Survivor’s Hope Crisis Centre

Let’s Talk About SARAH

Creative courtesy of UpHouse

The Ask

Survivor’s Hope, a sexual assault resource centre serving the Interlake Eastern region of Manitoba, came to UpHouse because they wanted to raise awareness of their services. One challenge they had been facing was a “granny filter” in rural communities, referring to the stigma around sexual assault. This resulted in fewer survivors reaching out for help, but there was also a lack of education around what sexual assault even was. They had also struggled to form relationships with media outlets because they weren’t getting approved to publish ads in local newspapers due to the “controversial” nature of their messaging.

The Strategy

UpHouse’s marketing team came up with the creative to use discrete messaging that pulled viewers in, playing into the intrigue of small-town gossip, and we worked to amplify it.

As the PR team, I crafted tailored media pitches and a small list of journalists in the specific areas Survivor’s Hope serves, positioning the executive director as the spokesperson and advocate for survivors of sexual assault. The messaging emphasized the need for these services and reducing the stigma, citing stats such as how Manitoba had the highest number of reported sexual assaults in rural areas in 2021.

Results

The outreach resulted in coverage in three out of four news outlets in Survivor’s Hope’s service area and an interview on a CBC Radio show that specifically covers news in rural Manitoba.

This translates to thousands of potential readers/listeners, and more importantly, residents in rural communities have learned more about where to go for help and that they’re not alone.

The executive director was a great spokesperson who drove the key messages, giving journalists compelling soundbites and emotion on the subject matter. A relationship with the media that was once strained has been mended.

In Closing

This is an example of quality over quantity and strategy. Survivor’s Hope didn’t get dozens of news clippings from widespread publications, but we got the messages in front of exactly who needed to see it, which created a great impact.