Step‑by‑Step Campaign Guide
- Who is already doing similar work?
- Who else needs to be at the table (youth groups, clinics, churches, schools)?
- Include people with lived experience, leaders, and trusted messengers.
Exemplars
Change the Narrative partner models: schools, non‑profit collaborations, local businesses, and shared promotions.
Principle
“With us, not for us.” — Community‑Based Participatory Research (CBPR)
Access to housing, education, jobs, healthcare, and healthy foods contributes to well‑being; availability varies across rural America. Geographic isolation is often mitigated by shared resources and collaboration—core strengths of rural communities. Public health departments frequently act as community hubs and clinical safety nets, offering integrated services (behavioral health, substance use prevention, maternal health, WIC). They may also face challenges with staffing, reaching underserved communities, and accessing specialists.
About 24.4% of the U.S. population lives in rural areas (Ramakrishnan & Suandi, 2024). In Colorado, 24 of 64 counties are rural, and ~12% of residents live in rural areas (Mills et al., 2025).
- What challenges is your community facing?
- What strengths already exist (youth groups, champions, social media savvy)?
- What resources can you tap (funding, volunteers, spaces, translation, local artists)?
Try This
Use community mapping + quick interviews/focus groups to identify audiences, barriers, and motivations.
Facilitate coalition development to coordinate roles and resources.
Audience segmentation:
- Who are you reaching and what do they care about?
- What language, platforms, and images feel relatable and trustworthy?
- What keeps them from seeking help or engaging?
Primary Audience — Youth
- Use accessible language, visuals, and platforms (e.g., peers, social media).
- Promote hope, support, trust, and connection.
- Address concerns like peer pressure and feeling alone.
Secondary Audience — Adults & Educators
- Equip adults to recognize warning signs and respond without stigma.
- Emphasize their role in creating safe, inclusive environments.
- Model supportive behaviors and encouragement.
Goal: recipients feel empowered and equipped to engage in discussions about mental health and to advocate within their peer and support networks.
Exemplar — Change the Narrative
CTN identified local youth as the primary audience and influential adults as a secondary audience.
Partnerships with the health department, civic organizations, businesses, and schools expanded reach.
A standing coalition ensured continuous input, transparency, and representation.
- Keep it clear, hopeful, and real; focus on empowerment, not shame or fear.
- Use local stories or quotes when possible; test messages before launch.
- Ensure messages are clear, caring (non‑judgmental), credible (evidence‑based), and reflect community values and language.
Needs Work Prompt
Refine youth‑facing messages to directly address peer pressure and loneliness in locally resonant terms.
- Use consistent colors, fonts, and imagery that reflect your community.
- Choose a memorable name (e.g., “YOU‑CAN,” “Creating the Change”).
- Ensure accessibility (large fonts, plain language, alt‑text, translations).
Alignment
Your brand should align with organizational mission and services, building a consistent story that strengthens connection, trust, and recognition (Liu, 2024).
Pick channels that meet audiences where they are:
- Social media (TikTok, Facebook, Instagram)
- Local radio/newspaper
- School, faith, or civic events
- Posters at clinics, libraries, grocery stores
Use peer ambassadors and local influencers where possible.
- Involve youth, adults, and impacted groups at each step.
- Host community design sessions; provide stipends, food, or gift cards.
- Co‑brand SWAG to spark conversations and recognition.
- Define message strategy and tone; center positive affirmations (hope, connection, resilience).
- Map communication and outreach: low‑cost repeatable messages, face‑to‑face meetings, local media, social media, postings in schools/clinics.
- Establish objectives and SMART goals; plan budget/resources; engage partners for coherent framing.
- Evaluation & sustainability: measure processes, outcomes, and short/long‑term goals (pre/post surveys, focus groups, social media analytics). Root messaging in existing programs to expand the knowledge‑pool and sustain efforts.
- Kick off at a community event; feature local voices; partner with existing celebrations.
- Gather feedback continuously; iterate quickly.
- Track what worked (impressions, shares, turnout, resource calls, QR scans).
- Celebrate wins and plan for momentum.
Campaign materials included / suggested:
- Needs assessment
- Campaign planning worksheet
- Print templates: posters, infographics, tri‑fold brochures
- SWAG for conversation & event engagement
- Social media sample posts, short videos, and animations (youth‑friendly)
- Evaluation sheet (process/outcome metrics)
- Adobe Illustrator
- Canva
- TikTok