Publicis Sapient and The Man Cave drive digital transformation for mental health

Publicis Sapient and The Man Cave are joining forces to help support the mental health and wellbeing of young men around the world.

The Man Cave will utilise Publicis Sapient's expertise in digital transformation to help scale their organisation, with Publicis Sapient doing the technical work on a pro bono basis.

The collaboration aims to support the scaling and development of The Man Cave's systems so they can meet the growing demand for services. Publicis Sapient says they will work to define a new business and service model that ensures The Man Cave has the flexibility to reach wider audiences in both Australia and globally through face-to-face and digital engagement.

Currently, The Man Cave runs transformational programs for boys and has worked with over 27,000 young men across Australia on early intervention programs. Research shows that the need for effective online services is crucial in the mental health sector, with The Publicis Sapient Digital Citizen Survey revealing that 57% of Australians have sought treatment for a mental illness in the last year. 72% of those with a mental health condition say that an online consultation for mental health would make them more likely to reach out for help.

Online assistance and solutions are deemed as more effective by younger generations, with the research showing that Gen Z (72%) and Millennials at (80%) would reach out for help online.

"Research shows that digital services can make a big difference when it comes to mental health, both in terms of encouraging those with issues to reach out for help and making support more accessible for those who need them the most," says Publicis Sapient MD Australia Claire Rawlins.

"Our association with The Man Cave is a step in the right direction to pave the path of making preventative mental health programs more accessible to young men."

The Man Cave CEO Hunter Johnson says changes to the way people, and in particular young men, interacted during the pandemic has led to a lack of mental health support when there is a clear need for it.

"The COVID-19 pandemic and months of remote learning for students deprived young men of their typical outlets and support mechanisms," he says.

"We see teenage boys struggling to stay motivated, needing to re-learn how to socialise with each other after returning to school and feeling unable to engage meaningfully in conversations about critical topics, such as consent and mental health. Boys also feel confusion about their roles in society and a lack of belonging."

Johnson says that the partnership will allow the organisation to target those key areas of concern and promote better health and wellbeing for all.

"We want to reach out to more boys out there with our programs to build a world in which every young man has respectful relationships, reaches his full potential and contributes to his community. Working with Publicis Sapient will allow us to make our programs more accessible to boys and young men and we are delighted to have them as a partner to guide us in this journey," he says.

"The Man Cave has been doing incredible work and making a real difference with preventative mental health and emotional intelligence programs for our youth," adds Rawlins.

"We are delighted to be a partner of choice in its digital transformation journey and look forward to strengthening its mission to make life-changing programs more accessible to young boys through channels that resonate with the new generation."