March 2004        

Special Issue:
Reaching Youth with Important Messages

Marketing to young people has always been a sensitive topic. But as an audience of 40 million with annual buying power of $364 billion, teens and "tweens" are important customers in the marketplace of products and ideas. For "social marketers" - namely organizations and government agencies striving to change behavior - three recent and ongoing campaigns demonstrate the powerful impact of sound research and strategic partnerships in achieving success.

Although the results make it look easy, it's important to note that in each of these three campaigns, the influential messaging, creative tactics and effective "calls-to-action" were not created overnight. Those leading the efforts have committed significant time and energy to gain a deep understanding of the unique perspectives of target audiences - and have wisely tapped the power of intermediaries to reach and influence these audiences.

For the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which worked with Widmeyer Communications to create and launch the "Take A Stand. Lend A Hand. Stop Bullying Now!" campaign, this research involved numerous focus groups with young people and adults to understand the true impact and scope of bullying and a "Youth Expert Panel" that provided firsthand insight on every aspect of the campaign. To reach target audiences, the campaign then formed partnerships with more than 70 health, safety, education and faith-based organizations to determine which types of outreach materials would be most useful for adults who interact with youth on various levels.

For Columbia University, which turned to the firm to promote "TeenScreen" - a national effort to provide every teen in America with a voluntary school "mental health check-up" for depression and mental illness - research was carried out through a national poll investigating attitudes about teen mental health. This campaign team also formed partnerships with national education associations and a National Advisory Council that includes Former National Education Association President Bob Chase, actress Patty Duke, Nobel Laureate Dr. Eric Kendel, A Beautiful Mind author Sylvia Nasar, former Iowa Governor Terry Branstand and NPR's Jacki Lyden.

And for the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN), ongoing research is being conducted through Widmeyer's Research & Polling division to gain direct insight from teens about the impact of anti-gay slurs in schools. This information will undoubtedly be useful in GLSEN's continuing success with the Safe Schools Action Network, which uses a remarkably savvy Internet-based approach to ensure that individuals from all walks of life can instantly weigh in on policies, media reports and special events that impact the lives of young people

A quick look at all of these efforts reveals the impact that can be created by a broad array of innovative and creative communications tactics. Log on to HHS' "Take A Stand. Lend A Hand. Stop Bullying Now!" Web site and you’ll be drawn into suspenseful animated "Webisodes" about young people struggling to find the right response to bullying in a modern middle school. Conduct a news search about Columbia TeenScreen and you’ll see news stories from CNN, the Associated Press, The Washington Post and more than 90 newspapers and local TV affiliates. Talk to hundreds of school counselors about the work of GLSEN, and you'll hear about nationwide "special events" such as "No Name Calling Week" and the "Day of Silence" in which 200,000 young people in 2,000 schools take a vow of silence to protest discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students in their schools.