What makes a good add? What makes people stop and really listen to what we have to say -- to realize what diabetes is and get them to help?? Feel free to add, because I haven't a clue :)
One thing I was thinking was impact.
I came up with some sort of "handouts" I suppose you'd call them a while back, which focused on impact and trying to get people to realize just how serious this is. Any ideas?
One thing I was thinking (and just about to post on the other thread thing) was school fundraisers.
Every year at my high school (and probably many of the kids on here) we have fundraisers for starving children, and cancer, and many other important things, usually preceeded by a PSA. Diabetes is important and, like cancer or starvation, is affecting more and more kids each year.
So... I think that next year I am going to propose that we have a fundraiser for JDRF. The PSA would include facts about diabetes including some statistics, but not boring (hopefully).
I don't know.. so many ideas right now D:
Alyssa,
I expect Gina can fill this in a lot better than I can and probably several others who have marketing backgrounds can do this topic better service... For me, the statistics seem to lose people. I’m a fan of what seems to be a simple three step process. I have seen this done a lot and -I bet there is a name for it, I also bet there may be better approaches – I like easy things because I can wrap my little brain around them…
I think building a connection is a great opener, a face like yours or a group of younger folks with the disease and a quick caption/introduction explaining that you have diabetes.
As a second step, establishing need and explaining the frustrations and complications that days and also years with diabetes can bring.
Then a call to action: let people know what they can do and how it will help. Make them a part of the solution and accountable for helping to fix things.
If there is time/space I think it is also nice to recognize all of those who are already involved and helping… but that makes for a 4th step and my brain starts getting all fuzzy again….
Anyhow – I don’t know if any of the above makes sense and Gina is probably getting a good laugh outta’ this… As you get ideas and designs, I can’t wait to see them!
Cheers!
A-D
Alright, fellas. I spent last night at my computer until 12:30 :) working on a bunch of slogans to get me thinking.
What I came up with as far as two messages to deliver would be:
- Ask me (you can only get so much from reading what diabetes is, etc. We aren't just a walking medical case; I believe diabetes runs a lot deeper than the skin, and we can advocate it a lot better than stats [I'm with you on that, A-D], web sites, books, etc.)
- However, even though I agree that stats don't usually impact people -- they're just numbers, right?-- I think if we had to choose one, the one that I believe would impact most is 2 out of 25 people are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. (I apologize - I don't recall what site I got this statistic from) I took that a few months ago, and tried to figure out a way to deliver this message to people. It's not by anything we did, and it can happen to anyone. It will happen to 2 out of the 25. I tried to get people to think how impacting that would be, and realize that it could just as easily happen to them.
I've just sifted through my computer files, and I can't seem to locate them :( But the basic idea was I designed a bunch of cards that counted the number of people you hand them out to up to 25. What I mean is the first person, for example, would get 2 in 25 people are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Then on the back: You are #1. You got lucky.
On my design, the numbers were chosen randomley, like diabetes just "happens." Then: 2 in 25 people are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. --- #6: You've just been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. What now? Do you guys get what I mean? It's a really old, kind of ridiculous idea now that I write it out like this. But my idea was to try to bring something (diabetes) on personal terms, get people people to recognize that it might not be part of their life, but get them to identify and realize it can just as easily...?
I hope that makes sense, because it's no where near what I wanted to say. I'll come back and post again when it's clearer to me how to explain it :)
Wahoo--I found part of the file. This isn't the "what now" version, it's the "lucky"/you missed being diagnosed thing. Anyway, here it is. I still feel silly about it:
Alyssa, that's awesome!
I think a good ad is one that makes a personal connection with the viewer/listener/reader. If you can make them imagine a day with diabetes, or a day with a loved one having diabetes, you've got them. People don't realize the impact of diabetes. That's why displays like the syringe chair (I don't have a lik but I'm sure you've seen it) are so startling.
Also cute children almost always work for me. :p
[quote user="Kay"]
Alyssa, that's awesome!
I think a good ad is one that makes a personal connection with the viewer/listener/reader. If you can make them imagine a day with diabetes, or a day with a loved one having diabetes, you've got them. People don't realize the impact of diabetes. That's why displays like the syringe chair (I don't have a lik but I'm sure you've seen it) are so startling.
Also cute children almost always work for me. :p
[/quote]
Hey Alyssa, I was just thinking about your little sims video on your for the cure site. It does make people kind of "imagine" a day with diabetes. And then I read the part about cute kids above. What if someone made something with some really cute little kid, but basically the same message? I think it would really touch someone and they'd want to learn more(possibly?)
Savs,
First off, thanks for remembering :) I've got quite a ways to go before my stuff is very quality, but I appreciate you watching that and visiting the site :)
Secondly, I've thought about that a lot too. Anyone got a cute kid? Cuz I'm fresh out :) :) One of my hobbies, actually (which may be lame, I'm not sure) is sitting around with a notebook and writing out diabetes-promotions, ie commerical kind of ones. What about you, Savs, got access to any kids?? Haha
Not any cute ones, haha. No, sitting down and writing promotions isn't lame at all, I think its pretty neat that you sit down and REALLY, TRULY, try to do something for diabetes.
>relief!< That promo notebook is usually kept to myself at home; friends/family don't seem to get this. And thanks :)
Alyssa,
I give you "kuddos" girl, you inspire other's to get involved. And I for one would love to become part of your movement. I know here in Canada we have the 20th World Diabetes Congress going on in Montreal from Oct 18-22 this year. And it's similar to the one you guys are having in Washington D.C. but this I think is open to the public as well. So I'm think that this year I'm going to register to go.(or I'm going to try and see what they say!!)
As well here we also have a team of a 5 man cycling team, who in September 2007, cycled across Canada(from Halifax Nova Scotia to Vancouver Brithish Columbia) at break neck speed, raised close to 1,000,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and netted a Guinness World Record.
Team H2V is currently featured - on page 9 - in the recently released Guinness World Records 2009.
Check it out:
http://www.cyclebetes.com/media/media.php?pageID=45
This trip was all started from a promise that a father made to his T1 daughter to find her a cure. And this trip is like cycling from New York City to Washington D.C.
The idea that you had with the cards was awesome and I think that if we could partner with say JDRF to have this idea included in events such as WDD(World Diabetes Day-Novemeber 14) that would help with getting the message out there.
And you idea about using the childern, I had a thought if we were able to enlist the help of some of the parnents from this site and even just get them to film say their child giving their injections and the impact that is has on the very young childern and the all of us as we get older and many of the obstacles we face in life, then it may get the word out there and people without the diease may start asking more questions and getting involved to help in finding a cure. I think that's how the Breast Cancer movement started and look at it now. And since so many people watch utube I think we could edit it ourselves and put it there and see what happens(only because I don't think it costs money)
And to answer you question that you had in another post "Let's make a Splash" I know in Canada when someone makes a donation to a cause then it is tax deductible. So that is another good point.
CJ
Hey, I'm all for it - every piece of that. Maybe Gina knows about the JDRF, and I like the filming ideas. YouTube does get a lot of hits.
Thank you for the response! And that's so cool about the Guinness World Records 2009!!
I do know that in order of importance on an add, it goes 1) Heading/Title 2) Subtitle, and least important is the body. Or so I've heard.