The Implementation

Microsite Build + Design

Knowing that the application process would take time and collaboration between students and teachers, we designed a 50 States. 50 Grants. 5000 Voices. microsite to help our target audiences learn more about the grant application. 

The microsite, built on Webflow, was designed primarily for the students. It was designed to be dynamic, vibrant, and very colorful to pique their interests. It featured a call to action to sign up for email updates to get tips about their application, as well as webinars to exchange with the It Gets Better Project team and their peers.

Email Marketing

When it comes to submitting an application, we know that teenagers often turn things in at the very last minute. With that insight in mind, we designed two email series (one for students, one for teachers) to keep the campaign and the application deadline top of mind for students and their teachers.

We started with monthly touchpoints, then bi-weekly, and weekly as the deadline approached. These emails had two goals in mind: letting our audiences know that applications were starting to roll in to create a fear of missing out and providing support and tips.

Paid Media

Paid media campaigns were rolled out to targeted audiences on Instagram, Tiktok, and Facebook. We targeted students (14 to 18 year-olds) and teachers (24 to 55 year-olds) with the goal of increasing awareness around the campaign and driving grant applications.

Social Media

We established and leveraged partnerships with creators, specifically educators, to launch the #FavoriteTeacher campaign on TikTok. #FavoriteTeacher was designed to give users the opportunity to acknowledge the important role of educators in the lives of teens and how important it is for LBGTQ+ youth to have supportive adults in their schools. 

Toolkit

We developed two toolkits—one for our primary audience (Teachers and Educators) and for our secondary audience (Partners). The Educator Toolkit was created to activate teachers and recruit students. The Partner Toolkit was created for various partners to share and promote the program. The toolkits included items like branding elements, social + email assets, and a poster.

Partnerships

The 50 States. 50 Grants. 5000 Voices. Campaign came to life because of the support provided by American Eagle and Aerie. We provided the brands with video assets for their ambassadors so they could spread the word about the initiative.

We also created a partnership activation strategy based on getting existing and new It Gets Better partners and members of their Youth Voices Ambassadors program. We know nothing compares to the power of peer-to-peer communication, and these partners helped to elevate the message in a personal, organic way through their own channels.