Cook & Schmid Homeless Outreach Campaign Drives Spike In Calls To Riverside County Support Services

Dec. 29, 2008 - PRLog -- SAN DIEGO, CALIF.—Cook & Schmid, a Southern California-based public relations, marketing and advertising company, today announced results from an outreach campaign designed to change perceptions about homelessness and drive those in need of help to a social services hotline.

Cook & Schmid developed its campaign – “The homeless. They’re not who you think.” – based on primary and secondary research that showed more children, women and families were among the homeless and that this reality was at odds with commonly held stereotypes.

“Our research showed that we had to change perceptions about homelessness to fit the new reality,” said Cook & Schmid Partner Jon Schmid. “In order to ensure that people got help, we needed to communicate what the new face of homelessness looks like.”

The county’s 211 hotline saw a 28 percent increase in the eight weeks following the launch of the campaign regarding requests specifically related to homelessness.

There were a total of 1,718 homeless related calls to 211 in September. While 211 receives calls related to a wide range of social service issues, categories of calls related to homelessness, and their corresponding increases in September, include the following:
•   Subsidized rental housing – 52.9 percent increase
•   Shelter – 45.4 percent increase
•   Emergency food – 27 percent increase
•   Rent assistance – 12.6 percent increase

The campaign employed a variety of tactics that included brand development, Web site development (www.RiversideHomeless.org), and outdoor, print, radio and television advertising. In addition, Cook & Schmid designed and implemented a media relations program that resulted in local coverage and drafted the support of the region’s editorial boards.
“We compared the numbers of calls to 211 over time to isolate the impact of our campaign,” said Schmid. “The state of the economy certainly has increased the number of the homeless.  It is unfortunate that there are more people who need help, but it’s good that many more of them are aware of one place to get help through this campaign.”

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ABOUT COOK & SCHMID
Cook & Schmid is a full-service public relations, advertising and marketing agency. Our strategic marketing communications and public participation programs enable clients to realize business goals, manage their reputations with key audiences, and achieve consensus on divisive issues. Cook & Schmid’s approach teams seasoned public relations practitioners and former journalists with subject matter experts in diverse fields, including economic development, biotechnology, public infrastructure and the environment. Headquartered in San Diego, California, Cook & Schmid serves clients across the country. The firm is certified as a Minority Business Enterprise by the National Minority Supplier Development Council and the California Public Utilities Commission. Cook & Schmid is also registered as a Small Disadvantaged Business by the Small Business Administration. Additional information is available at www.cookandschmid.com.