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Active Marketing Strategy In Perspective

JOSEPH L. SZOKS
GERALDINE SIbIONSON NELSON

Although using news media to promote mental

health services seems logical from the viewpoint of
the modern mental health professional, it is also a
perceived role of mental health, as Collins (1981)
discovered. In Collins' survey, respondents felt that the
people in the community needed an increased level of
information about mental health services before they
would use them.

Although community mental health services have

been hi place for quite some time, it has only been
recently that the focus on marketing those services has
come to the attention of mental health administrators.
This is not surprising when one considers that most
mental health administrators have clinical backgrounds
and, therefore, channel their energies into developing
quality mental health programs. But, alas, quality alone
is not sufficient to sell a product as many enterprising
entrepreneurs will confirm.

Although the need to use the news media is understood arid expected, the literature is conspicuously
absent in terms of specific marketing enterprises that
focus on the total population (e.g. recognizing that all
do not listen to radio or read the papers) and geared
to specific groups (e.g. bereaved family members)
within the total population. This paper will offer some
strategies employed by the Tri-County Board of Mental
Health in relation to these ideas.

Since mental health offers a "product" that addresses

critical human needs, it then may be stigma that needs
to be overcome if people are to understand and use
mental health services to an even greater degree
(President's Commission on Mental Health, 1978). The
Task Panel report states that the media must be
employed to inform the public about services. The
effectiveness of the newspaper and medium already
has been identified by Morrison and Libow (1977);
and Schanie and Sundel (1978) demonstrated positive
results using radio and television.

The materials focused on the 24-hour Crisis Hotlines

that are funded by the board (one in each of the three
counties served by the board).
There were two reasons for this decision: (1) It is
probably much less threatening to people if a mental
health system encourages them to call a phone service
for some helpful conversation than it is if the PR
materials suggest they should visit their local mental
health center, and (2) While a re, tuber of people may
reasonably be expected to use the mental health ccnter
and clinics, almost every person in the community
probably could benefit from calling the Hotline at
one time or another.

The clinicians' own bread and butter (research) was

beginning to point out that just because a service is
needed in a community does not result in a high
demand for that service.
Plantz (1980) gives much evidence that marketing
principles can be applied effectively to the promotion
of social ideas and services. To be effective, promotional strategies should focus on the potential personal
benefit to be gained. Perlmutter (1980) states that
mental health promotion should focus on the total
population in terms of supporting and promoting
healthy functioning and social competence.

All of tile new PR materials which were designcd

were distributed free. In order to do this, they were
created as economically as possible. This was achieved
by:

In spite of efforts by researchers to identify marketing and promotional strategies as paramount to

increasing the use of community mental health services,
Dy and Kay (1980) found a search of the literature
yields little regarding active and systematic marketing
in mental health, although Bartlett and Grantham
(1980) recognized the need for advertising the program
to community board members.

9 Designing and writing all the material at tile

board office.
9 Using inexpensive copyright-free line art whicla
was purchased in booklets.*
9 Getting permission to use donated photography.**
9 Using dry-transfer letters and bordcrs, purchased
from local art supply stores.***

Use of the news media (such as radio, newspapers,

and television) is beneficial, but \Vc'alsh (1981) has
pointed out that if we are to focus on the total "public"
as Dy and Kay (1980) suggest, then we also must
promote through different media in addition to radio,
print, and television.

9 Making the camera-rcady copy (except for the

placemat) at the board office.
9 Using inexpensive local printing facilities.
Realizing that many women discuss their lives,
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including their problems, in beauty shops, the staff

designed posters to appeal especially to women and
these were placed in a number of beauty shops. (The
posters were designed so they also would look
appropriate in other community settings in which they
were to be placed, such as libraries and banks.)

The third project: beverage napkins for taverns and

bars. These featured a cartoon drawing of a man's
concerned-looking face. The text reads: "Worried?
There's someone to turn to 24 hours a day. Call us.
Maybe we can help." The words "crisis hotline" formed
a banner that ran across the center of the design at an
angle. The phone numbers were included and the
whole thing was framed by an attractive border.

The posters were small enough (11" square) so

they could be put up in areas where space was limited.
They were printed in black ink on a dusty rose heavy
textured poster paper. A soft line drawing of a young
woman with a concerned look on her face was used.
The words, which encircled the drawing in a script
type, said: "Worried? Call Crisis Hotline. 24 hours a
day. Call 335-7148 or ask Operator for Enterprise
7160." And in smaller type, underneath the drawing:
"Brought to you by the Tri-County Board of Mental
Health and the Miami County Mental Health Center."
(Of course these were localized for each of the three
counties served by the board.)

These were printed in bulk (30,000) in order to get

an economical rate: About $360.00 for all 30,000, with
10,000 to be used in each county. The Hotline numbers
from all three counties were included on the master
copy and all 30,000 were printed from that text, and
in this way the napkins could be used throughout the
whole three-county area.
These were distributed to area taverns and bars. The
reason: Although the board was not singling out the
tavern patrons as having significantly more problems
than the rest of the population, it simply recognized
that many people frequent taverns and it is one more
way of getting the message across. A low-key approach
was used; the words "mental health" were never
mentioned on the napkins.

Next, bookmarks were created, featuring cartoontype line drawings of a man's face with three
expressions: angry, concerned, and happy; the concerned face had a box drawn around it. The words read:
"Mad? Boxed in by life's pressures? Call us. 24 hours
a day. Crisis Hotline, 335-7148 or ask Operator for
Enterprise 7160. Maybe we can help."

(It should be noted here that this project was started

small, in response to some apprehension among Crisis
Hotline staff members. Initially, 2,500 napkins were
distributed, and in only one county. When this did not
bring a discernable increase in bizarre phone calls from
intoxicated people, the rest of the distribution was
continued.)

These were printed on brightly-colored heavy card

stock paper and distributed to book shops, libraries, and
college bookstores. Some of these also were distributed
as mini-posters, in service stations, barbershops,
laundromats, and on supermarket bulletin boards.

The final new project was a placemat for area

restaurants.
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In the past, some simple placemats with the agency

name and phone numbers had been printed for
restaurant use during Mental Health Month. This time,
the board wanted to be more artistic. The reason:
Instead of asking the restaurants to use simple placemats as a favor to the mental health system, the
board wanted to offer something beautiful that the
restaurants and their patrons could genuinely enjoy.

photographer describing the proposed theme and

asking if he would donate the use of his picture for
the project. He immediately responded, agreed, sent
back a fine glossy print of the photo, enclosed the
board's release form which he had signed, and wished
the board good luck with the project.
A staff member wrote some text, based on the
theme: "Whatever Happened to the Good Old
Days?"; the photo was featured, an inexpensive local
artist sketched in some rustic wood-grained borders, and
the placemats were printed, in brown ink on parchmentbeige paper, at a local non-profit printing facility.

This enabled the board to offer a benefit to the

restaurants instead of only asking them to do something for the board. (Dr. Thomas McCain of Ohio
State University confirmed, at a recent workshop for
mental health educators, that offering people a benefit
is still one of the most effective ways to get them to
respond positively to PR messages).****

This placemat has been the single most popular PR

item the board has ever used. The restaurant owners
seemed delighted and one said, "These are beautiful.
We will use all you can give us!"

\Vhile mulling over a possible design for the placemat, a photo of people riding in a horse-drawn wagon
was discovered, by a board staff member, in a Canadian
photography magazine. A letter was sent to the

The text was fairly lengthy as people do have time

to read something like this while they wait for their
food to be served. The text reads:

WHATEVER HAPIF..:HEO TO THE r

q
I ,!1

OLD DAu ?

WItAT DI._._D_D
HAPPEN TO THOSE GOOD
OLD DAYS?
It's true that some things in the past were
beautiful.
The pace was less hectic.
Things were quieter.
And maybe children were different . . .
more innocent.
But things weren't perfect then, either.
Those horse-and-buggy rides were cold in
the winter, hot in the summer, and
bumpy all the time!
There were no antibiotics,
so people often perished
from diseases we now survive.
In today's world, there are great
educational opportunities
for almost everyone.
The creative, bright kids of the present time
just might invent things
that will improve the world
for all of us.

But let's also appreciate the good things in today's world. To

borrow the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson and give them a new
twist: "This time, like any time, is a good time, if we just know
what to do with it."
Remember . . . be hopeful . . . make changes when that's healthy
and d e s i r a b l e . . , savor and treasure the positive t h i n g s . . , be
good to yourself and others.
Life can be good!

People are living longer, healthier lives.

Maybe it all balances out.
r

O f course we have every right

to cherish the good things
from the past
and to try to re-create them
in the present.

If you're looking for some ways to make YOUR life better, tail
us. Maybe ~e can help. The TRI-(X)UNTY BOARD OF MENTAL
HEALTH and the MIAMI COUNTY MENTAL HEALTH CENTER.
335-7166 or 773-9841, extension 281. 24-HOURCRISIS HOTLINE:
335-7148 or ask OPERATOR for ENTERPRISE 7160.

So let's see the things that need changing

and try to do something about them.

resources (although this board is heavily into news

releases, regular newspaper columns, weekly radio
programs and monthly cable television programs; all
these efforts are continuing because the board believes
they are critically important.)

The rationale that underpinned the design and

distribution channels of the new PR materials was
this: It is not reasonable to expect that a mental health
system can reach people solely through its mental
health centers or clinics, nor solely through news media
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But the board also believes it needs to get out there

where people are having their hair cut, eating dinner,
washing their clothes, having their cars repaired, and
having a drink.
All these projects were previewed with the board
after the initial plans and designs were drawn up. The
board enthusiastically endorsed every project, including
the one about which the staff had felt the most initial
trepidation: the tavern napkins. The board members
assured the staff that they realized the value of using
unorthodox approaches in order to reach the maximum
number of people.
No matter what the actual quantity eventually is, in
terms of calls to the Hotlines, the increased visibility
being achieved through these projects, among owners
and managers of restaurants, beauty shops, taverns, and
so forth, is, the board believes, highly worthwhile.
Another bonus: \re'bile the board believes it cannot
depend solely on the news media people to help
dispense mental health information, the newspapers and
the radio and cable television station were extremely
interested in these new PR projects and gave them
good coverage, including newspaper reproductions of
some of the materials.
The papers especially seemed to like the fact that
this was a mental health story that could feature some
new kinds of pictures (a rare event in a field where
most of what happens is people-talking-to-people ,where
people's right to privacy is so sacred and sensitive, and
where, consequently, most photographs are of posed
"counseling" sessions).
Wherever staff members have talked about these
new materials and shown them to people (in newsrooms
and at service organizations and clubs, especially),
the board has been applauded for having the creativity
(and in the case of the tavern napkins, for having the
courage) to approach mental health education in this
~-vay.
But this is only the beginning. The board also
realizes that there are special people with particular
needs tucked away all over the community. Some
examples: People who are out of work or worried
about that possibility; parents with sick children in the
hospital, bereaved people who have just lost a family
member; families which are fatigued and disoriented
after a move from one home or community to another;
people who are wrestling with domestic violence;
people in the throes of divorce; couples who have just
applied for a marriage license.
The board and staff members have thought carefully
about the feelings and needs of people in these kinds
of situations and the staff is in the midst of designing
projects to address some of those needs. The staff is
excited about the possibilities of further innovative
educational mental health materials which can be
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inexpensively created. Even though the funding is

certainly not infinite, the board and staff still feel that,
with sufficient imagination and energy, the prospects
may be nearly limitless.
D|

REFERENCES
*

Volk Corporation, Pleasantville, tlevr Jersey.

**

David Boyes, Britlsh Columbla.

***

Letraset USA, Inc., 40 Eisenhower Drive, Paramus, ttew

Jersey, and Chartpak, Times Mirror Company, Leeds,
Massachusetts.

****

Thomas tAcCaln, Ph.D., Department at Communications,

the Ohla State University, Columbus, Ohio; a t a workshop sponsored by the Ohio Department of Mental
Health/Office of Education and Training, In Columbus,
Ohio, on May 12 and 14, 1981.

Bartlett, D. P.; and Grantham, R. J. An Orientation and tralnIng program for citizen boards. ADMINISTRATION I11
MENTAL ItEALTH, 1980, 8121, 103-112.
Collins, T. F. The Media and Mental Health Education.
JOURNAL OF RURAL COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY, 1981,
2 I l i , 4Z.45.
Dy, A. J., and Kay, g. E. The marketing of mental health
services, JOURNAL OF MENTAL HEALTH ADMIHISTRATION,
1980, 7111, 21.24.

Morrison, J. K., and Llbow, J. The effect of newspaper publicity

on a mental health center's community visibility.
COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH JOURNAL, 1977, 13, 58-62.
Perlmuffer, F. What is the dlfterence between mental health
prevention and mental health promotion? In Hollisfer, W.
G. The relatlonshlp between mental health prevention and
mental health promotion. JOURNAL OF PREVENTION, 1980,
I i l 1 , 49-51.
Planfz, M. D. Salient hopes and fears: Social marketing to
promote human services. COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTtl

JOURNAL, 1980, 16141, 293-305.

Schanle, C. F. and Sundel, M. A community mental health
Innovation in mass media preventive education: The alferna.
five prolect.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY
PSYCHOLOGY, 1978, 6161, 573-581.
The President's Commisslon an Mental Health. Tasf Panel
Report on public attitudes and use of medla for promotion
of mental health. Yah IV, Washington D.C., US Government
Printing Ofilca, 1978.
Walsh, J. A. To market, to market, to sell something blg.
ADMINISTRATION IN MENTAL HEALTH, 1981, 8141, 269274.
n Q O m

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
]oseph Louis Szoke is executive director o[ the Tri-County
Board of Mental Health, Troy, Ohio. Prior to becoming a mental
health administrator, Mr. Szoke served as a clinical psychologist
at a State Hospital and at an out-patient drug treatment clinic.
He also is an adjunct pro[essor at the University o[ Dayton where
he received an M.A. degree in Psychology.
Geraldine Simonson Nelson is community relations director
[or the Tri-County Board o[ Mental ttealth. She received her
edztcation from Miami University and "Wright State University,
with [urther training [ram the Public Relations Society oJ
America (PRSA), and she is a member o[ PRSA. She has had
extensive experience in creating and implementing public
in[ormatlon programs on community mental health.