Episode Transcript:
Anthony Signorelli
Our mission is really to address the most pressing issues that are going on here in the U.S., and I don't think there's an issue that's of greater importance right now than mental health.
Robert Traynham
All right, Anthony, so I'm one of three. And I remember vividly, my parents always saying it was slightly chaotic in our house, so I can only imagine what it is fast-forward to now. So you've mentioned that you have three kids.
Signorelli
Oh, yeah.
Traynham
How do you unplug? What does that look like for you?
Signorelli
Oh, man, how do I unplug? Well, first of all, I have to just give credit to my wife who's amazing, and that's what allows us to even just operate in our household.
Traynham
She's the calm in the storm.
Signorelli
Yes, absolutely. She's incredible. But as far as unplugging, I mean, it's important, right? Because we have so many activities going on, constantly running from here to there with all the kids. I do a couple of things. One, I always spend time in prayer in the morning, making sure I take that time to be grateful, to be thankful for all that we have. And then two, I try to get to the gym a little bit just to try to get those endorphins going and just get away from everything. So, for me, that's sort of the biggest way, but I mean, most of the time spent with the kids, which, laughing with the kids, fooling around, that's a way to unplug too.
Traynham
It feels like it's three things for you, like a three-legged stool. One is the family time, right? Peg number one. Peg number two is the spiritual/mental piece.
Signorelli
Yeah.
Traynham
And then, peg number three is the physical piece in terms of working out. So that's a nice balance.
Signorelli
Yeah. Yeah.
Traynham
Really nice balance.
Signorelli
We try. We try. So, the gym kind of falls off sometimes, but-
Traynham
I get it. I get it. I get it. Yeah.
Traynham
It feels like you know what's important?
Anthony Signorelli
Yes, absolutely.
Traynham
Tell us about the Ad Council in your role. Specifically, what do you do?
Signorelli
Yeah, so the Ad Council is a national nonprofit that really uses the power of communications to make a lasting impact on the most pressing social issues here in the U.S. We've been doing it for 80 years. And there's no shortage of issues that we address. Most people know us for “Smokey Bear” or “Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk.” More recently, our “Love Has No Labels” campaign around diversity, equity, and inclusion. And then, we had a huge initiative around the COVID-19 vaccine. But my role specifically is really to harness the power of the Ad Council, which is really about convening and bringing the best and brightest around our industry, whether it's major marketers and advertisers, media companies, tech platforms, nonprofits, government agencies, bringing them all to the table — and everything that they have to bear — to really make a movement against some of these social issues.
Traynham
Speaking of which, it's a perfect segue, so it feels like the Ad Council has leaned into mental health. Why?
Signorelli
Yeah, I mean, again, our mission is really to address the most pressing issues that are going on here in the U.S., and I don't think there's an issue that's of greater importance right now than mental health. We have been in the space for probably about seven or eight years. We have an amazing campaign called Seize the Awkward in partnership with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the Jed Foundation that was really focused on suicide. And if you can imagine, I mean, the statistics are really startling. I think it's one-in-10 high school students today have attempted suicide. And that's a personal thing for me, having young children. No one can argue with that as an issue.
So, we've been trying to address an issue like that for some time. And there's been mental health issues and challenges throughout, I would say, the past decade or so. But since the global pandemic, that has just been exacerbated. And I think some of the inequities that exist throughout the country have sort of risen to the top. And so, for the Ad Council, this was the most important issue for us to address. And so, we're taking a really holistic approach, learning from the work that we did on the COVID-19 vaccine, and really bringing the full power of the Ad Council to bear against this particular issue.
Since you've leaned into this, Anthony, you and the organization, anything that, quite frankly, you've kind of unpacked that says, "Oh, this was misunderstood"? Are there opportunities where you've said, "We can kind of bridge this gap," that you'd like to talk about?
Signorelli
Yeah, so I mean, there's a lot. Mental health is very complex. There are a number of organizations doing amazing work in that space. So, our job was really to come in and see where are the gaps, where can we help uplift organizations and programs that are already doing great work? And we found out a number of things. We do a lot of research. Everything we do is data-driven, research-based, and really, audience-focused. We did a study back in 2022 that just sort of uncovered the widespread nature and the need here. So, we found that about half of Americans had self-identified as having a mental health issue.
Traynham
Half of Americans?
Signorelli
Half of Americans —
Traynham
Wow.
Signorelli
. . . self-identify. So that's not clinical diagnoses, but people are saying, "I have a mental health condition or an issue," but only half of that group were seeking help or getting treatment. So, there's a disconnect between, "I have a problem, I'm struggling," and what I need to do about it. We also found out that about 40% of Americans really aren't going out and talking to their friends, their family, the people that are closest to them about their emotions and how they're feeling. So, there's sort of this culture around, "Mental health is okay to talk about publicly, but when it comes to me personally or things that are going on in my life, I'm still closed off." And so, we knew we really had to start changing the narrative around mental health and not get this false sense of security, "Well, mental health is a topic now in the news and people are covering it, so everything's okay." When you dig into some of these audiences and these communities, there's real cultural barriers, there's other barriers that are preventing them from getting help. And so, we need to really address those head on.
Traynham
Yeah, you nailed it because my own experience with mental health is that there is still a stigma in certain communities, whether that's the African-American community, Latino community, LGBT. I mean, there's so many layers there, right?
Signorelli
Yeah.
Traynham
And then, collectively, it feels like we're comfortable talking about it, but individually, when someone was to say, "But how are you feeling?" Most people say, "I'm fine," but they're really not. You mentioned, Anthony, a few moments ago, that the Ad Council really is a convener in many ways. And the way I see it is you have convened all of these really powerful brands that we all have relationships with around the table to talk about mental health. Can you talk us or walk us through what does that look like when you have brand A and brand B that may be competitors or quite frankly, are in two different spaces, coming together for mental health?
Signorelli
Yeah. So, it's very important. Again, that is really the true power of the Ad Council is being able to bring all of these groups together. And everyone has a role to play, whether it's individually or collectively as a collaboration. I can start with just sort of the nonprofit and government space or the experts. Everyone's doing amazing work in their own area, but how do we bridge that and make sure we find that common ground? For us, it's about communications. So how do we share the research, the knowledge, the insights that we have for different audiences with that community so that they can start to amplify what we know is going to resonate and work?
We also look at companies, not necessarily from an outward-facing brand to the consumer, but inward-facing, as an employer. Think about the power that a Walmart, an Amazon, some of these big organizations have in reaching their employees. We know employers are actually one of the most trusted messengers when it comes to health issues, particularly around mental health. So how do they really help educate their employee base so that they can create that safety net for them and get them to the resources that they need? But also, consider that we have a lack of services. When we talk about mental health, we don't want to create this sense of, "Go get treatment for all the different things that may be ailing you." There are certain things that you can do for yourself to help self-care, to identify, to help the people around you that don't necessarily always require treatment. How do we educate brands as an employer to help their employees? And then, you have the bigger multimedia aspect of it, which is where a lot of people know the Ad Council. And that takes the form in a lot of different ways. So, at the Ad Council, we leverage our media partners to the tune of about $1 billion annually, which puts us in about the top 50 advertisers in the U.S. So, media companies are donating all of that time and space to these very important messages. So that's a big part of the role that they play.
Signorelli
But also, individually, as a brand, you have a product or a service that really resonates with the consumer, how do you leverage that for the good? So, I'll give you one really good example. We have a campaign called “Sound It Out.” It reaches parents of middle school age kids, and it helps give them the tools and the language that they need to start to have a conversation around this difficult topic with their middle schoolers. It gets behind that, your kid comes home, "How was school today?" "Fine." Okay, next day, same thing. How do you move beyond, "I'm fine"? And so, it's really focused on that.
Signorelli
And it uses the power of music to connect with kids and create that dialogue. And so, we brought our partners at Amazon in, and we created an amazing partnership through Amazon Music that delivered, not only the message to parents and showed them the tools that they have through Amazon Music to help start that conversation with their kids. So that's just one example of how that ecosystem can come together based on an insight.
Traynham
Yeah, that's a really good example. And what it feels like, Anthony, is that you're tailoring your programs around people wherever they are. So, you use middle school individuals. Talk to us about maybe veterans or perhaps maybe individuals that are a bit older. Do you have any campaigns that really speak to that or to them?
Signorelli
Yeah, we do. So, as I said, it's a multifaceted issue. Our role is to either fill some gaps or to amplify and accelerate the progress that others are really making. So, I mentioned our middle school program targeting parents. I also talked a little bit about our “Seize the Awkward” campaign. That one is targeted towards 16- to 24-year-olds.
Traynham
I see.
Signorelli
It's a time of transition for many of them. It's a difficult period. Obviously, I talked about the rates of suicide. That's an amazing program. We also speak to veterans directly. We have a program with U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The rates of suicide, depression, anxiety, PTSD among veterans, again, it's prevalent.
Traynham
Look, I'm a son of a veteran, and grandson. I'm sure you have members of your family, too, not to kind of belabor this too much. Mental health is such a deep issue that touches all of us, but our veterans, I'm overgeneralizing, most of them clam up and they have so much bottled inside them because in their mind, it's not okay to talk about some of the vulnerabilities they're feeling or some of the experiences that they're experiencing. So, thank you. I just want to pause and just say thank you for all the work that you're doing on behalf of our veterans.
Signorelli
Yeah, no, no, it's incredible. And again, we're just sort of really helping to bring these groups together to help our veterans. And you're right on. I mean, we did research. Again, everything we do is audience focused. What we found, again, is probably going to be no surprise, with veterans, is that they're focused on duty and service to others. That is core to who they are. That's core to their service.
Signorelli
And so, when it comes to them helping themselves, it's almost impossible. And so, what we've done is actually had an approach where it's a peer-to-peer approach, veterans talking to other veterans. It's amazingly powerful work. And we're focusing really more on the upstream side of things. So, it's before veterans get into a time of crisis, how do they help starting to take down that wall, open up to others who understand them, other veterans are going to understand them versus someone who maybe hasn't served. So that's a tremendous program.
Signorelli
And then, we have a fourth program, probably our biggest initiative, which is in partnership with the Huntsman Mental Health Foundation and their work with the Huntsman Mental Health Institute. They're an amazing group, really, a new leader, I think, in the mental health space nationally. And that program focuses on a larger audience, folks, 18 to 44. We've done a lot of research to understand that group. And we've created a platform called “Love Your Mind.” And it's really sort of a love letter from your mind to yourself.
Traynham
Interesting.
Signorelli
Sort of reminding people, "You need to take care of me. I'll be here for you. I can help you do amazing things, but you need to remember that I'm here." And it's powerful work. The first couple of iterations out of the gate were focused on Black and Hispanic men. I know you mentioned that earlier, some of the cultural barriers, "It's not okay to not be okay," especially in that community. Hispanic community, we've heard, "There's no crying in this house." You heard that all the time growing up.
Traynham
That's right.
Signorelli
So how do you break down that barrier and get people to look at helping themselves? Because the best way to help the people around you, the people that you really want to be there for, is to help yourself and make sure you're okay. And so, we have amazing partnerships and work in that space that we're going to continue to roll out over time.
Traynham
Wow. I'm excited. It feels like you all have acknowledged the problem, meeting people where they are, really creating a sense of collaboration to meet as many people as you possibly can. So, thank you so very much.
Signorelli
Absolutely.
Traynham
Are there any campaigns that you are excited about even more so in a couple of months or years from now?
Signorelli
Yeah. So, well, I mentioned the “Love Your Mind” campaign. Again, it's a platform, so there's lots of different audiences that we're going to be addressing. We actually just launched one that is a really pretty monumental collaboration. It's a partnership with 11 of the major US sports and entertainment leagues, all coming together. You talk about competition and everyone vying for eyeballs and fans.
Signorelli
This is one where they all set their competitive nature down and say, "We need to come together. We need to elevate this at a national scale.” So, we have major athletes across all of those leagues and organizations coming out and talking about their vulnerabilities. You think about what's the mass appeal of an athlete who, to the public, seems to be at the top of their game. They have everything. But to hear their stories and to talk about how important their mental health is to them, not only in their performance on the field, on the court, on the ice, but in their personal lives, we hope will continue to knock down some of these walls that people are putting up. So, we're excited about that. It just launched. It's going to continue to have legs locally, nationally.
Traynham
Wow. I'm excited to have you back on to talk about that.
Signorelli
Yeah, no, would love to.
Traynham
Anthony, can you share some real-life examples of the impact of some, if not, maybe all of your campaigns, that you can think of?
Signorelli
Yeah, that's a great question. Everything we focus on is really related to the ultimate impact. We measure. We're very data-driven, so everything from awareness. Are people seeing the work that we put out there? Are they engaging with that content? And then, are they changing the attitudes and beliefs we really want to address? I could probably spend another 15 minutes talking about all of our campaigns. I'll give you a couple of quick examples.
Signorelli
And then, if you look at our “Seize the Awkward” campaign, we know that of the people who are exposed to that program, 85% report talking to a loved one about their own mental health. So, if you remember the barrier I mentioned earlier about people not wanting to have that conversation about their emotions or how they're feeling, when they're exposed to that message, they're actually reaching out and starting to have those conversations, which again, is really important to keeping everyone's mental health.
Traynham
Please.
Signorelli
From our mental health campaign, “Love Your Mind,” is a fairly new campaign and concept in market, probably about six months. Since its launch, based on our measurement, we're actually now the second leading mental health brand in the U.S. behind only BetterHelp. So, if you think about the power of the messaging, people are seeing it, hearing it, and sort of understanding it. So that's a good first layer. Our “Sound It Out” campaign, we have about 5 million people engaging with the content, as I mentioned, parents of middle schoolers, so giving them the tools and the tips that they need to start to have those conversations. So again, millions of parents accessing that information, which is again, the first step to it.
Traynham
And that number, you said 85%?
Signorelli
85%.
Traynham
That's a big, big number.
Signorelli
Yep. We're proud of that. But again, we have to go a lot further. And that's why we measure everything we do. So that, again, we can find, where are the gaps? Where do we need to amplify? How do we maintain that 85% level?
Traynham
And grow it?
Signorelli
Exactly.
Traynham
So, I love to end the program with the same question. And that is the next big thing in health according to you.
Signorelli
Yes. The next big thing. I mean, I think, you know, unfortunately, the next big thing is probably the current big thing. Okay, which is, which is mental health,
Traynham
which is incredibly important.
Signorelli
Yeah. Because it is so complex, it's one of these issues that tend to be intractable, that take a long sort of lead time. We need to continue to work at this. We need to understand the barriers. And things will shift. So, I think mental health is still something, for us it’s going to be a priority for the next decade. And a lot of our partners. And I would say another one that's sort of on the horizon for us, we're working on a couple of different issues in different areas that intersect with mental health, substance use disorder, which is also interrelated. And we have a number of programs that we're doing there.
Traynham
Wow, I learned so much about you and also learned so much about the Ad Council. Thank you for being you. But also, thank you very much for showing up in a way that not only is authentic to you, Anthony, but also, quite frankly, I think the Ad Council seen in a different way. So, thank you very much.
Signorelli
Thanks for having me, this is great.
Traynham
Yeah, really thoughtful conversation.
Signorelli
Thanks, Robert.
