Understanding and addressing perceptions of Asian Americans that lead to racism and violence
Challenge
Leading Asian Americans to Unite for Change (LAAUNCH) was founded to address the rise of anti-Asian violence in America in the wake of COVID-19.
In May 2021, LAAUNCH aimed to launch its inaugural STAATUS Index – “Social Tracking of Asian Americans in the U.S.” – a comprehensive, national assessment of American attitudes and stereotypes towards Asian Americans, one of the first such studies in 20 years.
Edelman was tasked with positioning the STAATUS Index as the de facto resource for Asian American stereotypes and elevating LAAUNCH to become a recognized leader in the AAPI space in the United States.
Insight
The STAATUS Index revealed that more than 40% of U.S. adults can’t name a prominent, contemporary Asian American and about 1 in 4 white Americans don’t see anti-Asian racism as a problem.
The data had a “wow” factor and demanded action, illustrating a major issue in today’s society: the lack of awareness and education Americans have about Asian American history and continued lack of visibility.
Idea
Edelman assembled a cross-practice team who was passionate about this work, and leveraged our Asian employee resource group, Boundless, to consult on the project.
By leveraging the national and media attention on the rise in anti-Asian attacks during Covid-19, aligned with Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, we drove powerful stories, passionate social media posts and in-depth conversations about the perception of Asian Americans.
We developed timely, data-driven storylines to create a splash during launch week, followed by a steady buzz of conversation throughout APA Heritage Month. We achieved this via a multi-platform, integrated external communications approach across earned media, owned social channels, public affairs, influencers’ social channels and virtual events, generating 120 pieces of coverage and over 1.53 billion impressions.
Press
More Press
Social Response
Results
120
Earned Placements
1.53B
Earned Impressions
33M
Social Media Impressions
