Press Release + Paid Ads Help Researchers Gather Data on Hate in Alberta
The Organization for the Prevention of Violence (OPV) is a non-government organization that helps counter violent extremism through research and social support. Their goal is to stop extremism by addressing the causes that bring people to join hate groups and, as well as provide pathways to help people move away from harmful belief systems.
The Goal
The Government of Alberta asked OPV to research hate-motivated crimes and incidents in the province, then report back with their findings to help inform provincial policy. OPV had already approached marginalized community groups but needed a larger sample size. They created an online survey asking Albertans about their experiences with hate, and they asked Marketing Martian to bring in as many survey responses as possible from the public.
The Approach
OPV only had enough time and resources for a two-week promoted campaign on social media. We ran ads on Twitter and Facebook that encouraged audiences to share their experiences through the survey. We created simple animations and graphics using moody, high-contrast imagery open to interpretation without reminding viewers of previous hate-related trauma.
The Result
During the campaign, the web page saw more than 1,500 visitors, and 650 people filled out the survey—nearly 43% of all traffic to the page.
Thanks to this large sample size, OPV’s groundbreaking study and final report to the Government of Alberta covered a wide range of hate-related experiences, which will influence future policy.
Above + Beyond
Marketing Martian and OPV first partnered to strengthen the existing branding for the social services and research divisions of the organization. We also help improve their website content, format research publications, and assist in the creation and d distribution of academic and educational materials through their marketing and communications channels. This is all part of a long-term goal to help address and prevent hate in Alberta.