The Challenge
The Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO-MD) needed help in promoting and expanding the reach of a cutting-edge public service announcement (PSA) encouraging viewers to take action to end gun violence.
Our Role
GPS was brought in to aid in disseminating the PSA in a way that would reach both a broad audience and its most relevant audience in Baltimore, Maryland. We also needed to coordinate across and ensure cooperation between several different invested parties, which included not only the USAO-MD, but also local law enforcement, community organizations in the gun violence/public safety space, and private businesses.
Our Approach
Our team developed and executed a strategic communications plan aimed at bringing more voices and organizations into the conversation by focusing on sports organizations, business leaders, community organizations and activists, universities, and more. Along with the PSA, we ran an out-of-home advertising campaign consisting of billboards, digital kiosks, bus wraps, and bus shelters that leveraged the television ads to receive additional placements in prime locations in Baltimore.
Results
- After a coordination of efforts aimed at reducing gun violence, Maryland saw a 20-25% decrease in homicides and nonfatal shootings overall, and an approximately 10% decrease in each category after implementation of the campaign in August 2022.
- 575 press hits, including national placement with The Washington Post
- Launch of the PSA in a prime slot just before kickoff of the Baltimore Ravens’ first home game of the season, garnering 545,000 viewers
- Campaign website traffic saw 12,000 new visitors with a 69% engagement rate
- Coordination between between law enforcement, community organizations, and private citizens, including placement of the PSA video on screens in waiting rooms of Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services offices
Outcome
Concentrated and sizeable attention the campaign; successful partnership between the state, community, and private businesses; demonstrable community impact
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- Gun Violence