Raise Awareness

Planning

1. Identify local celebrities or role models (e.g. coaches/athletes, respected elders, kids, artists, tribal leaders, elected officials) willing to speak out on your issue.
2. Create awareness materials using familiar faces, locations, or names.
3. Disseminate awareness materials with help from volunteers. Explore the Digital Media and Social Media sections.

Action

Give your community a reason to care by putting the most influential people and messages front and center.

Resources

Watch the “Kids vs. Big Tobacco” RED Talk. CRST showed some local school children a mix of tobacco and candy we bought at local stores. They wondered if the kids could tell the difference with the bright colors, flashy designs, and flavors. Just who is Big Tobacco trying to fool?

Hints

• Define your target audience because messages will generally vary based on who your target is.

• Let your volunteers be the “boots on the ground” when it comes to dissemination of physical materials (brochures, posters, flyers, etc.). Before coalition meetings, prepare a stack of materials marked with the delivery location marked. Go through the stack one by one until all materials have been spoken for.