Boy Scouts of America is a venerable institution with a history among many American families. But scouting was definitely not a tradition among one important and growing group.
The organization was experiencing real difficulty reaching Latino youth when it reached out to Bromley/Manning, Selvage & Lee to boost its awareness within a demographic that
in many parts of the country is no longer a minority.
The agency conducted research that showed the values of scouting fit perfectly with Hispanics' increased emphasis on family. However, many Hispanics associated Boy Scouts with
a privileged lifestyle they couldn't afford. "Oftentimes in the States, Hispanics are unaware that scouting has nominal costs and provides great fun," says Deborah Charnes
Vallejo, managing director for Bromley/MS&L.
The team chose to target Laredo and McAllen/Brownsville, small point-of-entry border towns that would provide the opportunity to target large Hispanic populations in small
markets that could be easily evaluated. They began targeting Hispanic boys between six and 18, their parents and Hispanic adult volunteers with a "Scouting! Vale la pena"
("Scouting! It's worth the effort") message through broadcast PSAs and media relations. Plus, they rallied local Boy Scouts leaders and church members to encourage Hispanic
involvement and sought out school superintendents and staff, community members and other leaders to help disseminate the message. Boy Scouts of America also participated in the
2000 National Association of Hispanic Journalists conference, helping Bromley/MS&L and the scouting organization to develop a list of Boy Scout-friendly media and generate
media interest in the story.
Despite a tough year - the Supreme Court's ruling on a controversial case allowing the Boy Scouts to exclude homosexuals from their membership made pitching a diversity story
for the organization difficult - the team landed 109 articles in 52 English and Spanish publications. In only four months, the campaign generated 8 million media impressions, with
Boy Scouts of America mentioned an average of 6.4 times per article and family values stressed in 90 percent of the articles. Best of all, the McAllen Council scored 136 new units
with 2,643 new youth recruited within two and a half months of the campaign's inception; the Concho Valley council had six new Cub Scout packs with 113 youth and 38 adult leaders;
and the Laredo area had two new Cub Scout dens and three new Boy Scout troops.
(Deborah Charnes Vallejo, Bromley/MS&L, 210/244-2129)
Client: Boy Scouts of America, Irving, Texas
Agency: Bromley/Manning, Selvage & Lee, San Antonio, Texas
Campaign Timeframe: July - December 2000
Campaign Budget: $200,000, including broadcast buys in four markets