Austrians find real banknotes in their mailboxes. This is intended to encourage them to take part in an important project.
Vienna – Imagine opening your mailbox and finding a personally addressed letter – with a real five-euro note inside. The letter begins with the words: “We ask for your help.” However, this is not a joke, a mistake or a scam. This is exactly what thousands of Austrians from all federal states are currently experiencing.
The Institute for Empirical Social Research (IFES) is behind the unusual campaign on behalf of the Ministry of Health and Gesundheit Österreich GmbH (GÖG), reports, among other things heute.at. Recipients are expected to complete a 30-minute online health literacy survey. The topic: How well do people understand medical information and find suitable offers in the healthcare system? This is why five-euro notes have already ended up in the mailbox in Germany.
Cash in the mailbox: Austrians can hardly believe their eyes
According to the, 5,000 households have already received the letters Small newspaper received, more to follow. The goal is 3,600 completed surveys. Anyone who takes part will also receive a ten-euro Pluxee voucher for shops and restaurants.
IFES study leader Julian Aichholzer explains the strategy: “We have already done this in other studies, and it sometimes works better.” The banknote and the official logos are intended to show that this is serious research – not one of the scams that have recently increasingly found their way to end consumers by post.
“Token of our appreciation”: Thousands of Austrians receive letters with money inside
The participants are selected randomly via the central registration register of the Ministry of the Interior. The letter says: “You will receive 5 euros in advance for your help and as a token of our appreciation!” The study is part of a Europe-wide study involving 20 countries. The project is organized by a network around the World Health Organization (WHO). The results should be incorporated into the planning of health measures.
The total budget is 267,000 euros net. Of this, 25,000 euros have already been distributed to the population in the form of five-euro notes. Anyone who receives such a letter in the coming weeks should be happy. This is real research with real money. (Sources: meine Zeitung, Kleine Zeitung) (kiba)
