UC Davis’ “Sexual Violence Awareness and Education” campaign, developed by staff from several campus units, has earned a top MarCom Award for 2016.

The annual MarCom contest, run by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals, drew some 6,500 entries from throughout the United States, Canada and 17 other countries. UC Davis earned its award at the highest level, platinum, in the category of integrated marketing campaign.

The ongoing campaign aims to help end sexual violence on campus by educating the community on affirmative consent and “upstander” intervention. The campaign offers these dictionary-style definitions:

• Upstander — “An individual who takes action to assist others to prevent sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking. See also, Aggie.”
• Consent — “An affirmative, unambiguous and conscious decision to participate in a mutually agreed-upon sexual act. Consent can be revoked at any time. Consent is not possible when a person is incapacitated, forced, threatened or intimidated.”

The campaign team is getting the message out via:

• Social media (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram)
• Videos and other digital outreach (video monitors around the campus)
• Printed materials (including coffee cup sleeves at the Coffee House)
• Banners on light poles
• Tabling

In a new phase of the campaign, students are invited to write “Dear Survivor” letters to support and empower survivors of sexual violence. See the letters here.

The UC Davis team assembled focus groups of students to help develop the campaign. Out of this the team developed a concept for Snapchat-inspired videos, then wrote the scripts for three scenarios — each showing a fictional “AggieSnap” conversation between students:

• No Doesn’t Mean, ‘Convince Me!’
• Be an Upstander
• It’s Not Sweet, It’s Stalking 

Learn more about the campaign.

The UC Davis team, listed by unit:

• Student Affairs — Emily Prieto-Tseregounis, chief of staff, vice chancellor’s office; Nefretiri Cooley-Broughton, director, Student Affairs Marketing and Communications (SAMC); Andrew McDaniel, marketing specialist, SAMC; Jennifer Vaughn, senior designer, SAMC; and Sam Alavi, student intern, SAMC
• Strategic Communications — Dana Topousis, interim lead; Sunny Teo, director, Creative Communications; Jay Leek, senior graphic designer, Creative Communications; and Andy Fell, associate director, News and Media Relations
• Compliance — Wendi Delmendo, chief compliance officer, Office of the Chancellor and Provost
• Center for Advocacy, Resources and Education (CARE) — Sarah Meredith, director
• Student Health and Counseling Services — Polly Paulson, health education supervisor

Dateline UC Davis welcomes news of faculty and staff awards, for publication in Laurels. Send information to dateline@ucdavis.edu.

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