OurChallenge
The Colorado State Legislature allocated additional funding to the Office of the Child Protection Ombudsman (CPO) to enhance engagement efforts between the Office and young people with lived experience in the child protection system. With this funding, the CPO planned to launch a youth engagement program named after respected child welfare advocate Tori Shuler. Tori Shuler and the CPO partnered with Barefoot PR to craft new messaging and a name to engage young people in advocacy alongside the organization.
OurSolution
Barefoot PR began our messaging and naming process with a period of listening and learning, starting with Tori Shuler and CPO staff. During these conversations, we learned about the CPO’s goals for the program and the anticipated obstacles for messaging and naming. The CPO had long wanted to create a more engaging entry point for young people with lived experience in the child protection system. They hoped that the Tori Shuler Youth Program, what the initiative was initially called, would be the pathway for them to achieve this goal.
Barefoot PR continued listening and learning by connecting with its primary audience, youth. In partnership with Tori Shuler and other child welfare agencies, we facilitated listening sessions to learn what inspires young people to get involved in advocacy work.
Based on our findings, Barefoot PR presented a first draft of naming options and key messages. After some collaborative fine-tuning, the CPO shared these messages with their primary audience to get their feedback on a potential name, messaging and branding options. Feedback revolved around specific word choices and the general sentiment of the name and brand. It was clear that the young people we partnered with were drawn to bold language around advocacy and making a change. These notes informed the final draft of the name, messaging and brand for what would soon be the Tori Shuler Youth Collective.
