CASE STUDY
Before the Bell
We helped connect parents and caregivers with tools to help teach their children under age 5 and prepare them for school.
The Client
Oklahoma Human Services, a state government agency, received a federal Preschool Development Grant (PDG) of $36 million over three years. The grant supports early education initiatives for children under age five.
The Ask
Oklahoma Human Services engaged Candor to create a public awareness campaign to proactively teach and engage their children under 5 and take advantage of existing resources offered.
Research & Branding
Research findings helped us determine (1) parents don’t want to be preached to and desire straightforward resources, (2) branding should feel consumer-friendly and (3) we should focus on rural audiences and parents aged 20-35.
We created 8 audience personas from our research and dubbed the campaign “Before the Bell” as a nod to the critical years leading up to school, or the time before the school bell rings. We also incorporated nostalgic designs and iconography to appeal to our Millennial and Gen Z audiences.
The Campaign
In addition to developing a relatable, parent-first brand, we developed key brand touchpoints to create memorable interactivity with Before the Bell. These interactions include (1) a “choose your own adventure” quiz to help guide website visitors to the most relevant resource, (2) custom Spotify playlists and (3) a milestone guide for parents to understand their child’s unique development journey.
We also developed a toolkit for supporting organizations, including a developmental milestone map in English and Spanish, email templates and social media posts.
From there, we executed a fully integrated paid media campaign across traditional and digital tactics with a focus on those with the highest need for early learning resources.
Real Parents, Real Talk
Helping Oklahoma Kids & Families Thrive
The “Before the Bell” campaign stands out for its data-backed brand; combination of digital tools and curated content; and comprehensive paid media plan. Through continued advertising and creative optimizations, we are successfully connecting with parents and caregivers, helping them understand it’s never too early for kids to learn.
