Sikh Media Campaign Reaches Millions in America
Press Release
Washington, United States – Sikh media outreach spearheaded by the National Sikh Campaign has made more than 92 million impressions throughout the country. In April, The National Sikh Campaign (NSC) launched We Are Sikhs, an initiative to improve awareness of the Sikh religion and Sikh Americans nationally and in local communities throughout the United States. Through national and regional television advertising, social media outreach and targeted digital advertising, the effort made over 92 million impressions. Amid recent racial tensions and political polarization in America, an awareness effort led by the National Sikh Campaign has created more awareness of the Sikh faith community and an improved perception of the turban.
This media campaign was a response to recent statistics that showed Sikhs in America are common targets of discrimination, intimidation, harassment and hate crimes because of their outward physical appearance and a fundamental misunderstanding of the faith and what the turban represents.
Recent poll numbers and media statistics have shown the effectiveness of this entire endeavor of the Sikh community in America. Individual impression numbers for each medium are as follows: ·
- 46.3 million impressions through national television advertising on CNN, Fox News and Fox Business Network
- 28.8 million impressions through local television advertising in Fresno, California
- 10.5 million impressions through social media channels
- 6.4 million impressions through digital advertising
“With limited funding, we were able to spread our message of unity and help Americans in every corner of the country better understand who their Sikh neighbors are and what we stand for,” said Dr. Rajwant Singh, Co-Founder & Senior Adviser “These impressive results are a testament to the hard work that went into We Are Sikhs, and we are grateful to everyone who helped tell our story.” Said Gurwin Singh Ahuja, Co-Founder & Executive Director.
Sikhs had hired leading marketing and PR firms. The We Are Sikhs messaging and strategy was developed by AKPD, the firm which led President Obama’s famous 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns, Hart Research Associates, which does strategy work for the World Bank, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Harvard University, and FP1 Strategies, a conservative and Republican leaning marketing team which led President Bush's 2000 and 2004 campaign. FP1 Strategies has also done marketing for Facebook advocacy efforts and Ford Motor Company. President Bill Clinton's speech writer planned and edited the content of the website WeAreSikhs.org. NSC held fundraising events in 14 cities to garner support from the community and the total cost of this campaign has cost $1.3 Million.
To learn more about We Are Sikhs, please visit: www.wearesikhs.org