Knock Tobacco Out of the Park

Learn how the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and its partners took on Major League Baseball and won the first ever restrictions on smokeless tobacco use by players.  The Knock Tobacco Out of the Park campaign involved a strategic integration of grassroots efforts with mainstream and social media outreach that generated hundreds of earned media stories in print, television and radio; prompted fans and advocates to send more than 35,000 messages to the league and players’ union and won historic change. The campaign, which grew to more than 200 supporting organizations and notable figures, led MLB and the players’ union to impose the first limits smokeless tobacco use in baseball.

Audience:

• Communications professionals;
• Grassroots organizers;
• Youth advocates and organizers.

Key Points:

• You can run creative, effective campaigns on a shoestring budget.
• Targeted advocacy campaigns are a great way to engage new tobacco control advocates.
• Using high-profile events/dates as hooks for media coverage increases success in pitching stories.

Educational Experience:

• Participants will learn about using effective online strategy including Facebook, twitter and grassroots emails to engage advocates and the public.
• Participants will learn about communications strategy; how to pitch reporters and generate a broad range of press coverage.

Benefits:

• Learn how to engage an audience that may not otherwise be interested in your cause.
• Learn how to effectively use social media channels to your advantage, including with targeting stakeholders and the media.
• Learn how to engage media on your issue to generate press coverage and public support.