1. Food Stamp Outreach Coalition November 17, 2005 National Media Campaign
Welcome

2. Outreach Goals Increase participation among eligible people
Promote nutrition assistance and work support program
Overcome welfare stigma
Benefits with dignity and respect
Inform where and how to apply
Increasing participation in the Food Stamp Program (FSP) requires the combined efforts of national, State and local public leaders as well as non-profit community agencies, employers, and anyone else who touches the lives of potentially eligible people.
FNS has made a commitment to food stamp outreach as one way to help increase participation in the FSP.
These are the goals of our FNS outreach program:
Overcome welfare stigma and help eligible people make informed participation decision
Promote the nutrition, health and work support benefits
Inform eligible people where and how to apply.
Promote benefits with dignity and respect.
Outreach breaks down myths and provides accurate information to help people understand the benefits and requirements.

3. FNS Outreach Tools and Resources
Pre-screening Tool
National FSP Toll free Number
Food Stamp Outreach Coalition
Photo Gallery – More pictures in fall 2006
Educational materials

4. National Media Campaign
Now entering Third Year
Target Audiences
Elderly
Working Poor
Immigrants (Spanish speaking)

5. Paid Radio Advertising
Taglines:
English: Eat Right When Money’s Tight
Spanish: Nuestra salud, nuestra fuerza. (Our Health, Our Strength.)
Key Messages:
You or someone you know may qualify for nutrition assistance.
We’ve replaced paper stamps with a new card that can help you and your family eat right.
Action:
Call national or State toll free number for more information.
In all materials developed for a campaign, we had to be careful not to overpromise. It’s important not to make the program sound “too good” because “word of mouth” about customer service in certain areas does spread!
Participants were critical of any images that were too upscale or too downscale.
Utilize images that appear like us.

6. Advertising Results – Years 1 and 2
National toll free number used in half the advertising sites:
26% of callers request a packet by mail
84% said they found out from radio (year 2)
Immediate jump in calls when advertising starts
Percent increase in requests for packets by mail via the national toll free number:
Year 1: 94%
Year 2: 480%
Combined Average: 259%
Three quarters of the callers get information from the recorded menu and do not request information by mail.
This includes being provided with the number for their State.
“Word of Mouth” is the second highest response. People share information about the number with their friends and neighbors.
People also hear about the number from social service agencies, both State and local.

7. Other Campaign Activities
2 Tool Kits:
1 for State and local FSP offices
1 for Community Partners such as Food Banks, and
Community and Faith-Based Organizations
Materials In Both Tool Kits:
Informational/Motivational DVD: “Community Hunger Champions: Helping People Eat Right When Money’s Tight”
DVDs with FSP informational materials
Non-advertising components will help spread messages in areas not reached by paid advertising and strengthen messages where there is paid advertising.
2 tool kits: State and local agencies and Community-based organizations
Encourage message consistency
Ready-to-use materials
Informational video
Validate EWs through success stories
Celebrate camaraderie between EWs and community partners
Consider printing and distributing tool kits
Train-the trainer sessions
Introduce campaign to stakeholders
Enlist them in the campaign
Spring and summer
Consider attending and then conducting a session

8. Other Campaign Activities
Q: What is the difference between the two tool kits?
A: The community tool kit contains a “how to do”
Media Outreach section but the State/local tool kit does not.
Let’s Preview the Tool Kits!

9. Other Campaign Activities
Train-the-Trainer Sessions:
Pilot session to be held here
One session allocated for each FNS regional office
Sessions to be scheduled after tool kits are final
Video will be available to those who cannot attend

10. 2006 Paid Radio Buys English and Spanish advertising
New radio productions
Working with FH now to select locations
Radio buy schedule (tentative):
March/April 2006
July/August 2006

11. Public Service Announcements
Radio
English:
Soon: 3 more English radio PSAs
Soon: 2 Spanish radio PSAs
Television PSA
30 sec English and Spanish PSA developed by FSP grantee in California.
USDA made minor changes to make it national for use on TV or in retail stores.

12. Focus Groups in 2006 Participants will discuss: New names for the FSP
2 new Spanish TV Public Service Announcements
FSP Messages

13. Hunger Champions Video
Developing the video was a team effort!
Thank you to those who appear on camera.
Thank you to those who provided information during the script research phase.