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Breathe ND
Odney assisted in the creation of this coalition of individuals and organizations concerned with the effects of secondhand smoke in North Dakota. We developed the organization's name, positioning statements and taglines, messages and talking points.
All public relations and other communications materials direct audiences to the website we developed at BreatheND.com. At the site, users can join the coalition, sign up for newsletters, educate themselves about the dangers of secondhand smoke and take specific actions, such as write a letter to the editor or call a radio talk show. The site offers a full array of resources to take action, including sample letters, addresses of editors throughout the state, talking points, broadcast schedules and contact information for appropriate radio forums. Regular e-mail newsletters keep the issue at the forefront and keep people all across the state informed and aware of the latest actions and upcoming events. A Facebook page was established to increase the number of friends of the cause. The newsletter topics, links and updates from the web site are duplicated on Facebook, driving greater awareness online. A series of articles targeted to organizations keeps the BreatheND message at the forefront of their internal newsletters and intranets.
Encouraging action on the part of individuals was a very important element in our strategy for this organization. We hosted a public forum at which our public relations team, working with the Breathe ND team, educated people on the realities of secondhand smoke and how they could make their opinions heard and influence public policy on this issue. Participants, or "champions for change," received materials and step-by-step instructions on how to get involved, including a "three things to do today" action list. The forum was well-attended by members of the health care professions, business leaders and the general public. All of the public output developed by these champions for change, such as letters to the editors, interviews, etc., is posted to the website and promoted through the newsletters and on Facebook.
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