(DESCRIPTION)
A woman sits near a couch and shelves with pictures on the wall behind. She speaks into a microphone.

(SPEECH)
TAWANNA BERRY: Good afternoon. I'm Tawanna Berry, an Associate Director at Westat. I work on the health communications team, where we partner with NIH and CDC to develop health education campaigns. In my 20 plus career, I've been very fortunate to work on some memorable health education campaigns. I helped NIH develop the nation's first diabetes prevention campaign.

I'm currently working with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute on the Heart Truth program, which is the campaign that made the red dress an iconic symbol for women in heart health. And I've even had a chance to work in pharmaceutical communications. I supported Merck in their launch of their newly approved HPV vaccine, Gardasil. Working with programs that improve the way we live, thrive, and strive is just one of my greatest passions.

(DESCRIPTION)
Inset image, Text, Doing it. Testing for HIV. cdc dot gov slash Doing It

(SPEECH)
The campaign that I chose to highlight today is one our team at Westat created several years ago for what was then CDC's act against AIDS education program. The campaign is called Doing It, Testing for HIV. The goal of Doing It was to normalize HIV testing, to show that everyone, no matter gender, race, socioeconomic status, or sexual preference, should be testing for HIV. And working to normalize HIV testing, we also hope to start to remove stigmas that are often associated with HIV/AIDS. We wanted the imagery to be upbeat and celebratory. Our intent was to show that even if you test positive for HIV, it's not a death sentence. It's knowledge that you can use to develop a plan for your health.

I picked this campaign because it was challenging. CDC tasked Westat to create one singular umbrella campaign that would replace their existing and very successful HIV testing campaigns. CDC wanted one unifying campaign that could be used for all audiences but could still be tailored for key target audiences when needed. They wanted something new, fresh, and all encompassing.

I also picked this campaign, because at its core, it's a storytelling campaign.

(DESCRIPTION)
Inset image, A woman in a black flaired dress holds out a pair of sunglasses. She wears orange high heels that strap up her legs and sits at an outdoor table. Text, I test for HIV because I love myself. I want to make sure that I'm healthy and that I'm protecting myself for my future." Charreah Jackson, Lifestyle Editor, ESSENCE Magazine. I'm (hashtag) Doing It. Testing for HIV. Logos, Department of Health and Human Services, CDC, and Act Against AIDS. Text, Testing is fast, free, and confidential. cdc dot gov slash Doing It

(SPEECH)
We used real people and a few celebrities to share their experiences.

(DESCRIPTION)
Inset image, A man holds a water bottle in one hand and rests his other hand on his head. Text, We need to throw away the stigma and fear about HIV testing. It's time we make HIV testing a part of our health routine." Jay Ellis, Actor. I'm (hashtag) Doing It. Testing for HIV. Logos, Department of Health and Human Services, CDC, and Act Against AIDS. Text, Testing is fast, free, and confidential. cdc dot gov slash Doing It

(SPEECH)
We allowed these stories and experiences to be the foundation of the content that we created.

(DESCRIPTION)
Inset image, Two men smile with wide open mouths and take a selfie. Text, Even though we are in a relationship, it's still important that we get tested. It's about making HIV testing routine. If you are sexually active, you should be getting tested for HIV." DaShaun and Courtney. We're (hashtag) Doing It. Testing for HIV. Logos, Department of Health and Human Services, CDC, and Act Against AIDS. Text, Testing is fast, free, and confidential. cdc dot gov slash Doing It

(SPEECH)
And that seemed to resonate with the target audiences, because anyone and everyone was able to find someone that they identified with within the campaign.

(DESCRIPTION)
Inset image, A woman sits on the floor next to a man in bed. They are surrounded by and hold red stuffed arms. Text, He's living with HIV, and we've been together for over 16 years. Testing is a big part of our relationship. It helps me know my status and stay healthy." Gwenn and Shawn. We're (hashtag) Doing It. Testing for HIV. Logos, Department of Health and Human Services, CDC, and Act Against AIDS. Text, Testing is fast, free, and confidential. cdc dot gov slash Doing It

(SPEECH)
So what did I learn from working on this campaign? A few things.

(DESCRIPTION)
Stakeholders and brand ambassadors are critical.

(SPEECH)
So number one is stakeholders and brand ambassadors are critical, of course. But we also work to prepare our stakeholders to become campaign ambassadors. Because CDC was retiring their existing HIV testing campaigns, it was important to message that to stakeholders and to the target audience to get them on board with the new campaign.

We had to factor that into the campaign planning process, and it definitely extended that process, but it was so worthwhile. Those stakeholders ended up helping with campaign recruitment. Some participated in the campaign itself. And when the campaign launched, we had built-in ambassadors that were ready to jump in and promote the campaign and its messaging. Working to strengthen those relationships while we were doing the creative process, like I said, was very worthwhile.

(DESCRIPTION)
Content, content and even more content.

(SPEECH)
The next thing that I learned was content, content, content, and even more content is needed. There's never a thing of too much content. Because all the content was coming from real people sharing their stories and volunteering their time to be the face of the Doing It campaign, we have the possibility of having a lot of content.

So our main campaign shoot lasted over eight days. The weeks leading up to the shoot, we had, at minimum, two meetings a day to scope out all the content that we were planning on developing. Because we were working with volunteers and their varying schedules, things were changing by the minute. But our planning, preplanning, planning for the worst paid off. For that one shoot, we had hundreds of photographs, numerous hours, of video content that we were able to use and repurpose for years later.

(DESCRIPTION)
Microcampaigns can keep it fresh.

(SPEECH)
And the third lesson or insight that I learned on this campaign was the value of micro campaigns. So micro campaigns are just what they sound like, short communication efforts focused on a central call to action. And they're usually implemented on social media. So in year three of the campaign, we really wanted to rally and reinvigorate the ambassadors. We wanted to have something that the HIV advocates could rally behind as well to support their efforts. And we most importantly wanted the general public to start to get beyond the campaign and speak up about HIV testing.

(DESCRIPTION)
Inset image, A group of scattered photographs. Text, National HIV Testing Day. Get tested. Share your story. Use the hashtag, Doing It My Way. Logos, Doing It My Way, Act Against AIDS. June 27

(SPEECH)
So we created a micro campaign called Doing It My Way to encourage the general public to showcase their personal reasons why and how they test for HIV. We created tools they could use, social media content. We shared it with the partners, and our campaign ambassadors.

(DESCRIPTION)
Inset image, A Twitter post from Dr. Robert R. Redfield, @ CDC Director. Text, For more than 30 years, I've worked to end (hashtag) HIV. I continue to do so by encouraging people to know their HIV status. This (hashtag) HIV Testing Day, share why getting tested is important to you to encourage others. Hashtag, Doing It My Way. cdc dot gov slash doing it my way. Eight photos of different people around a center square with the text, We're doing it, Testing for HIV. 2:48 pm, June 27, 2018.

(SPEECH)
And the micro campaign was extremely successful. It was noticed by CDC leadership.

(DESCRIPTION)
Two other social media posts, one featuring The Breakfast Club, and one from Florida Health Duval

(SPEECH)
Our partners even got in on it and had some media interviews. And local health departments took the theme and connected it with their HIV testing efforts.

(DESCRIPTION)
A social media post of a smiling woman. She holds a sign that reads, I did my HIV test with my doctor during my annual exam.

(SPEECH)
But the most important and worthwhile thing that I saw with this micro campaign was the regular people participating to encourage their own personal networks to test for HIV. It was people from all walks of life, just sharing their experiences and really championing the Doing It My Way message.

(DESCRIPTION)
Two other images of social media posts.

(SPEECH)
The micro campaign was able to breathe some additional life into the Doing It campaign. And that one effort led to even more visibility and engagement with the Doing It campaign than we had seen in its previous two years.

(DESCRIPTION)
Another social media post.

(SPEECH)
So although the Act Against AIDS program has evolved and it's now Let's Stop HIV Together, Doing It continues to be the theme for CDC's HIV testing efforts. I'm so grateful that I have the opportunity to work on such an important campaign. But I'm even more grateful to the team that worked tirelessly to pull it off, year after year, starting with our clients at CDC and the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, my great colleagues at Westat, and our partners, [INAUDIBLE] Associates, Crosby Marketing, and The Green Group. So I just want to thank you for your time today for letting me share this campaign and my experience working with it. And I look forward to the upcoming panel discussion. Thank you.