Have you placed the new foster parent recruitment campaign's Mirror Clings around your community? We hope you're as excited as we are about this innovative way to recruit foster families in your area.

 

Why Mirror Clings?

The Clings are a form of "guerrilla marketing," a strategy using unconventional ways of reaching your audience on a more personal and memorable level. When people see your clings hanging on public mirrors, they will imagine themselves, even if only momentarily, as foster parents. Hopefully they'll be impressed enough with the experience that they will tell their friends and thus spread the message. Guerrilla marketing is designed to be done exclusively "on the streets" or in public places so that you reach a wide swath of the public. This is a low cost strategy that can reach a lot of people.

 

Killing two birds . . .

We all know we need to do general (getting the word out in your area) as well as targeted (aiming for a specific pool of people who could potentially foster)  recruitment . With the clings you're doing both. You're creating awareness in the public areas of your community, while also aiming for those places where potential foster parents are most likely to see them. Places like the YMCA, Boys and Girls Clubs, schools, churches, parks, and restaurants are the family-friendly targets where you want to hang your clings.

 

Create buzz

The clings are designed to surprise your "consumer" (i.e., potential foster parents) in order to leave a big impression. It's also about creating a buzz around your campaign. Beyond word-of-mouth, another way to increase the exposure and excitement around your message is by using your local media. (See Foster Care Footnotes June 2016 - Media Toolkit for Foster Parent Recruitment). Build momentum by inviting the media to notice your innovative approach to raising awareness about the need for foster parents.

 

Forge partnerships

When placing your clings, think of the opportunities to engage stakeholders in the community. Human services agencies struggle with being the invisible community partner, especially when it comes to services like foster care. Having conversations with business owners and organization leaders when hanging your mirror clings may be a way to open the door to new partnerships and collaborations. Think of it as a way for your community partners to look at your agency, and see a positive reflection of themselves smiling back.