Objective

Using a Meta Brand Lift Test, we executed a full-funnel media strategy with the intent of amplifying our Be There Certificate program and increasing user signup. The Be There Certificate is a free, digital, self-paced learning experience designed to increase mental health literacy and provide youth with the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to safely support anyone who may be struggling with their mental health. We envision a world where every young person is comfortable talking about their mental health, and those who need support get the help they deserve. The Be There Certificate - available in English, French and Spanish, offers universal best practices while diving deeper into the intersections of culture, identity, and social determinants of mental wellness.

Strategy

In a heavily politicized climate, with threats to LGBTQ+ safety, social and emotional learning opportunities, and federal education and mental health resources funding cuts, we recognized an opportunity to share the Be There Certificate as a free, accessible resource for anyone with access to a mobile device and as a beacon of hope for young people searching for solutions. 

We utilized storytelling from lived experiences and our colorful, kind, affirming, and inclusive ads to resonate with young people across global communities. This provided us success in sharing our work and uplifting young people’s mental health journeys through the Be There Certificate program using an impact-driven narrative and a welcoming user experience.

Using a direct messaging approach, we utilized the Be There Certificate’s organic storytelling model to emotionally resonate directly with users and generate a two-fold call-to-action. This was focused on the user’s role in achieving support for themselves and their peers who may resonate with the lived experiences told through the Be There Certificate course. Our direct messaging used questions, behavioral tendencies, and patterns of psychological thought to capture viewers' attention purposefully through carousel and static posts, with the goal of increasing engagement across our campaign.

Results

Aligning our messaging with each step in the user journey through Brand Lift test and control groups allowed us to poll people in both groups about ad recall, brand awareness, and message association and resonance. Our new, engagement-focused creative connected with audiences and encouraged recall while our new direct messaging approach created an immediate connection with users.

• A 245.61% increase in overall traffic; 36k+ Website Sessions; 2.6mm+ users reached. Our campaign outperformed a 2024 Brand Lift Study for the Be There Certificate and far surpassed industry benchmarks.
• Men experienced a higher standard ad recall lift for both targeted age groups, potentially indicating the refreshed creative and messaging approach resonated more effectively among this demographic.
• 1 in 4 users that viewed the ads remembered them later on. Using the most conservative calculations, these ads drove an increase of half a million people recalling the campaign ads, nearly 300K people increasing their awareness of the course/ads, and over 100K people reporting an increased intent to sign up. 
• For Standard Ad Recall, our cost per user lift was lower than the national cross-industry average of $0.34, inclusive of both corporations and nonprofits. Meaning, these ads produced a similar efficiency for difficult questions like “do you want to take this online mental health course” to questions like “do you want to try this product?”

Media