Mental illness affects a wide majority of the population, yet there is still a lot of stigma surrounding it compared to other physical illnesses. Approximately 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. (46.6 million) experiences mental illness in a given year, and approximately 1 in 5 youth aged 13–18 (21.4%) experiences a severe mental disorder at some point during their life (source: National Institute of Mental Health). Yet, most people don’t seek treatment or feel uncomfortable talking about mental health. These untreated mental illnesses cost America $193.2 billion in lost earnings per year. In addition, individuals living with serious mental illness face an increased risk of having chronic medical conditions.
iHeartMedia, in partnership with National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) and Child Mind Institute, launched the Let’s Talk campaign with the hope of starting a national conversation, normalizing the mental health and reducing the stigma associated with it.
Key objectives:
As the number 1 audio company in the United States, iHeartMedia reaches 9 out of every 10 Americans. Using the power of radio and its other assets including social, digital, influencers and podcast platform, iHeartMedia aimed to reach all its listeners to build awareness and spark a national conversation to reduce stigma and to normalize the conversation surrounding mental health.
iHeartMedia leveraged the influence of various famous artists, actors and iHeartRadio influencers to reach their wide fan base with the campaign’s message.
iHeartRadio on-air radio personalities – who have a unique and deep relationship with their listeners – also promoted the campaign and helped facilitate these conversations.
During the 2019 National Mental Health Awareness Month, iHeartMedia started airing a diverse series of PSAs to educate the public on the general state of mental illness – such as the fact that over 350 million people in the U.S. of all ages are dealing with depression – and describe the signs and symptoms associated with the most common mental health concerns.
iHeartMedia aired across all its 850 radio stations 30-second audio clips of artists and celebrities sharing heartfelt words of encouragement and advice around mental health. Listeners also got a chance to hear these celebrities share intimate details and their own vulnerabilities to normalize the conversation surrounding mental health. Celebrities gave listeners one piece of advice they would have given their younger selves to better cope with anxiety, depression and other mental health-related issues.
All PSAs drove back to the mental health website where listeners could learn more about the campaign and tap into curated resources for people looking to get help or be a support for the people in their lives going through a difficult time. (http://iheartradio.com/talk)
Implementation
On-air media
PSAs encouraging people to check out the Let’s Talk campaign were aired across 850 stations in 50 markets in the United States. Listeners were also encouraged to reach out to Crisis Textline if they are in immediate crisis.
Power of celebrities
Many celebrities, including Kristen Bell, Wayne Brady, Weezer, Pete Wentz, Charlamagne Tha God, Imagine Dragons, came together for the campaign bringing awareness to mental illness and sharing their own personal stories and struggles with depression, anxiety and other mental illnesses.
Power of on-air personalities and influencers
iHeartMedia on-air personalities are synonymous with companionship. Fans and listeners tune in daily to listen to their favorite show and hear news and advice from their favorite DJ host. These influencers further use their social media account to further connect with their fan base and give a glimpse in their personal life. iHeartMedia leveraged the power of its on-air personalities to communicate a powerful message to listeners about the campaign on-air and on social media.
Digital and social media placement
iHeartMedia ran ads directing websites visitors to the mental health campaigns. Ads ran throughout the year across all iHeartMedia radio stations’ websites. In addition, iHeartMedia promoted the campaign in iHeartRadio newsletters and on iHeartRadio social media platforms cumulating over 130 million followers.
The campaign generated approximately 420 million impressions across iHeartMedia combined assets, on-air, digital and social, the equivalent of $4.2 million in ad value.
Mental Health website saw an uptick of 75% visitors during the first phase of the campaign, which ran for 4 weeks in May 2019 during National Mental Health Month.
By activating iHeartMedia’s greatest assets: our listeners, personalities, artists, airwaves and digital platforms, the Let’s Talk campaign generated 420 million impressions creating much needed awareness for the campaign.
By visiting the site, listeners accessed curated resources published by NAMI and the Child Mind Institute, guides to starting the conversation with a friend, child or healthcare provider, a symptom checker and general information on mental health.
