It was an illuminating time.
CONVENING CONVERSATIONS Bruce MacDonald In February 2012, Big Brothers Big Sisters released the results of a marketing research survey that asked Canadians about their attitudes in relation to bullying and to how mentoring has played a role as an effective intervention. Supported by a national public relations campaign, this initiative saw articles appear online and in print as well as radio and television interviews that took place across the country. In fact, there were over 50 million exposures to the results via traditional media.
6
vue April 2013
Having been designated spokesperson for the national organization, I was astounded by the number of reporters who expressed amazement that the mentoring programs offered by our organization were linked to the national dialogue taking place in relation to bullying. Canadians understood that we provided mentoring friendships for children and youth. It was clear, however, that they did not understand the transformative nature of those relationships. We were seen as a “nice” organization, but not as an organization contributing to one of the most relevant issues of our time. It was then that we realized marketing research could be a platform to convene a new conversation with Canadians. This year marks the 100th anniversary of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada. It is incredible to think that, since 1913, hundreds of thousands of young people have benefited from the quality mentoring programs provided by local Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies from coast to coast. With 118 local Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies in all provinces and one territory, we are “on the ground” with positive, preventative intervention, working with over 36,000 children and young people every day. Mentoring. Following on the success of the 2012 bullying awareness campaign, we decided to employ marketing research as a vehicle to draw a direct link between the outcomes of our mentoring programs and topics of importance to Canadians. We have chosen to reframe the conversation about the relevancy of our programs as we not only celebrate 100 years of service but embark on our second century of service. The strategy of conducting marketing research studies, supported by an active public relations campaign, forms the centrepiece of an outreach campaign throughout 2013. Combining the release of the results from the largest study ever conducted on youth mentoring in Canada and from a social return on investment study, Big Brothers Big Sisters will be engaging directly with Canadians every two months. The full complement of research surveys includes an expanded look at bullying, our first-ever Youth Social Consciousness Index, understanding attitudes on civic engagement and, finally, exploring perceptions about the importance of academic success. In each case, the link to mentoring will be factored into the questions. This program is being backed solidly by the corporate community. In each case, a lead sponsor is working with our organization to assist in the commissioning of the research study and the support of the accompanying public relations blitz. First out of the gate in January were the topline results from a national research study conducted in partnership with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. This long-term, $1.7 million study tracked the impact of the Big Brothers and Big Sisters programs on almost 1,000 young people over a three-year period. The results solidly supported what we knew, anecdotally, to be true.
S P ECIAL F EATUR E
One standout finding of the study is that girls with a Big Sister are four times less likely to bully, fight, lie, or express anger than girls without a mentor. Other key findings include the following: • Girls with a Big Sister are two-and-a-half times more likely than girls without a mentor to be confident in their ability to be successful at school. • Boys with a Big Brother are three times less likely than boys without a mentor to suffer peer pressure related to anxiety, for example, worrying about what other children think or say about them. • Mentored boys are two times more likely to believe that school is fun and that doing well academically is important. • Mentored boys are also two times less likely than nonmentored boys to develop a negative conduct like bullying, fighting, lying, cheating, losing their temper, or expressing anger. With these impact results, the stage has been set to connect with Canadians on societal issues. Three weeks after the release of the national research findings, the results of an Ipsos Reid poll, commissioned by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada and Invesco Canada, were released. Supporting our organization’s national Bowl for Kids Sake fundraising campaign, the “Step Up to Strike Out Bullying” campaign looked to connect the power of mentoring with the ongoing focus on bullying. The findings were strong and provided a powerful platform for media interest. • A strong majority of Canadians (78%) believe that not enough is being done to stop bullying in their communities. • Three-quarters of Canadians polled (76%) think stronger anti-bullying legislation and stricter enforcement of those laws would be an effective way to reduce bullying. • More than nine-tenths of respondents (94%) also think that teachers and school administrators share responsibility for the prevention of bullying. • A substantial majority of Canadians (87%) think that providing a volunteer mentor to children and teenagers who bully is an effective intervention. • Among bullied Canadians who suffered lasting harm, injurious effects include lack of confidence (69%), low selfesteem (53%), depression (29%), anger management issues (23%), and poor academic achievement (20%). Strategically, these findings have been a powerhouse combination! Across the country, we have been able to blog, text, tweet and converse with Canadians. Armed with the knowledge that our mentoring programs are directly influencing young people and their behaviour as it pertains to bullying, and seeing that society values the role of mentoring as an
intervention for those who bully, we have been able to enter into a meaningful two-way dialogue and reframe the perception of the importance of our programs. The campaigns have achieved their public relations objectives. While still being measured, the marketing research campaign on bullying had directly reached over ten million Canadians. In addition, other news sources are citing this study when doing articles on bullying. As a national voluntary sector organization, securing the funding for these types of initiatives has traditionally been challenging. Previous successful programs – such as the “Top Ten Fears of Canadian Parents,” “The Value of an Hour,” and the 2012 bullying campaign – have all contributed to building a case whereby prospective contributors can see editorial value. In all cases during the centennial year, we have been successful in finding a corporation willing to champion an issue and provide the necessary funding both to conduct the public opinion polling and to secure the accompanying public relations support. There will be many non-profit organizations that will simply not be able to secure investment to undertake marketing research campaigns, even though they are highly fundable. Many members of the marketing research community are continually being approached to do pro bono work. Of course, while alignment and commitment to a particular cause will ultimately guide the company decision-makers, I do believe that a true partnership with voluntary sector organization can be viewed more as business development than as a free service. The logic is simple and powerful: All voluntary sector organizations are governed by volunteers that sit on a board of directors. In most cases, those volunteers come from the business community. There is no doubt that exposure to business leaders through their volunteer involvement can provide access to the company and showcase its services in a non-traditional manner. We are pleased that a number of our organization’s suppliers have been introduced to other networks via our organization and have subsequently secured business contracts. Whether it be pro bono or through traditional, paid approaches, the use of marketing research can greatly assist voluntary sector organizations in maintaining relevancy. For Big Brothers Big Sisters, heading into year 101, this reality is essential. A year chock full of research on topical issues of importance will continue to position our organization as a trusted, relevant leader in the provision of critical services to children and young people. Bruce MacDonald has previously worked at the Ontario Senior Games Association and at the Kinsmen and Kinette Clubs of Canada. In 1995, he headed to Big Brothers Big Sisters, eventually becoming president and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada in March 2004. The real story is written with his wife Heather and their three girls, Maggie and the twins, Erin and Kathleen. He can be reached at bruce.macdonald@bigbrothersbigsisters.ca vue April 2013
7