| With financial support from Lloyd E. Rigler, founder of the
American Association for Single People, the association launched a national advertising
campaign in October. The ads were intended to accomplish two goals: (1) educate the
general public and single people too that unmarried voters were being ignored by the
presidential candidates and the national political parties; and (2) increase support for
AASP by inviting single and unmarried adults to join a national organization which is
creating a collective voice for single people in America. Unless the nation’s 80
million unmarried adults unite to create such a voice, marital status discrimination
against unmarried workers, consumers, and taxpayers will continue unabated.
The first ad ran in USA Today on October 3 with another published in the same paper a
week later. Press releases were sent to each Associated Press office in the nation, with
additional outreach to the print and broadcast media through PR Newswire.
One AP reporter, Mike Schneider of Orlando, Florida, took a keen interest in the story.
He interviewed AASP executive director Thomas F. Coleman and other members of AASP, and
solicited comments from the presidential campaigns.
The AP wire story was released nationally on October 22. The next day, the story
appeared in dozens of newspapers throughout the nation. |
|
News of AASP and its ad campaign was picked up by radio and
television stations. More information about this news coverage is contained inside this
newsletter. With all of the media attention, the hits to our website skyrocketed.
Hundreds of single people who heard the news or saw our ads made donations to AASP.
Some called, others wrote letters, and many used their credit cards to sign up through
our website. Yes, donations can now be made to AASP with a credit card!
We have made a good start by creating a national presence for AASP. But we have much
more work to do.
Media attention and name recognition are helpful, but there is no substitute for
numbers. To be a truly effective voice for single people in America, we need more members
– millions of members – just like AARP.
We can start with our current membership base. Get four or five friends or relatives to
join, or give gift memberships for the holidays.
With your active participation, AASP can become a powerful force for unmarried
Americans. Together we can make it happen.
Let’s do it! |
