United States Census Bureau
Research, Strategic Planning, Copywriting, Media Relations
PROJECT SUMMARY
Between August 2019 and March 2020, I was part of a 5-member team which created a public relations campaign to increase awareness and engagement for the 2020 Census. Our target audiences were the students of Temple University along with African American and LatinX males in the North Philadelphia region. The campaign was centered around the concept of our target audiences standing to be counted in 2020, African American and LatinX male being two of the most under-counted populations in the US.
MY ROLE
I was tasked with developing press releases, writing copy for the public service announcement (PSA) and assisting with research and strategic planning for the campaign.
TACTICS
Among our seven tactics, one of our most prominent was a public service announcement (PSA) featuring Aaron McKie. McKie, along with being a former NBA player and coach, is the current Temple University basketball coach and Philadelphia native. In the community, Aaron McKie is a shinning example of the hard work and grit the people of North Philadelphia are proud of. A neighborhood icon, we felt his voice was one that would be heard by our target audiences, especially the African American and LatinX males. Our research showed one of the main ways our target audiences would fill out the Census is when a respected community member or leader told them to, showing how trust is a main concern for them.
Our video premiered at the sold out 2020 Temple vs. Villanova basketball game in front of 10,500 fans during halftime. After the premiere, the video played in regular rotation on TUTV, the university's award-winning, student-run television station.
IMPACT OF WORK
9 media mentions in publications such as Al Dia and KYW
17,972 organic social media impressions
100% Census completion rate through our website
* These numbers represent the campaign's implementation period of February 10 - March 20, 2020
TESTIMONIAL
"William was a leader in a small team recruited from the top students to represent Temple University in a national public relations competition against 300 other teams from around the country on a single campaign. The client was the U.S. Census Bureau and Will's skill and creativity helped to propel the team in mobilizing engagement from hard-to-reach and underrepresented groups in the 2020 Census. Through his leadership and strategic direction, we were able to boost participation in the midst of a global pandemic."
— David Brown, Diversity Advisor to the Dean of the Klein College of Media and Communication
