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Shannon Walsh

Photo of Shannon Walsh

Account Executive
Washington DC
Posts: 4

Shannon is an Account Executive in Ogilvy’s Social Marketing practice. She supports her clients through materials development, community outreach and assistance, media monitoring, and account coordination.

Shannon currently works on projects for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey and the National Eye Institute. She is also steeped in physical activity and obesity prevention, with experience working on the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute’s We Can! national childhood obesity education program and the Department of Health and Human Services’ Obesity Prevention and Healthy Lifestyle programs.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wis. She joined Ogilvy’s Social Marketing practice as an Assistant Account Executive in 2011 following a stint as a summer intern at Ogilvy.

What Social Marketers Make

Feb 05

Category: Social Marketing

Two of my college roommates were education majors. I vividly remember their student teaching days when after a tough day at school, they needed extra inspiration. Our entire apartment quickly became familiar with Taylor Mali’s “What Teachers Make.”

If you don’t have time to watch the full video below (and I highly recommend you find the 3 minutes, 3 seconds in your day), here’s the jist. When asked at a dinner party what teachers make, his answer isn’t a salary. Mali highlights how teachers have the power to make kids work harder than they thought they could; make children wonder, question, and criticize; and make a difference.

My colleague Cait Douglas’ recent New Year’s Resolution for Social Marketing post challenges us to better define and own our profession. In light of this, perhaps instead of telling your roommate or family member about the media plan or partnership outreach that defines our day-to-day, you can instead tell them what social marketers make – not a paycheck, but a difference.

The answer to “what do social marketers make?” depends on the day for me, but here are a few highlights from my Ogilvy social marketing colleagues highlighted in this blog over the past few months:

  • Inspire Americans to get out and vote. -Chris Beakey
  • Use humor to take on critical issues – like disaster preparedness – and still be effective. -Carrie Dooher
  • Create a culture of strong, smart young women nationwide. -Pamela Long
  • Improve communications between patients and health care providers. -Ashley Wolos

In your eyes, what do social marketers make? A paycheck? Or something more, like Taylor Mali found? Share your thoughts in the comments section below this post.

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Should We Stress Quality or Quantity (or Both) in Physical Activity Campaigns?

Nov 29

Category: Social Marketing

It’s nearly impossible to go a day without seeing an advertisement about physical activity and its importance. National campaigns (like NFL’s Play 60 or Partnership for a Healthier America among others) are frequently featured in mainstream media outlets, on social media accounts, and in advertisements. With the obesity epidemic sweeping the nation and affecting both adolescents and adults, physical activity (as well as nutrition) should be top of mind for all.

Recently, the New York Times’ Well blog (Updating the Message to Get Americans Moving) explored public health messages about exercise, particularly in relation to the intensity of activity.

Bottom line? Many, if not most, of physical activity campaign messages stress the recommended amount of physical activity – 60 minutes daily for adolescents and 150 minutes a week for adults. What isn’t being communicated is the recommended intensity level; physical activity should be a combination of moderate and vigorous intensity (for youth) and moderate intensity (for adults). Both groups should also participate in muscle and bone strengthening activity.

Few adults are getting the minimum amount of exercise recommended (only one in three adults, according to Healthy People 2010), and even less are getting the minimum amount of moderate activity (3.5 percent, according to recent studies cited in the New York Times‘ blog).

For communications professionals, messaging is a critical part of any initiative. After all, the key message(s) helps the target audience understand the issue, why it is (or should be) important to them, and what they should do (i.e., change a lifestyle habit, purchase a product, take some other specific action).

As communicators seeking to inspire behavior change, should we ensure messaging includes both the recommended amount of exercise and the intensity level? Or should our goal be first to get people off the couch and moving first, and then educate about the different vigor levels? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

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From Zombies to Law Enforcement – Preparedness in Social Marketing

Sep 18

Category: Social Marketing

Preparedness is a major focus of Social Marketing and Risk and Emergency Communications. One question we answer every day is how to best prepare the public for events that will – or might – occur. Vaccinations, taxes, and homeland security might not have a lot in common on the surface, but we’ve focused on advancing society by emphasizing the importance of preparation in these areas – from ensuring youth and adults have received recommended vaccinations so they are not infected with influenza, shingles, or HPV; empowering adults with the information they need to file taxes electronically; and conducting drills to test responses to terrorism in a drill setting.

Public-facing organizations – from health departments to law enforcement – should be using social media and the web to communicate and help people prepare before information is crucial; that is, before a pandemic occurs, prior to tax day, and earlier than a national security crisis.

Earlier this summer, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gained national attention for their Zombie Apocalypse initiative to teach the importance of emergency preparedness with a graphic novel, buttons and badges, and more.

After spending four years in Milwaukee for college, I try my best to keep abreast of news and highlights from the city and state. Recently, the launch of the Milwaukee Police Department’s (MPD) news website, received significant buzz and recognition. Designed pro bono by local agency Cramer-Krasselt, industry publication Advertising Age highlighted the “excellent and design-minded website” while the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel called it “possibly the flashiest-looking government website on the Internet.”

Though the site (dubbed The Source) serves as a direct communication channel to local residents and media alike rather than an obvious crime preparation tool, it does inform audiences about what the MPD is accomplishing in the community. And if one more resident contributes to the drop in crime statistics or provides tips for the most wanted listed, it has successfully made Milwaukee a safer place.

Do you think the MPD’s site can lead to lower crime and the preparedness of those in the community for crime or response? Does flashiness matter when it comes to preparing the public for major events – whether they be related to health, crime, or zombies?

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Will You Be My Valentine? Only If You Wash Your Hands

Feb 16

Category: Behavior Change, Emergency + Risk Communication, HCSM, Public Health, Social Marketing, Social Media

Valentine’s Day is over – as shown by the discounted boxes of candy, wilting flowers, and picked-over rows of red greeting cards. What’s not quite finished is the flu season.

I recently came across a Valentine’s Day-themed e-card from the American Public Health Association. The text reads: “I wanna hold your hand. But only after you wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water, scrub vigorously, and remember to clean the tops of your hands and under your nails. And don’t forget to rinse off the soap and dry your hands well. But THEN. Then I wanna hold your hand.”

What a clever, timely, and shareable asset that gets the message across about the importance of hand washing to prevent the spread of influenza. Keeping audiences engaged and amused is important in communications – particularly because annual messages of “wash your hands” can become redundant and easily ignored.

APHA’s Get Ready campaign features other witty e-cards, including emergency preparedness.

Which of these is your favorite? Would you actually share these with a friend through social media or email? Do you see an opportunity to communicate about other topics through similar e-cards?

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