Think B4 You Speak

A Social Marketing CaseSuhyun Kim, Penny Wang, Amy Hung

“That’s so…gay”

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BackgroundThe GLSEN’s National School Climate Survey in 2007• 9 out of 10 LGBT students reported being harassed at school• 70% of LGBT students heard homophobic language: “faggot” “dyke” • 90% of LGBT students heard the word “gay” used in a negative context

frequently at school.

• LGBT students suffer from both emotional and academic problems: low self-esteem, loneliness, depression, poor academic achievement, and

high rates of truancy. * LGBT = Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender* GLSEN = Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network

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Purpose & Focus

The leading national education organization, focused on ensuring safe schools for all students

In 2008, GLSEN developed a social marketing plan “Think Before You Speak” Campaign

A Purpose to decrease the use of homophobic language with a focus on raising awareness about this issue and reducing the use of anti-LGBT language among teenagers.

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SWOT AnalysisStrengths • Supports by many multinational companies

(AT&T, CBS Television Network, Fox TV, IBM, Sony Picture) • Multiple campaigns every year through grants

Weaknesses • The nature of the cause itself (emotional issue)• The lack of tangible products or positive reinforcement • Difficulty to measure the effectiveness of the campaign

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SWOT Analysis (cont’)Threats • The disagreement with educating people about LGBT

issues from some family members, media, churches, or communities

• The idea of heterosexual relationship in America

Opportunities • Positive attitude of government, society and many other

organizations • “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy repealed by the government• Same-sex marriage ( Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa,

New Hampshire, Vermont, and Washington D,C.)

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Target Market• The primary targets

The teenagers who conduct either intentional or accidental harassment (verbal or physical) to LGBT students

• The secondary targets The rest of the students

• The third targets The parents and educators who have the ability to influence teenagers’ behaviors.

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Marketing Objectives1. To raise awareness among straight teenagers about the

seriousness of anti-LGBT language bias and behavior2. To raise the belief of “anti-LGBT language is harmful” among

straight teenagers 3. To reduce and prevent the use of homophobic language4. To gain supports from adults (school personnel and parents)

To provide a safe environment for all members in the community regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression

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Target Market Barriers• Individual barriers• The lack of knowledge for language harassment • Low sense of responsibility for what they say• Negative social interactions tend to have more

potent effects on individual’s self-esteem

• Environmental & cultural barriers • School, media, parents and peers • Resistance and opposition from various parties

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Target Market Benefits• Perceived benefits• Avoid shameful feelings• Raise self-esteem on taking responsibility of

what they say

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Competition• Media• Peers• Parents • Any sources that will influence teen’s language or

attitude toward LGBT students

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• Core product– To avoid shameful feeling by not saying homophobic

language – To be responsible for what they say

• Actual product– To decrease the use of homophobic language at

school and in public• Augmented product

– Interactive official website– Educator’s guide

Product

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• Monetary cost– None

• Non-Monetary disincentive– To shame the target audiences into using anti-

LGBT language

Price

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• At school • In the public • Through Internet, such as social network

sites

Place

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• TV commercial • Print Ads• Radio • Internet– Official interactive website• Sign the pledge• Share the story &video• Send E-card

– Social network sites

Promotion

Back

Back

Back

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• Internet• Official interactive website• Sign the pledge• Share the story & video• Send E-card

• Social network sites• .

• Real-time counting on Twitter

Promotion (cont’d)

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PartnershipAd council Donate media model media company including MTV donate space and advertising time

ArnoldNYC ads agencyDonate ads run in the campaign

Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) and Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD)

Facilitate the education process

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Evaluation

65%70%75%80%85%90% 86.2%

73.6%

84.6%

72.4%

20072009

*Based on National Climate Survey conducted in middle and high school

Thank B4 You Speak

Evaluation

0%10%20%30%40%50% 44.1%

22.1%

40.1%

18.8%

20072009

*Based on National Climate Survey conducted in middle and high school

Thank you