New Voices Campaign

Public awareness is a critical component of Grassroots Initiative's New Voices Campaign. According to a survey conducted in Summer 2005, roughly one-third of New Yorkers show interest in running for office; yet very few are aware of what party committees do or how they can run for office. Though a combination of print, broadcast and online advertising and public service announcements (PSAs), Grassroots Initiative seeks to raise awareness about vacancies in public offices and challenge the stigma attached to political participation.

Our adverting and PSA campaigns are modeled off of international best practices. By leveraging free advertising space in local publications, Grassroots Initiative maximizes public outreach and impact. Print ads for newspaper and outdoor placement are designed to correspond to and reinforce 15 and 30 second broadcast and online PSAs. PSAs are also being developed as e-cards that can be distributed via email.

Over the summer of 2007, in an election year with nearly nothing up for election, Grassroots Initiative targeted East Harlem for a public awareness campaign push. The area has historically had some of the lowest levels of local representation. After direct mail, flyering and the posting of billboards throughout the area, East Harlem ended up with the highest number of competitive elections of anywhere in New York City.