Society for New Communications Research Joins with Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and the Ad Council on Social Networking and Online Community Initiative for Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans
November 11, 2008 – Palo Alto, Calif. - The Society for New Communications Research today announced that it will work with Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) and the Ad Council on a special pro bono project designed to address the readjustment challenges facing Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. Created by BBDO New York, the campaign seeks to raise awareness and increase the number of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who seek treatment for mental health issues by connecting them with other veterans online with whom they can discuss the issues they face as they readjust to civilian life.
The 1.7 million men and women who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan are at an increased risk for mental health issues. Nearly 300,000 of returning veterans (20 percent) report symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or major depression, yet only half have sought treatment, according to a RAND Corporation study conducted in April 2008. Untreated PTSD can aggravate other serious problems , including unemployment, homelessness, substance abuse, divorce, child abuse, and suicide. Many veterans avoid seeking help because of a perceived stigma around mental illness. Those who have received help often cite their family as the catalyst. However, most families don’t know how to broach the subject constructively.
To address this problem, IAVA joined with the Ad Council to develop a national multimedia campaign launching this Veterans Day The campaign directs veterans to www.CommunityofVeterans.org, the first and only social networking site designed exclusively for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. Iraq and Afghanistan veterans can use this private online community to share their experiences and access resources, including a searchable database of national and local resources for jobs, education, health, and mental health care. This online community will foster connections among veterans and allow them to communicate with each other. In addition, public service announcements (PSAs) will direct audiences to a second website, designed for families and loved ones who want learn how to better support the needs of the veterans in their lives and start a constructive dialogue with them. The website and communities were developed by BarkleyREI. An integrated social media program will help raise awareness of this initiative and drive veterans to the website through outreach conducted on popular social networking sites and blogs targeted to service members and their families.
The Society for New Communications Research is lending its resources to this unique initiative. SNCR Senior Fellows Adrian Chan and Katie Paine and SNCR Vendor Council member Visible Technologies are donating their time, expertise and technology to analyze and measure the effectiveness of the campaign and its online components.
“The Ad Council is proud to join with IAVA to launch such a historic campaign to help ease the readjustment for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, and we are very grateful to SNCR for its participation in this project,” said Tony Foleno, senior vice president of research for the Ad Council. “As we increasingly incorporate social media and interactive components into our campaigns, it is vital that we do all we can to measure their effectiveness. SNCR’s expertise will be an extremely valuable addition to this effort.”
“We are very proud and honored to be a part of this critical campaign designed to support the men and women who have served our country in Iraq and Afghanistan,” said Jen McClure, executive director, SNCR. “We thank our Fellows, Katie Paine and Adrian Chan, and Visible Technologies for donating their time and expertise to this important project.”
“Visible Technologies is extremely proud to participate in this project and have the Ad Council and SNCR utilize our technologies for measuring participation and the effectiveness of social media conversations for the Veteran’s initiative,” said Blake Cahill, senior vice president, marketing, Visible Technologies.
“Working with IAVA, the Ad Council and Visible Technologies gives us the opportunity to make a difference on an issue that deserves national attention, and it is a privilege to be able to do so,” added Adrian Chan, a senior fellow of the Society for New Communications Research.
Tracy Della Torre, campaign manager for the Ad Council will present an overview of the campaign at the upcoming Society for New Communications Research Symposium on Friday, November 14th. The event will be held at the Hotel Marlowe in Cambridge, Mass. Information and online registration is available at http://sncr.org/symposium08/.
About the Society for New Communications Research
The Society for New Communications Research is a nonprofit global think tank dedicated to the advanced study of new communications tools, technologies and emerging modes of communication, and their effect on traditional media, professional communications, business and society. For more information, visit http://sncr.org.
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Media Contacts:
Jen McClure
SNCR
+1 (650) 331-0083
jmcclure@sncr.org
Chrissy Stevens
IAVA
212-982-9699
chrissy@iava.org
Ellyn Fisher
The Ad Council
(212) 984-1964
efisher@adcouncil.org
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Society for New Communications Research Joins with Iraq and ……
The Society for New Communications Research today announced that it will work with Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) and the Ad Council on a special pro bono project designed to address the readjustment challenges facing ……