Alongside the many great brands we work with as a PR agency, we recently supported a wonderful cause: the You Are Good campaign. It is an initiative by two young Dutch women who want to break the taboo around bullying and make it easier to discuss. A wristband bearing the words ‘You Are Good’ draws attention to bullying in a positive way. Their initiative began after the death of Tim Ribberink, a young Dutch man who died by suicide in November 2012 following persistent bullying. Marije and Lindy have also experienced the devastating effects of bullying themselves.
After a successful launch in the Netherlands, Belgium was next. Following a moving and inspiring conversation with Marije and Lindy, @SiskaHoste and I said: “We have to help these women!” Their passion was infectious. Brimming with inspiration, we spent the entire two-hour drive discussing how to bring the campaign to the widest possible audience. Before long, we had a plan and were putting it into action.
Ambassadors
To give the campaign a face, we looked for Flemish and Walloon ambassadors willing to wear the wristband actively. We persuaded more than 30 well-known personalities, including Sean D’Hondt, Erika van Tielen, An van Elsen, Tina Maerevoet, Wouter Beke and, yes, even Nicole & Hugo. They supported the campaign with a photo of themselves wearing the wristband on the wall of fame, or a personal video message on the You Are Good Facebook page.
After an intensive and exciting period of outreach, the national press conference was a great success. The You Are Good campaign was officially introduced to the Belgian press at a school in Brussels. Marije and Lindy shared their personal stories, bullying experts Guy Deboutte and Bruno Humbeeck addressed the wider social debate, and Thuis actress Tina Maerevoet was the perfect ambassador.
Enthusiasm
And the press? They turned out in force. We made the VRT and VTM news, RTL tvi, and even Hart van Nederland travelled to Belgium. We secured an interview on MNM and coverage on Radio 1, Radio 2, Studio Brussel and Radio Contact. Our excitement only grew as the newspaper clippings and online coverage came in: De Morgen, La Dernière Heure, Het Nieuwsblad, Het Laatste Nieuws, Femmes d’aujourd’hui, Joepie…
We can honestly say we are proud of it!
Join this positive journey: like You Are Good on Facebook and wear the wristband.
@saradebr
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