Trust for Life of Kentucky had hit a plateau. They were getting very few sign-ups for organ donation as well as financial donations. Given their line of work, they were not equipped to create media materials to gain the attention of consumers, nor did they know how to reel them in, so to speak.
Research showed that the community was uninformed about organ donation and that a majority of them also believed false information about the process. They also felt very far removed from the situation unless they had been directly impacted by organ donation.
The plan was to enact a campaign called Generations of Hope, meant to bring organ donation “Down Home”.
To combat misinformation, a local event was organized for the immediate community, a spaghetti dinner at the most sophisticated building in town. We hired a local band, wrangled a celebrity spokesperson (Muse Watson), and enlisted local gatekeepers (a priest, lawyer, and doctor) to dispense truths about organ donation to guests. To bring locals closer to the situation, the guests’ dining area was decorated with photos of those who had benefited from organ donation within the community, and some of those people were invited to speak and implore guests to “just check yes” at the DMV.
The organization is regional, meaning community relations would only go so far. To get the message to a broader audience, a PSA was created and distributed to regional news stations, radio stations, and television providers. The PSA featured real people, not actors, portraying a scene between a young girl and her grandfather talking about organ donation.
Press about the campaign was targeted and concentrated in Central and Eastern Kentucky.