Public Awareness Campaign

Improving public awareness and understanding of homelessness is essential to generating support for affordable housing and end-homelessness initiatives in our community.

The Mercer Alliance has partnered with the Princeton-based integrated marketing agency, Princeton Partners, to develop a media campaign that is succeeding in raising awareness of homelessness among Mercer County residents.

Public Awareness Media Campaign Radio / TV / Print / Boards

The Campaign was awarded “Best of Show, 2006” by the New Jersey Communications and Marketing Association at the annual ASTRA Awards competition, for the best public service newspaper campaign. The Campaign received the only perfect score from over 300 entries.

A study by Bruno Ridgway Research Associates found the Alliance media campaign successful at raising awareness of homelessness among Mercer County residents:

• Significant upward shifts were found in the proportion of Mercer County residents who attribute unemployment, lack of affordable housing and substance abuse as root causes of homelessness.
• Estimates of the number of homeless in Mercer County rose dramatically.
• More residents attributed importance to the concept of living and working in the same county.
• There was a significant shift in the proportion of residents who feel homelessness affects the quality of life in Mercer County.