Working to raise awareness, one campaign at a time
March 25, 2002
by Nicole Zummach
Many charitable organizations rely on awareness campaigns to spread
the word about the issues that concern them and the work they do. However,
each year there are a multitude of special
awareness days, weeks, and months, all vying for media coverage
and the public's attention. Smaller campaigns must employ strategy and
creativity to draw attention to their cause since larger, more well-established
campaigns often capture much of the spotlight. Sometimes this means
using alternative methods to publicize the campaign, relying on shock
value, or running a special one-off campaign.
Seizing an opportunity to speak out
When the Gay Men's Health Program of AIDS Vancouver was
offered the opportunity to create a new awareness campaign they didn't
have to look far for inspiration. "We spoke to HIV-infected gay
men to find out what they would want to tell non-infected gay men,"
says Phillip Banks, coordinator of Gay Men's Health Programs.
The result was the bold and powerful "Arouse"
campaign, which informs people about the realities of taking the so-called
'AIDS Cocktail' of medications.
The feedback has been very positive so far and AIDS Vancouver has already
been approached by other cities wanting to use it. Banks says that one
of the great things about this campaign is that it doesn't contain any
images of individuals, thereby eliminating the possibility of alienating
certain groups. "AIDS is not just a gay men's issue," Banks
states, "and this campaign reaches a larger audience." The
fact that it has been so well received and also speaks to many audiences
now opens the door to the possibility of collaborative work between
the various AIDS Vancouver programs, which could result in other effective,
yet broad-based awareness campaigns in the future.
Letting the facts speak for themselves
The Fur-Bearers (Association for the Protection of Fur-Bearing Animals)
takes the direct approach when it comes to awareness. Last fall they
launched a billboard campaign featuring pictures of wild animals caught
in traps. More recently, the organization distributed copies of its
video, "Crying Shame", to more than 120 activist organizations around
the world. "We do like to show the animals in the traps," says executive
director Jennifer Deneen. "It's the quickest and best way to
show people the reality of trapping, and then they can make their own
decisions." The inherent shock-value of the footage, though not intentional,
has a profound effect. According to what Deneen hears from those who
view the video, the images are not soon forgotten.
Fur-Bearers does some sort of awareness campaign every fall, just as
the trapping and fur-buying seasons get underway. Deneen says one of
the biggest challenges is to present a very old issue in a new way each
year. "The leg-hold trap has been used for 200 years but if you want
to get any media coverage they always want to know what is new about
it, what's happening today. It's definitely a challenge to get people
interested." She hopes their latest video will inspire people and make
them realize that this is still an issue. "Sometimes if people don't
hear about something for awhile they think the problem is solved," she
says. "We would love to have a national campaign; it's just a matter
of being able to raise the funds to do it." For now the Fur-Bearers
raises awareness on a smaller scale, sharing information with like-minded
organizations and working to get coverage through public service announcements.
Though as Deneen points out, "it is quite difficult these days because
there are many, many nonprofits out there competing for that space."
Taking a community-based approach
The Learning Disabilities Association of Canada takes a community-based
approach during Learning Disabilities Awareness Month each March.
"It is recognized across Canada but we leave it up to our provincial
affiliates and local chapters to develop their own plans as to what
they want to do during the month," explains Claudette Gudbranson,
information officer for the association. "If we picked a specific theme
nationally, it may not necessarily be a major focus area throughout
the country." At the national level they develop and distribute an information
kit to affiliated groups, as well as produce public service announcements.
However, Gudbranson says that because of the association's mandate it
is difficult to operate a public campaign. "If we do something at the
national level we have to separate the campaign by province and make
sure that the contact number is for the provincial office."
Ruth Chapple, National Family Week coordinator for Family
Service Canada, says that a soft approach works best for promoting
their organization's national awareness campaign, which takes place
each year in October. "It's a chance for people to focus on the role
of family in society," says Chapple. She adds that the week before Thanksgiving
was specifically chosen for the campaign because it is regarded as a
family holiday in North America and has also been adopted by many immigrant
families.
When it comes to promoting the campaign, Chapple says community newspapers
are a better vehicle than big media. "Community newspapers are free
and they're delivered right to your door." In addition, the organization
provides posters, information packages, and suggested activities for
communities and families to engage in. This year their web site will
also be used during the campaign as a cost-effective way to offer even
more information to the public.
For more information about AIDS Vancouver, visit www.aidsvancouver.bc.ca.
To learn more about Fur-Bearers, visit: www.banlegholdtraps.com.
Family Service Canada can be found at www.familyservicecanada.org
and visit www.ldac-taac.ca for
more information about the Learning Disabilities Association of Canada.
