Many companies and organizations struggle with how to best reach historically underserved communities. However, many organizations need to reach the communities if they are going to initiate change, drive new behaviors and educate people.
Consider the work of our first lady, Mrs. Obama. She has a strong commitment to curbing childhood obesity and recently has been visiting schools as part of her “Let’s Move” anti-obesity campaign. As she works to educate key audiences – in this case, children, parents, politicians, nutritionists and food producers – she is paying particular attention to those who have typically been underserved (for example, poor urban and rural communities among others).
So what are some of the best practices for reaching the historically underserved? We decided to do some research around this topic. Here are some of our thoughts,
- Secure coverage in the media read or viewed by your target audience. Ruth Thaler-Carter, a former employee at a public hospital, shares her perspective: “To reach mostly urban black communities, I relied on black newspapers, organizations like the Urban League, public schools, and community churches to get the word out and distribute related information.” Nowadays, she also would contact appropriate professional associations and use Twitter.
- Hold events in the communities you want to reach. Michelle Obama is out talking with school children in Jackson, Miss. In Seattle, organizations like Seattle Public Utilities with support from Triangle Associates, neutral third party firm specializing in public outreach, have held family-friendly meetings for Latino and Vietnamese residents to secure input on the design of a new transfer station.
- Develop materials that will resonate with key audiences. Parker LePla, a Seattle-based brand firm, developed a campaign for Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center to recruit at risk populations (intravenous drug users, gay men with many partners and prostitutes) to volunteer to be participants in an HIV vaccine trial. They conducted market research and developed ads which focused on a common trait in all groups – the desire to do something good. The materials were very effective and as a result, Fred Hutch was able to meet its recruitment goal and is making progress toward the development of an AIDS vaccine.
- Identify and work with key influentials in a specific community. Norma Armon, co-founder of International Contact, Inc., a multi-language communications agency in Oakland, Calif., has established close relationships with the leaders and the social service organizations that serve a community. She explains, “The process has been very fruitful for us, as we have connected with native speakers of each language and through the relationships have helped organizations such as the American Red Cross, McGraw Hill, Microsoft and more, better reach underserved communities.”
- Remember that awareness and education alone will not always be enough. In addition to education, there often needs to be programs that also support change. For instance, to address childhood obesity, experts recommend kids eat more fruit and vegetables. To do that, children need access to fresh food. Public relations campaigns can certainly provide guidance for healthy eating habits, but many of our country’s poor urban areas lack full-service grocery stores leaving parents shopping for food at convenience stores or gas stations. Recognizing that many underserved communities need grocery stores that sell fresh fruit and vegetables, the 2011 fiscal budget proposed by President Obama includes $400 million in financing for the development of these stores.
We hope the ideas are helpful as you think about your next PR or strategic communication activity and how you can best reach historically underserved communities.