The objective of the campaign is to recruit trans women of color (TWOC) in New York City to join the TURNNT study. In order to do that, we had to break down barriers of distrust between the medical community and the trans community. The choice to feature TWOC front and center in our campaign was intentional for that reason. This was not a campaign of an organization talking to a group of women, but of women talking to each other. Through personal interviews, they were able to share their unique experiences, helping to build trust with eligible participants and highlighting the importance of enrollment.
Given our task to recruit women into the study, we knew this required nuance and empathy. We were up against a community that rightfully views healthcare providers with distrust. We worked directly with the community to ensure the authentic voices of the women came through. We didn’t need the message to come from some faceless organization. The message was meant to be from one woman to another, showing that together, these women can help build a better future for themselves. Typically, TWOC are oversexualized, ridiculed, and tokenized in media portrayal. With this campaign, we showcased them authentically—bold, empowered, and beautiful. These intimate portraits were featured in print ads, across the enrollment website, and on flyers passed out at trans events. The study was also promoted across Instagram—a channel that the TWOC community uses to connect with others and to find support. The community connected with the campaign and joined the conversation.
In 3 months (and with no paid media), the campaign brought in:
