced across the country, CareMonger uses location-based technology to enable people to connect with others living nearby (up to 10km).
Through the experience, people simply create a profile and set an ‘I am…’ status to either offer assistance or reach out for help.
They can then start exchanging direct messages with others directly through the platform.
“The pandemic is forging bonds across communities and shining a spotlight on people’s enormous capacity for kindness," says Adam Famularo, Caremonger creator and Isobar client engagement director.
"People want to help, but it can be hard to know where to start and there is currently no single platform or place capturing this.
“CareMonger brings all that goodwill together and gives Australians a one-stop platform to safely share, and receive, simple acts of kindness.”
Built within only seven days, the app has been designed with a simple interface to ensure it is accessible and easy for everyone to use.
“The global crisis created by COVID-19 has had a significant impact on the world we live in, and it’s difficult to predict how long it will last," Isobar ANZ CEO Erik Hallander says.
“For many, the concept of social distancing or self-isolation can be stressful, confusing and scary – particularly for more vulnerable groups of society.
“It’s great to see our teams acting quickly and thinking innovatively about how we can create products and experiences that positively help the community during a time where there is so much uncertainty."
Isobar has collaborated within the Denstu network to launch the app, engaging Cox Inall Change, Australia’s leading behavioural change PR agency, to lead the media relations campaign.
CareMonger is available for download on iOS and will be available on Android in the coming days.
