Simple PR Campaign Plan (2 page)

Topic:  23 and Me- Last year the genetic ancestry service started providing cancer-risk information directly to consumers based on their genetics.  Develop a campaign to support continued growth of this part of their business.  

Research:  23 and Me is a company that analyzes genetic traits and risks via a saliva sample that users donate and return via mail.  As a company, 23 and Me was founded in 2006.  A year later, they launched the human genome the Personal Genome Service in 2007.  The cost for sequencing when the company first launched was $999, for consumers in the USA. The cost was reduced to $399, a year later.  In 2009 they began research into Parkinson’s disease looking for genetic markers.  In 2010, a promotion sells for $99 and depletes inventory.  The company uses web based surveys to collect information from individuals, feeding it into their main database.  By 2011, they have identified 180 genetic associations.  In 2012, the company contributes to genetic discoveries relating to breast cancer.  In 2013, 23 and Me gets letters from FDA.  The FDA wants to regulate, as the company deals with consumer health.  The FDA gives approval in 2015; yet 23 and Me continues to sell, during the FDA investigation.  In 2015, reach has expanded into Europe, and by summer, 1 million genomes had been typed.  The following year, the company offers an ancestry only kit.  Also in 2016, there is a merger with that allows researchers to use Apple apps to input data for studies.  In 2017, the database holds over 2 million customers, and the FDA allows 23 and Me to market Genetic Health Risk reports.   These reports include tests for Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.  Competitors include Pathway Genomics, Counsyl, Color (according to a LinkedIn Slideshare).  Other sources say Helix, Navigenics and Exact Diagnostics, CRIGenetics, Ancestry Health Core, and My Heritage DNA test kit,  are also competitors.  1.8 million Americans will be diagnosed with cancer in 2019; 271,500 will be diagnosed with breast cancer alone.  2018 statistics say almost 40% of men and 37% of women will get cancer in their lifetimes.

Objective:  Raise awareness and increase sales to first time users of 23 and Me to build cancer-risk database and facilitate personal cancer risk data to new consumers.

Audience:  General doctors and Ob/Gyn doctors are important because they monitor adult health or specifically women’s health.  Key message: Help your patient prevent the unimaginable.  Be the bridge that lets them know before it’s too late.  Keep your patients in the best health.   Explanation: This information is evergreen, so client facing brochures and posters to put in exam rooms to motivate.  If information had just been released, placement in medical journals, that what target doctor group reads. It informs and motivates them to share with patients.  

Expectant parents are another audience strata.  Key message: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  Caught early, cancer can be beaten.  Explanation:  Blanketing of information across media platforms, such as social media, press release in Yahoo, ads in print/digital magazines and appearance at events.  

Brides-to-be are the third audience focus.  Key message: The best time of your life shouldn’t be followed by the worst time of your life.  Caught early, cancer can be cured.  Explanation:  Blanketing information across print/online media platforms, such as social media, press release in Yahoo, featured write ups in Bridal magazines, and participation at events.

Strategy: Drive customers to sign into 23 and Me with the code from newly purchased kit.

Tactics:  For doctors: targeting press release to most widely read print/online papers for earned media about 23 and Me’s advances.  Pitch letter to editors of medical journals, making sure to include FDA certification/approval.  Partner with pharmaceutical agencies to offer a free poster about 23 and Me when ordering a specific drug or gloves or swabs etc...Digital, geographical targeting of doctors to a landing site (online) showcasing testimonial videos of survivors who were diagnosed early, as well as a credible source citing current statistics of cancer prevalence and preventability.  

For expectant parents: A general press release to most well-read newspapers in print and digital landscapes.  Pitch to editors of Babycenter (online newsletter) for permission to link to online landing site mentioned above.  Pitching to Babycenter bloggers about 23 and Me advances, offering a free kit in exchange for a writeup.  Pitching YouTube influencers who are becoming parents for the first time to review the kit.  Digital targeting via Facebook and Instagram based on demographics, age and marital status.  Attending ABC Baby Expo and having a booth featuring surveys- which collect future consumer data and send them the link to expert landing page that doctors see (or to 23 and Me’s homepage), contests (with giveaways- like free kits), and a TV playing owned content video produced by 23 and Me about early cancer detection/testimonials of survivors.

For Brides-to-be: General press releases, similar to most expectant parents in print and digital landscapes.  Pitching influential female YouTubers who are getting married and/or excel at hair/makeup/fashion tutorials to do a vlog in exchange for a free product- perhaps with option to be featured in an ad if they garner the most subscribers purchasing a kit. Attending Bridal Expos around the country with a booth similar to that of new parents with surveys collecting data of possible customers which can be used to send them a link to the landing page doctors see and/or 23 and Me’s homepage.

Calendar: The timeframe for the USA campaign will be 12 months in duration, since the idea is an really an evergreen idea.  The first press releases will be sent the second week of January.  Pitches will follow that same week to bloggers, vloggers and editors.  The idea is to target doctors, new parents and brides-to-be for a Valentine’s day purchase.  Two weeks before Valentine’s day, demographic targeting will commence via social media platforms, increasing two weeks prior to Mother’s Day, Father’s day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Christmas and New Year’s.  In March, sending of follow-up pitches to bloggers and vloggers who are later adapters will occur. In April, press releases will be sent to coincide for release pre-Mother’s day.  In mid-May, press releases will be sent to coincide for pre-Father’s day release.  From February to June, there will be increased demographic targeting of future brides.  Any bridal tradeshows from January to June will be attended if the attendance is typically over one thousand visitors.  Two to three weeks prior to Labor day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s press releases will be sent to major media outlets.  Bloggers/vloggers/medical writers will be pitched every 2 months, to catch laggards who have not joined at the onset.  In October of 2020, ABC Baby Expo will be attended to net new parents. 

Budget: Theoretically unlimited.

Evaluate:  Monitored metrics will be:

-The number of eyes that saw press releases (ie: Yahoo or Wall Street Journal etc).

-The number of surveys (with data) collected at tradeshows who then received invite to view content video online, and number of visitors/show.

-The number of clicks doctors/individuals/bloggers/vloggers achieved on content site with video.

-The number of new sign up codes linked to 23 and Me site/number of new kits registered.

Health Campaign Plan (7 page)

Campaign Strategy Targeting Rural Males Populations at Risk of Suicide

The overall goals and objectives of this intervention campaign are to reduce suicide by changing social norms regarding the stigma of job loss and economic hardship, while encouraging surrounding communities of at-risk individuals to listen carefully and point these individuals toward help.  The primary target audience is white males, ages 35-65, living in rural communities.  The secondary targets are elementary and middle school children with the goal of reducing impulse control, as well as community members which can serve as gatekeepers and more broadly policy makers to enact policies regarding gun storage safety and prohibition of gun sales without proof of employment.

Strategic Communication Objectives

Suicide is preventable.  By addressing impulse control starting in childhood, and shaping social norms to see seeking social support as a positive behavior, and by facilitating gatekeeper training with the purpose of finding vulnerable individuals before suicide attempts, by giving these recipients outlets to express feelings this campaign should have a positive effect on society.  To further help define the social norms, environmental factors will be shaped in the form of policy changes regarding new gun ownership and gun storage.  Communication objectives are as follows:

· Develop and implement child focused workshops for impulse control

· Create access to inspiring homophilous stories of overcoming tragedy to be featured in schools, with invitation for parents to join

· Create and implement gatekeeper training for employers with a strong focus on common workplaces and banking and health related industries

· Change policy regarding new gun ownership and storage of current guns and ammunition.

Message Design

“Employment of single-strategy approaches will likely be insufficient for effectively reducing suicide and suicidal behavior in heterogeneous populations” (Knox, 2006). The target population of rural males, ages 35-65 must be reached on multiple fronts.  

Core Message. Pulling the trigger ends the story; take five and stay alive to enjoy the unwritten chapters.

Message Appeal. The core message will be communicated using a rational appeal in the form of gatekeepers, and policy changes.  The core message slogan above evokes an emotional appeal of hope as well as a rational appeal that the moment does not have to override the potential future.  

Message Format and Frame. For children learning impulse control in school, rational appeals will be made with rewards for performance, evoking an emotional response.  For gatekeeper training, the messages will be fact-based rational appeals.  For policy changes at the statewide level, narrative messages will be fashioned utilizing a collection of interviews with survivors with the goal of creating an emotional reaction, backed up by rational fact- based appeals citing statistics.  For the primary target audience, a mix of emotional and rational appeals will be used.  Emotional appeals, such as the catch-phrase above will show there are unwritten chapters and rational appeals will be presented in pamphlet form by gatekeepers, containing access to Lifeline, a toll-free suicide hotline.  “Gatekeepers function as the community's suicide prevention safety net and serve a critical role in effective suicide prevention efforts” (Shtivelband, et al., 2015).

Source/Messenger. The sources and messengers range from environmental to social spheres.  Schools will disseminate messages to children regarding impulse control and talking about feelings.  “…strategies must focus on people and places—and on related interpersonal factors and social contexts—to alter the life trajectories of people before they become suicidal” (Caine, 2013). Gatekeepers will be individuals specially trained to recognize suicidal thoughts and ideations.  These individuals can be located within workplaces containing a certain number of employees.  Banks and health care clinics hospitals can also administer training to recognize signs of suicidal ideation or risk. The gatekeepers duty would be to recognize and point individuals toward talking with family or friends as well as giving information regarding Lifeline, a suicide hotline.  “Trained counselors’ increased focus on callers’ reasons for living and ambivalence about dying…thereby may be responsible for decreasing callers’ suicidal feelings (Gould, et al.,2013). 

Dissemination Channels. The dissemination channels will be face-to-face interactions, emails sent to student’s families, and brochures, newspapers and posters.  The specific vehicles used to disseminate will be through games with students in classrooms, through presentations at schools, through narrative videos, informational leaflets, news bulletins and write-ups detailing new safety policies and narrative posters in gun selling establishments, which explain the safety of storing guns and ammunition separately.  

Conclusion. The positive strengths of this campaign are realizing that while this is a public health risk behavior, simply focusing on the target audience is too limiting.  In the case of suicide prevention it is imperative to change the social norms regarding talking about feelings and reducing impulsivity by creating games that teach self-control  to young recipients.  The social norms are changed by training gatekeepers in key locations, who may interact with the target audience and be able to offer  life-saving informational pamphlets in a non-judgmental way.  This leaves the intended primary target recipient free to call without stigma, and be guided toward looking at what life does have to offer or being referred to services that can increase mental health.  The policy changes will change environmental factors, making it difficult to purchase a gun if there is no current proof of employment, as well as the chance to have literature posted about gun storage safety.  These methods of implementation aim to change society on all levels, both in terms of social norms and environmental factors.  This communication strategy is feasible in theory, as the program Good Behavior already exists to teach children impulse control, and has been used with success.  Changing policies at the governmental level may be more challenging.  The program may not be cost-effective, since creating narrative videos could be expensive, as could training gatekeepers.  However, there are ways to keep costs down, like using solitary backdrops for narrative stories, or hosting gatekeeper trainings on the job-site.  This strategy is well-rounded enough that it should effect change on the target audience.  It is possible that policies surrounding new gun ownership and safety protocols could be met with resistance.  It is also possible that by invoking an emotional appeal from primary target audience, that may lack impulse control, they may feel indignation or anger and act on impulse ending their life.  If a plan B were considered, I would do a multi-channel message of email, targeted social media marketing, promoting Lifeline via ads and narratives of inspiring videos featuring individuals overcoming tragedy and having a brighter future, as well as messages about interpersonal talking alleviating feelings of despair.  

References

Caine, E. (2013). Forging an Agenda for Suicide Prevention in the United States. Am J Public Health. 103(5). 822-829. DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2012.301078

Gould, M. S., Cross, W., Pisani, A. R., Munfakh, J. L., Kleinman, M. (2013). Impact of Applied   Suicide Intervention Skills Training on the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior. 43(6). 676-691. DOI: 10.1111/sltb.12049

Knox, K.L. (2006). Interventions to prevent suicidal behavior. Handbook of injury and violence prevention. New York: Springer. p. 277–94. 

Labouliere, A., Kramer, A., Brown, G., Green, K., Rahman, M., Kammer, J., Finnerty, M., Stanley, B. (2018). Zero Suicide- A model for Reducing Suicide in United States Behavior Healthcare. Suicidologi. 23(1).22-30.

Stivelband, A., Aloise-Young, P. A., Chen, P. Y.(2015). Sustaining the Effects of Gatekeeper Suicide Prevention Training. Crisis: The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention. 36(2). 102-109. DOI: 10.1027/0227-5910/a000304

Appendix

Logic Model