Free PR for dozens of Belarusian NGO
Social Advertising Workshop is launched to promote civil society organizations and initiatives at grassroots level in Belarus.
"The third sector is very wide. Despite the difficult environment for operation, this is a quite diverse field. But only 10-20 percent of the potential target audience are aware of the existance and activities of the third sector," says Julia Rymasheuskaya, one of the project's authors.
On July 9 at the office of one of numerous organizations, she launched their first project - a series of NGO business cards. So far, they have produced cards for 51 NGOs and initiatives that will be placed at special stands in all major cities at cinemas, libraries, trendy coffe-shops and the premises of NGOs.
The cards promote a variety of civil society groups: "No to Death Penalty", Orthodox Brotherhood, EcoFood, Young Social Democrats, charity shop Kali Laska and many others.
Ms Rymaseuskaja says PRacounja sacyjalnaj reklamy (Social Adertising Workshop) will not launch other projects yet. It is set to focus on the first project and make it a success before taking on other new things.
"One of the problems within the third sector is that a quality product is produced but it rarely reaches out to the target audience, because new ideas pop up and there are few opportunities for product promotion and dissemination… So, the product is there, but efficiency is very low," she says.
It is yet to be know how liberaries and cinemas will react to this initiative, but the authors hope for the best. Meanwhile,they have a lot to do, as there are almost 3000 registered NGOs in Belarus. 51 of them are just a drop in the sea.
