Improving Publicity for Love Out Loud 2012

Prepared for: Kristi Vail Project Manager, 2011-12 The Love Out Loud Campaign Prepared by: Madonna Events, Inc. Stephanie Moore, Publicity Analyst Samantha Reynard, Publicity Analyst Alyssa Santos, Publicity Analyst

March 9, 2011

To: From:

Ms. Kristi Vail Ms. Stephanie Moore Ms. Samantha Reynard Ms. Alyssa Santos March 9, 2011 Recommended publicity improvements for Love Out Loud 2012

Date: Subject:

Attached please find our recommendations for improving publicity of future Love Out Loud events. The report includes documentation of publicity used in 2011 by the founders, findings from surveys facilitated prior to and at the Feb. 26 event, and our recommendations. We found the coordinators marketing attempts thorough; however, the campaign would benefit from earlier distribution of print advertisements such as posters, as well as more indepth use of social media. Thank you for the opportunity to work with Love Out Loud. We can discuss the report at length if you would like. Madonna Events would happily work with the Love Out Loud campaign on future research projects. Please feel free to contact Samantha Reynard by email at sam.reynard@gmail.com or by mobile phone at (805) 300-6032 if you would like further information on the report or to propose a new project with Madonna Events.

INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................... 1 CURRENT PUBLICITY .......................................................................................................... 1 New Media ............................................................................................................................. 1 Social Media Networks ....................................................................................................... 1 Campaign Website .............................................................................................................. 2 Print Media ........................................................................................................................... 2 Print Advertisements .......................................................................................................... 2 Press Release ....................................................................................................................... 3 Mustang Daily Article ......................................................................................................... 3 Other Publicity..................................................................................................................... 3 Videos................................................................................................................................... 3 Booths .................................................................................................................................. 3 Wear Your Heart on Your Sleeve Day............................................................................. 4 PUBLIC RESPONSE TO PUBLICITY ................................................................................. 4 Preliminary Survey............................................................................................................. 4 Survey of Event Attendance ............................................................................................. 5 Event Attendance ................................................................................................................ 6 SUGGESTED PUBLICITY ..................................................................................................... 6 Social Media.......................................................................................................................... 6 Print Media ........................................................................................................................... 6 Other Suggestions ............................................................................................................... 7 CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS........................................................................... 8 APPENDIX A: Print Media Examples .................................................................................. i APPENDIX B: Preliminary survey findings ................................................................... xii APPENDIX C: Event Survey ................................................................................................. x APPENDIX D: Social Media Statistics ...............................................................................xi REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................... xiii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Figure 1: Sample Photo Booth picture ....................................................................................... 3 Figure 2: Over one-third of respondents had heard of the event ............................................. 4 Figure 3: Most respondents heard of the event through social media and word of mouth..... 4 Figure 4: 55% of respondents who knew of event were likely to attend .................................. 5 Figure 5: The majority of attendees were female...................................................................... 5 Figure 6: The majority of attendees were Cal Poly students.................................................... 5 Figure 7: Most attendees heard of the event through word of mouth...................................... 5

TABLE OF FIGURES

INTRODUCTION
The following recommendation report, addressed to 2012 Head Coordinator Kristi Vail, details potential improvements in publicity for future Love Out Loud events. This campaign began this year and aims to raise support and awareness for college students suffering from depression, thoughts of suicide, and/or self-injury. In addition, the project coordinators want to encourage healthy outlets, especially creative self-expression. The campaign creators started planning this event last July. They planned a concert and a free awareness fair, which will benefit the continuation of the campaign at Cal Poly as well as non-profit organization To Write Love on Her Arms. The 2011 coordinators started publicizing the Love Out Loud event in January. Future coordinators would benefit from feedback on which of the marketing strategies succeeded and what new strategies the 2012 coordinators could implement for Love Out Louds 2012 event. The report will address ways in which the project coordinators may improve publicity in 2012. We chose to write a recommendation for Love Out Loud because of the prominence the issues have on our generation and on the Cal Poly campus. In addition, one of our team members, Samantha Reynard, has worked on the campaign since October and has access to inside information. She compiled much of the information regarding current publicity through the campaigns group email account. As this campaign aims to raise awareness of prominent issues for our generation (suicide, depression, and self-injury), we want to use our time and resources to make this campaign more accessible to Cal Poly.

CURRENT PUBLICITY
The 2011 coordinators utilized new media, print media, and other media to publicize the campaign and show.

NEW MEDIA
The coordinators used both social networks and a campaign website from the beginning of the campaign to reach out to students and other locals interested in bringing about awareness of suicide, depression, and self-injury.

Social Media Networks

The Love Out Loud campaign creators registered with several social media websites in November 2010: Facebook: registered Nov. 17 Blogspot: registered Nov. 22 Flickr: registered Nov. 29 Twitter: registered Nov. 29 YouTube: registered Nov. 29

Although they had access to all these sites, the 2011 coordinators mainly used Facebook to update those interested in the campaign. As of Mar. 1, 2011, 850 members of Facebook like The Love Out Loud campaign. (See APPENDIX D: Social Media Statistics for statistics such as demographics from the Facebook page.) Love Out Louds profiles on the

remaining social media networks include the following numbers of followers, subscribers, or comments: YouTube: 2 Flickr: 0 Twitter: 11 Blogspot: 6

Due to the versatility (allowing members to microblog, post photos, post events, and more) and popularity of Facebook, the coordinators used it as the main online marketing tool. They advertised every new print advertisement, event, and addition to the website on their Facebook page. On Feb. 2, the coordinators created an Event page to advertise The Love Out Loud Show on Feb. 26. The coordinators also posted promotional photos on Feb. 12. These photos consisted of a series of individual portraits that showcased each coordinators reason for participating in the project, as well as group photos.

Campaign Website
The Digital Media & Web Head created the campaign website. She worked in conjunction with the Graphic Design Head to maintain a consistent design throughout all of Love Out Louds media. On Jan. 25, full details about the show aired. The website includes the following information: The campaigns mission and the creators biographies Details on the Feb. 26 show, including o Time and place o Speakers o Performers o Artists o Vendors A calendar of upcoming events A list of sponsors A list of resources for those seeking help

PRINT MEDIA
Within the scope of print media, the 2011 coordinators used print advertisements, press releases, and an article in the school newspaper.

Print Advertisements
Between Oct. 2010 and Feb. 2011, the Graphic Design Head created several different forms of print advertisements. See APPENDIX A: Print Media Examples for examples. The following list details the print dates and the item printed: Nov. 5: coordinator business cards Jan. 20: postcards to advertise show on Feb. 26 Jan 21: stickers to advertise campaign Feb. 2: posters to advertise open mic night on Feb. 7 Feb 14-20: coffee sleeves distributed on campus to advertise show on Feb. 26

Feb. 14-28: table toppers placed on campus to advertise show on Feb. 26 Feb. 16: color posters to advertise show on Feb. 26 Feb. 21: black and white posters to advertise show on Feb. 26 Feb. 25: promotional t-shirts

Press Release
The Public Relations Director worked with Matt Lazier at the Cal Poly Public Relations department to write Love Out Louds press release. Cal Poly published the press release on Feb. 11. See Error! Reference source not found. in APPENDIX A: Print Media Examples for a copy.

Mustang Daily Article

On Feb. 24, 2011, the Mustang Daily published a full front-page article about Love Out Loud and the prevalence of the issues at Cal Poly. Second-year English major and Mustang Daily news staff writer Alicia Freeman wrote the article. The article detailed the campaign, the reasons for creating the campaign, information about the show on Feb. 26, and information about local resources available to those seeking help. See APPENDIX A: Print Media Examples for a copy of the article.

OTHER PUBLICITY
In addition to new and print media, the 2011 coordinators used videos, booths, and an awareness day to publicize the campaign.

Videos
On Feb. 11, the Digital Media & Web Head published a video on Facebook that she created, focusing on the line, Depression does not define me.

Booths
The coordinators scheduled a booth at Farmers Market through Friday Night Live on Jan. 20, 2011. At Farmers, they sold tickets to a pancake fundraiser on Jan. 22 and distributed postcards describing the show on Feb. 26. On Feb. 22 and 23, 2011, the coordinators created a makeshift photo booth at Cal Polys UU Plaza and Dexter Lawn, respectively. Students came to the booth to pose with silly props (hats, sunglasses, and mustaches). The Digital Media & Web Head compiled three photos with the campaign logo, as pictured in Figure 1 at right.

Figure 1: Sample Photo Booth picture

The representatives at the booth emailed the picture to participants and encouraged them to use it as their profile picture prior to the show in order to facilitate a Profile Takeover.

The email included a short description of the campaign and the upcoming event. See Figure 10 in APPENDIX A: Print Media Examples for a copy of the email.

Wear Your Heart on Your Sleeve Day

In preparation for the show, the coordinators distributed canvas hearts and safety pins at the photo booths mentioned in Booths above and announced Wear Your Heart on Your Sleeve Day on Feb. 24 to raise awareness of Love Out Loud.

PUBLIC RESPONSE TO PUBLICITY

The following sections detail data Madonna Events discovered through surveys and event observation. Madonna Events conducted two surveys for the Love Out Loud event: A preliminary survey of 53 students A survey at the event of 33 attendants (both students and non-students)

PRELIMINARY SURVEY
We conducted a preliminary survey in the Robert E. Kennedy library and the Cal Poly University Union on Feb. 17 and 23. We surveyed a random sample of 53 students. As illustrated in Figure 2 at right, more students had not heard of the event than had. We wanted to use the survey to also find out how the students heard about the event. With this information, Madonna Events can judge which publicity attempts succeeded and which need improvement. We encouraged students who had heard of the event to select how they heard about the event via a check all that apply question. Figure 3 to the right illustrates the results of this question. Of the 20 who answered, 14 heard about it through social media, 9 through word of mouth, 7 through print advertisements, and 1 through fundraising/events.
Figure 2: Over one-third of respondents had heard of the event

Figure 3: Most respondents heard of the event through social media and word of mouth

Of the 20 students who had heard of the Love Out Loud event, more students said they would or might attend the event than those who said they would not. Figure 4 to the right illustrates the distribution of their answers. The gender of the students who planned to attend the Love Out Loud event consisted mainly of females. If the students surveyed had not heard of the Love Out Loud event, Madonna Events gave the option to leave their email for more information. 11 of the 33 students unaware of the event wanted to know more.
Figure 4: 55% of respondents who knew of event were likely to attend

For more statistical findings from the preliminary survey, please see Appendix B.

SURVEY OF EVENT ATTENDEES

Madonna Events surveyed a random sample of 33 attendees at the Feb. 26 Love Out Loud show. Figure 5 to the right illustrates the gender distribution of event attendees. As in the preliminary survey, we found that the majority consisted of females. Figure 5: The majority of attendees were female. The coordinators opened this event to the public so we did not make the event survey exclusive to students. However, as illustrated in Figure 6 to the left, of the 33 attendees surveyed, Cal Poly students had the majority.
Figure 6: The majority of attendees were Cal Poly students.

Figure 7 below illustrates how attendees heard of the event. Twenty-six respondents heard about the event from word of mouth. Ten respondents heard about it through social media, and one respondent heard from a fundraiser. For more statistical findings from the event survey, please see Appendix C.

Figure 7: Most attendees heard of the event through word of mouth.

EVENT ATTENDANCE
The coordinators intended to house over 500 people at the event. Unfortunately, lines of communication got crossed at the event, and the coordinators do not have a reliable means of calculating actual attendance. The coordinators sold 135 pre-sale tickets through PayPal, and they estimated that 182 people bought tickets at the door, rounding to an estimated 317 attendees.

SUGGESTED PUBLICITY
The following sections detail improvements that Madonna Events suggests using social media, print media, and other publicity.

SOCIAL MEDIA
Madonna Events suggests utilizing more forms of social media in order to publicize most effectively online. While the 2011 project coordinators successfully used social media to inform 70% of students who had heard about the event in our preliminary survey, we can safely assume most of this occurred through Facebook (see page 2 for details on followers per social network). We think that other forms could create even more interest or provide additional information. Future coordinators should consider adding links on the Facebook page to its other social media accounts for easier access. The other networks could attract more followers and attention if updated more frequently with information that directly relates to the students; they could also encourage more participation in the campaign. For example, updating the Flickr with more photos could draw even more attention from the campaigns 850 Facebook followers. The coordinators should post Profile Takeover pictures on page 4 and pictures from other activities, such as fundraisers and the promotional photo shoot, on the Flickr account so that students looking through the pictures consequently learn about and see documentation of other events. Future coordinators could also use the blog more effectively to publicize the mission of the campaign by discussing the core issues of depression, suicide, and self-harm. We realize that the Public Relations Head attempted to expand the blog and profile the 2011 events performers, but the following list provides other suggestions for the blog: testimonies of people battling depression the vision of the creators advice of psychologists and mental health experts

Future coordinators should also consider creating stickers with each of the social media websites and placing them on the back of postcards to encourage users (of YouTube, Flickr, Twitter, Facebook, or blog readers) to check out this additional form of publicity.

PRINT MEDIA
Future coordinators could improve the effectiveness of print media by incorporating print advertisements earlier and in larger amounts (to a more diverse demographic). Our print media recommendation focuses on improving timeliness.

The posters displayed excellent design but did not appear on-campus until a week before the event. Similarly, the t-shirts would have drawn attention to the event but appeared initially at the event itself, limiting potential publicity. The Wear Your Heart on Your Sleeve could also have created more awareness by earlier distribution. Future project coordinators may consider distributing canvas hearts two weeks before the event and requesting that participants wear the heart for the entire week leading up to the event. In addition, larger distribution of the postcards may increase publicity. Coordinators could maximize awareness of the next event by distributing postcards or flyers to more student groups such as dorm mailboxes professors to distribute to students clubs

Other successful forms of print media included table toppers and coffee sleeves distributed on-campus. The Mustang Daily article was well-timed and effective. Keep that in mind for future events as a valuable publicity resource. Regarding other print publicity, we recommend distributing three press releases that focus on the mission of the campaign itself in order to establish an on-campus presence before promoting an event. For example, if future coordinators continue to hold events in February, we recommend issuing the following press releases: December: press release about the campaign January: press release about event February: press release about event

Our preliminary findings revealed that 40% of students aware of the event belong to the College of Liberal Arts. We suggest concentrating on the other colleges at Cal Poly. Of students surveyed prior to the event, 73.5% participate in on-campus activities. The Love Out Loud campaign could increase awareness in other colleges by working with non-CLA club leaders to distribute postcards and promote the event. (For example, only 1% of the students in the College of Science and Math showed awareness of the campaign).

OTHER SUGGESTIONS
The photo booth event had a fun, creative tone for the publicity of the campaign. This event drew attention both on campus and on Facebook. If future coordinators continue to use the photo booth, we suggest using Flickr and YouTube to host photos and videos from the booths and garner more attention. The 2011 coordinators primarily publicized the photo booth on Facebook and may have increased further awareness of the campaign by promoting in a variety of ways, such as announcing it at other on campus events or posting an advertisement on the Cal Poly Portal. In addition, more students would have the opportunity to get involved if the booth had lasted for several weeks or if the coordinators offered the booth in various locations on different days, allowing for wider awareness through word of mouth. In addition, we recommend the coordinators keep track of how many tickets the volunteers sell at the door of the next event in order to know how many people attended the event. These vital statistics measure the success of the event and, consequently, the publicity. 7

CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS

Madonna Events found that female students made up the majority of the event attendance, and these students learned of the event through word of mouth or social media. Madonna Events suggests the following improvements: Increased use of Flickr, YouTube, Blogspot, and Twitter Timely distribution of posters, t-shirts, postcards Additional opportunities for distribution of print media Additional photo booth opportunities

Publicity improvements, like posting print advertisements earlier, would greatly increase awareness around campus. We also believe writing more press releases and keeping the name of Love Out Loud in the media would increase community awareness and, consequently, involvement and attendance. As far as the event goes, we strongly recommend that future coordinators keep track of the number of attendees at future events by tracking pre-sold tickets (which the 2011 coordinators succeeded at doing) and collecting ticket stubs or using a ticket counter at the door. Knowing the number of tickets purchased and the number of actual attendees would greatly benefit future coordinators, budgets, and expectations of events.

APPENDIX A: Print Media Examples

The following images document designs created by the 2011 Graphic Design Head, including logos and other print advertisements.

Figure 8: Original logo

Figure 9: Letterhead

Figure 10: Postcard

Figure 11: Sticker

Figure 5: Table topper

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Figure 13: Poster advertising Open Mic Night

Figure 6: Poster advertising show

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Figure 7: Poster 2 advertising show

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Figure 8: Poster 3 advertising show

Figure 9: Feb 11, 2011 Press Release

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Figure 10: Email sent with Photo Booth photos

MUSTANG DAILY ARTICLE

Senior project spreads love and awareness to Cal Poly
By Alicia Freeman / Posted on 24 February 2011 The Love Out Loud Campaign, a senior project by several Cal Poly students, aims to spread awareness for depression and suicide with guest speakers, music, crafts and art on Feb. 26. Carly Smoot and Rachel Dulaney, both English seniors, decided to start the first Love Out Loud because of their own personal experiences Smoot lost a friend to suicide, and Dulaney battled depression. After coming up with the idea, the two enlisted the help of Rachel Egan, a journalism senior; Samantha Reynard, an English senior; and graphic communication seniors Aubrea Felch and Laina Reginelli to bring the idea of love, hope and positive self expression to people struggling with depression and suicide. We all have a positive self expression form that helps us cope with these different issues in whatever capacity that we struggle with them, personally or not, Smoot said. We wanted to encourage people to find positive, healthy outlets beyond the issue, and then build a community based around those ideas. To promote communication and awareness, Love Out Loud features many different routes of expression as outlets for those feelings. Headlining speaker Kevin Hines, who survived jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge and Cal Poly alumnus Riley Arthur, whose friend Frances Chang committed suicide, will speak at the event. There will also be bands and dancers. Smoot said the guests and vendors participating in the event also have their own inspirational stories to tell. These are people that we picked because they have a heart for this stuff, but also because theyre incredibly passionate, Smoot said. And they were people that had a dream, and a lot of people told them they couldnt do it.

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The need for awareness of depression in college students is very real. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 1 in 4 American adults 18 and older live with a mental illness. Of the people who die as a result of suicide, 90 percent have a mental illness, including substance abuse disorder or a depressive disorder. Additionally, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties have a higher prevalence of suicide than the California average, said Cami Rouse, a family advocate for TransitionsMental Health Association (TMHA). TMHA aims to educate individuals with mental illness and their families about their disorders and offer help when needed. Rouse said the effects of mental illness are a very scary feeling for those who do not understand it. You feel alone, you feel confused, youre exhausted, Rouse said. And also, theres a lot of stigma associated. It takes a lot of courage, our clients tell us, to walk through our door for the first time. Weve had several clients tell us that theyve come and sat in our parking lot three or four times before they walked through our doors. TMHA also aims to fight that stigma with the SLO the Stigma campaign, a sponsor of Love Out Loud. By introducing the community to the reality and even normalcy of mental illness, SLO the Stigma pushes to provide hope, awareness and help to those with mental illnesses. In conjunction with the program and TMHA, the SLO Hotline also offers a 24/7, anonymous resource for individuals seeking help. Rouse said an important issue beyond just the stigma of mental health issues is drug abuse. People with mental illnesses who abuse drugs can have drug-induced psychosis, even with drugs like marijuana. In fact, teens at risk for a psychological brain disorder are four times more likely to develop a mental illness when smoking marijuana. A tricky thing with drugs, and alcohol too, is sometimes you dont know what came first the chicken and the egg kind of concept you dont know if someone is self medicating because they have a mental health issue in their teens or early 20ss or they had druginduced psychosis that then manifested in mental illness, Rouse said. It could happen either way and thats why its so important to consume responsibly, to know the risk factors and make good choices. The Cal Poly chapter of Friday Night Live (SLOFNLP), a nonprofit San Luis Obispo group for drug abuse prevention, is also a sponsor of the event. Kristi Vail, a psychology junior and Friday Night Live chapter president, said she wanted Love Out Loud to provide awareness about self-medicating with drugs. Vail also said she wanted to continue the Love Out Loud program for her own senior project in order to further provide awareness. Im going to take it as my senior project and make it a nonprofit, Vail said. (Theres) just a lot of background in my family of self-medication, and thats why I got involved with Friday Night Live. In addition to depression and self-medication, Love Out Loud also focuses on suicide prevention. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 33,000 people die from suicide a year, making it the second leading cause of death among college students. Rouse said indicators of suicidal thoughts are the giving away of possessions, writing thank you notes for no apparent reason, not sleeping for days at a time and withdrawing from

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school, family and friends. Rouse also said those who attempt suicide do not want to die; rather, they feel like they have to. In that moment, its very difficult to remember that it gets better, Rouse said. But it does get better. I (have) a coworker who has attempted twice, and the way he explains it to me is that its like a darkness completely invades his body, and he cant see any type of light whatsoever. However, its not only the person who attempts to commit suicide who is affected. Smoot, with her personal experience of loss, said she felt confusion and blame after the loss of her friend. You look back and go, What could I have done differently? Why didnt I see that? Smoot said. And obviously, suicide isnt one persons fault, but when youre just coming out of that, you just want to find an answer because its so hard to understand. Rouse said people who are depressed, and possibly considering suicide should seek help because recovery is possible, although it was not considered to be before. People with mental health issues can go on and live the lives they imagined for themselves, Rouse said. But heres the thing too its very individual based. Recovery for one person is just getting out of bed in the morning. Recovery for another is graduating from college or having a family or having the career they imagined for themselves. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersexual or asexual (LGBTQIA) students often have this feeling of loneliness and pressure, which is shown with the influx of suicides in the community. Rouse said those in the LGBTQIA community are four times more likely to commit suicide than heterosexuals. If the individual comes from an unsupportive family or community, he or she is nine times more likely to commit suicide. Kris Gottlieb, an Americorps VIP for the Pride Center, said she thought it was alarming that people were not outraged by the amount of suicides in the LGBTQIA community, though the national epidemic gained media attention with Tyler Clementis suicide in 2010. This epidemic is nothing new, Gottlieb said. The only thing thats new is the media sensationalism. For some reason, our culture was ready to hear about what really was happening in the LGBT community as far as depression and hopelessness. Though Gottlieb said the media was paying more attention to LGBTQIA suicides, she felt the media attention has since stopped while the epidemic has not. One reason for the high level of suicide might be the rate of homeless LGBTQIA youth one in four youths who come out to their families are kicked out of their homes, Gottlieb said. Not only are these children facing incredible amounts of rejection (and) feelings of hopelessness, but they are also facing hunger, economic failure, Gottlieb said. When were children, were supposed to feel free to learn, and were supposed to be encouraged to grow and be healthy individuals. But a lot of times, when these youths are rejected by their families, even if its temporary, all of those things that should be given to us as children are just ripped away. You no longer have that innocence of childhood anymore. Gottlieb said youths who are rejected start to get situational depression, which can resemble clinical depression after a long period of time. For those LGBTQIA youths looking for help, Cal Poly and San Luis Obispo offer many services. The Pride Centeroffers

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resources, as well as the PRISM Peer Counseling Program. Additionally, there is the SARP Center, which provides anonymous help to any individual who may have been a victim of sexual violence. Homosexual students and individuals are not the only victims. Cal Poly was once rocked with a suicide that changed many students world. Senior Frances Chang committed suicide in fall 2008, shocking the campus and her sorority, Gamma Phi Beta. Those who knew her said she was a beautiful, warm girl who did not appear to be depressed. Kathleen Lee, a graphic communication alumna and a former member of Changs sorority, said Chang was an idol for her and other pledges that year. Everyone was drawn to her and everyone had a girl crush on her, but everyone thought she was way too cool to be their friend, Lee said. She gave so much of herself that clearly she didnt take care of herself. She was kind of like a lightning bolt of energy. Kristina Benvenuto, a graphic communication junior and the president of Gamma Phi Beta, said though many of the sorority members who knew Chang personally have graduated, the sorority still seeks to spread her memory. Annually, the sorority holds a benefit walk, the Forward for Frances Memorial Walk, which benefits the many charities Chang supported. The sorority donated $250 to the Love Out Loud Campaign after Benvenuto heard about it. This is something I really (wanted) Gamma Phi to be involved with, Benvenuto said. And our girls were automatically like, Yes, lets do it. Lets help. Lee said she hoped with events like Love Out Loud and Forward for Frances, people unacquainted with suicide will rise above the stigma it sometimes creates. I think people should try to educate themselves on both depression and suicide before passing judgement on someone, Lee said. Theres a lot more that someone whos not depressed just cant ever understand. People should get to know the backstory, and also understand that its not something that will ever make sense. Felch, the digital media and Web organizer of Love Out Loud, said she was Changs lab partner freshman year, and felt that if Chang had more support and had been able to express her feelings, things might have turned out differently. People that seem to have it all together, they can be the worst of it, Felch said. If she felt comfortable talking to people or people felt comfortable talking to her, it could have been different. Well, I would hope. Felch herself knows what its like to hide pain and depression with a happy, bubbly facade. Felch said after her father died the summer before her senior year of high school, she experienced an extended bout of depression. I saw myself as weak; I didnt see potential in myself; I didnt see hope in the future, Felch said. I couldnt see the good in other people, which I knew was such a big one because Im such a people-person. It was basically like a canvas of depression. Felch said she had a hard time dealing with her depression, often not eating and feeling unmotivated to do the things she once enjoyed. She kept up a happy image in order to hide her true feelings. Yet, her facade did not help with her depression.

The ones I was closest too, I kind of mentioned I was going through a hard time, but I am also an actress, Felch said. I kept up sort of my exterior and also sometimes that helped me to get back into feeling better. I felt like I was lying to people sometimes. Yet, Felch said after seeking help from a grief counselor and taking medication, she realized the extent and normalcy of her depression. She said over time, she was able to accept her grief and take care of herself again. Now I wake up every day and I say, You know what? This is incredible, Felch said. Now its just like I can wake up and be OK and happy. I dont know if Ill ever be depressed again, but I know now I can get past it. The message of Love out Loud is the importance of communication and compassion. Egan said she hoped the Love Out Loud message would continue for years to come. I would love to do Love Out Loud for the rest of my life thats my dream, Egan said. But it will spend a few years at Cal Poly getting developed as senior projects. By the time it expands, there will be a comprehensive library of Love Out Louds. Felch said she hoped, ultimately, the concert would show depressed students, and maybe those considering suicide, that life is still beautiful and worthwhile. There are seasons, and they do pass, and there is hope, Felch said. To also know youre not alone. That helps to know that youre not crazy. Tickets for Love Out Loud are still on sale and today there will be a booth where those interested can pick up a small fabric heart to pin on their sleeve. The fair starts on Saturday at 4 :30 p.m. in Chumash Auditorium.

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APPENDIX B: Preliminary survey findings

The following graphs illustrate data we found in our preliminary survey, which we facilitated on Feb. 17 and 22, 2011 at UU Plaza and the Robert E. Kennedy library.

DEMOGRAPHICS
The following graphs document the demographics of the 53 students we surveyed.

Figure 11: More than half of the students surveyed were female.

Figure 20: Almost all students surveyed had a Facebook.

Figure 12: Among surveyed students, no college held the majority.

Figure 21: Almost of the students surveyed belonged to a club.

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STUDENTS AWARE OF EVENT

The following graphs document data about students who had heard of the event.

Figure 13: 75% of students aware of the event were female.

Figure 16: Most students aware of the event belonged to a club.

Figure 14: Almost half of the students aware of the event belonged to the College of Liberal Arts.

Figure 17: 55% of students aware of the event were likely to attend.

Figure 15: All students aware of the event had a Facebook.

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STUDENTS PLANNING TO ATTEND

The following graphs document data found about students who plan to attend.

Figure 18: 75% of students planning to attend were female.

Figure 20: All students planning to attend had a Facebook.

Figure 19: Most students planning to attend belonged to Orfalea College of Business.

Figure 30: Most students planning to attend belonged to a club.

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APPENDIX C: Event Survey

This following graphs document data we found through our event survey at the Love Out Loud show on Feb. 26. Madonna Events surveyed 33 attendees and asked for gender, student status, and (if the attendee was a student) college of study.

Figure 21: Over 2/3 of attendees were female.

Figure 23: Most student attendees belong to the College of Liberal Arts.

Figure 22: More than half of the attendees study at Cal Poly.

APPENDIX D: Social Media Statistics

Figure 24: Distribution of new "likes" on Facebook page from registration (Nov. 17, 2010) to present (Mar. 1, 2010)

Figure 25: More than half of Facebook followers are females aged 18-24

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Figure 26: Activity on Facebook page and list of external referrers

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REFERENCES
Insights. Facebook. Facebook, 2011. Web. 1 March 2011. Egan, Rachel. LOLcampaign. Twitter. Twitter, 22 February 2011. Web. 1 March 2011. Smoot, Carly. LOLCampaigns Channel. YouTube. YouTube, 2011. Web. 1 March 2011. Egan, Rachel. loveoutloudcampaigns photostream. Flickr. Flickr, 2011. Web. 1 March 2011. The Love Out Loud Campaign. Facebook. Facebook, 2011. Web. 1 March 2011. Egan, Rachel. The Love Out Loud Campaign. Blogger, 12 February 2011. Web. 1 March 2011. Felch, Aubrea. The Love Out Loud Campaign. The Love Out Loud Campaign, 2011. Web. 1 March 2011. Freeman, Alicia. Senior project spreads love and awareness to Cal Poly. Mustang Daily 24 Feb 2011: A1-2. Print. Moore, Stephanie and Alyssa Santos. Madonna Events Survey about Love Out Loud. Survey. San Luis Obispo: Chumash Auditorium, 26 February 2011. Moore, Stephanie. Madonna Events Survey about Love Out Loud. Survey. San Luis Obispo: Robert E. Kennedy Library, 23 February 2011. Reginelli, Laina. Black and white posters. Message to Love Out Loud Campaign. 20 February 2011. Email. Reginelli, Laina. Images for you to see! Message to Love Out Loud Campaign. 12 January 2011. Email. Reginelli, Laina. Poster! Message to Love Out Loud Campaign. 15 February 2011. Email. Reginelli, Laina. Posters. Message to Love Out Loud Campaign. 21 February 2011. Email. Reginelli, Laina. revised poster. Message to Samantha Reynard. 2 February 2011. Email. Reginelli, Laina. Simple LOL logo brown with red heart. Message to Love Out Loud Campaign. 8 January 2011. Reginelli, Laina. sticker design. Message to Samantha Reynard. 11 January 2011. Email. Reginelli, Laina. Table Topper. Message to Samantha Reynard. 14 February 2011. Email. Reynard, Samantha. Madonna Events Survey about Love Out Loud. Survey. San Luis Obispo: Robert E. Kennedy Library, 17 February 2011. Santos, Alyssa. Madonna Events Survey about Love Out Loud. Survey. San Luis Obispo: University Union Plaza, 23 February 2011.

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