"Alternative marketing strategies" are low cost ways to target specific neighborhoods, age groups, ethnic communities, and/or low literacy families with special cancer messages. Such strategies include the use of low cost flyers, posters, payroll stuffers, and program announcements scattered throughout a community to deliver a message. Ideally, these alternative strategies can also be used to complement traditional media efforts.

Alternative Marketing Ideas

When distributing a marketing piece always remember to focus the content of your message and where it will placed on the characteristics of the community you want to reach. In NALIC that community is rural, older, and medically underserved. In order to reach those families, consider the following list of ideas to place your message.

Stuff fliers in:

• grocery and prescription bags (don't forget the food pantry)
• church bulletins
• paycheck envelopes or employee mailboxes
• local newspapers, including free ones
• craft store fliers
• community newsletters (YWCA, Lions, Elk, Grange, CES, etc.)

Distribute fliers at:

• post offices or libraries (as bookmarks)
• pharmacies, eye doctors, chiropractors
• craft stores, banks, beauty parlors
• senior and community centers

Print message on:

• place mats or table tents at local restaurants (or the senior center)
• milk carton messages
• bumper stickers

Creating an Alternative Marketing Piece

When creating a marketing piece, remember the community you are trying to. Regardless of whether you are producing a health message or program announcement, the message needs to be communicated clearly and simply in the "language of the listener." This means don't bother with fancy scientific words or formal language if you want the message read or heard by a rural older audience. Here are some ideas to simplify your announcements.

• Keep the sentences short. Words should have a minimum of three syllables.
• If you use pictures, keep them relevant to the message. Use the Coalition logo.
• Include date, time, and contact phone numbers so individuals with questions can find you.