Case Study: GYT (Get Yourself Tested) Campaign We as public relations practitioners have the ability to influence behavior through strategic communication techniques. Consequently, many organizations within the humanitarian sector have called upon us to help promote their various causes. It is crucial for these organizations to adopt a strategic approach to their communication with the public; however, it is also important for us to see the link between public relations and its growing success the humanitarian sector. Therefore, I decided to explore the GYT: Get Yourself Tested campaign and how they have successfully used public relations techniques to improve public health. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), of the approximately 19 million new sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) that occur every year in the United States, about half are among those 15-24 years of age. In addition, many STDs show no symptoms; therefore, most of those who are infected are unaware. Meanwhile, many factors are preventing people from getting tested including: lack of information and education, social stigmas and misconceptions. Consequently, in 1997, the Kaiser Foundation partnered with MTV to form a campaign on HIV/AIDS, STDs, and other related health issues. More recently, the ongoing partnership has caught the attention of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the CDC as well as many other entities nationwide. Collaboratively, they have launched the GYT: Get Yourself Tested campaign, which aims to “help young people make responsible decisions about their sexual health.” The month-long GYT campaign runs during National STD Awareness Month, and this April marks the second annual event. According to the campaign, the message is to create a social movement around getting tested. “The only way to know the status of your sexual health is to get tested. There’s no way
around that fact,” said Stephen Friedman, General Manager of MTV. “This generation has the opportunity to redefine the conversation surrounding STDs and to break down stigmas. We hope this campaign will help arm our audience with the information and the ability to make GYT part of everyday.” Therefore, in order to create a strong, effective campaign the GYT has implemented a highly interactive multimedia campaign. So you may be wondering, what makes this campaign different from the rest? Let’s take a look. •
Use of Social Media
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Carefully crafted language and celebrity icons to connect with target audience
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Interactive components: toolkit & Campus Challenge
1. Social Media: The GYT campaign has an incredibly interactive website. From here, visitors are encouraged to explore the informational hub. A key aspect of drawing traffic to the site is to encourage visitors to continue their exploration by visiting the GYT Facebook and Twitter page.
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Facebook: According to the campaign, a Facebook tagging application is available, which is aimed to normalize STD testing by affixing the concept to young peoples’ everyday lives. In addition, they encourage users to become fans.
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Twitter: The GYT twitter page helps to carry the message of the campaign to a broad audience. In addition, it provides another way to get people to visit the website, answer questions, provide information, and generate interest in the campaign.
2. Language & Celebrity Icons: The GYT campaign has made great strides by effectively applying language and icons that relate with their target audience. From acronyms to slang, they have employed strategic communication in order to raise awareness about the risks of STDs and to help break the barriers currently preventing people from getting tested. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvXdCWmNq7Y&feature=player_embedded]
In addition, the GYT campaign has utilized MTV’s connections to celebrity icons in order to further their message. Such celebrities include Santigold, Perez Hilton, Keri Hilson and many more. The stars help promote the cause by appearing on the GYT Facebook, Twitter and by producing video clips than appear on TV and all GYT online components. [http://community.itsyoursexlife.com/Video/KeriHilson/0D9D8FFFF01AA0D37001700 EB472E]
3. Interactive components: The GYT goes beyond just merely getting people to go get tested; it aims to break taboos and social stigmas surrounding STDs by encouraging their target audience to become part of the campaign. •
Toolkits are available for anyone to use, which provide information on how to bring GYT into your environment. The toolkit is comprised of numerous materials that can be downloaded and printed. These toolkits can be applied through social media or integrated into campus health centers and community clinics. Toolkits are accessed through the main GYT website.
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The Campus Challenge: A contest between college campuses nationwide. The challenge is hosted through Facebook, and those who build the largest amount of GYT supporters relative to the size of their student body will be featured by MTV News and receive additional prizes. Therefore, those participating by spreading the word of GYT to friends are helping stop the spread of STDs nationwide.
2009 Results from previous components:
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At campaign launch, “GYT” was one of the most-searched terms on Google, most-discussed videos on YouTube and also generated significant attention on Twitter. GYT-related videos have now been streamed over 400,000 times. Thousands continue to track and engage with the campaign on Facebook and Twitter.
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GYT09.org, the campaign’s Web hub, provided information to nearly 300,000 unique visitors during April, serving as a resource for facts about STDs; talking tips on how to discuss STD testing with partners and healthcare providers; and connecting young people to nearby testing centers and other resources. Tens of thousands of young people accessed local testing resources through GYT’s online and mobile tools
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An all-star collective of pop-culture personalities carried the GYT message far and wide, from Soulja Boy tweeting “WTF is GYT” to nearly 200,000 fans on Twitter to Perez Hilton’s GYT video generating over 1,000 comments. Flo Rida, The All-American Rejects, Asher Roth, N.E.R.D., Santigold, Joanna Garcia, Kid
Sister, Chester French and Joy Bryant also promoted GYT via their social marketing networks, spreading the word and urging young people to GYT. •
GYT Community Kits were distributed to over 1,500 clinics, youth organizations, public health departments and other groups across the country to provide programming materials and resources for local efforts to encourage STD testing.
*Source: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/newsroom/press-releases/mtvs-gytcampaign-spurs-nationwide-movement-get-yourself-tested-27926.htm)
Carefully crafted campaigns, such as the GYT, have helped empower individuals towards healthy choices and risk reduction practices. Therefore, it is important to study and recognize the key components of such campaigns in order to enhance these ongoing efforts to make the world a better, healthier place.
Visit http://www.itsyoursexlife.com/gyt for more information.