Truth Pharm

Substance use awareness through reducing stigma and advocating for policy change.

Role

Marketing and Design Intern

Context

May 2023 - Aug 2023 Internship

Tools

Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, DaVinci Resolve, Meta Business Suite, Canva

Team

Executive Director: Alexis Pleus
Community Arts Liaison: Mia Hause

Truth Pharm is a nonprofit based in Binghamton, NY that focuses on reducing the stigma against substance use disorder and help affected families heal through advocacy.

I designed and marketed for both the nonprofit and their annual event, the Trail of Truth, which is the largest rally for substance use disorder in the US.

Problem

Truth Pharm needed a way to design and market their upcoming events.

To accomplish this goal, I collaborated with the team to:

Schedule social media posts across both Truth Pharm and Trail of Truth accounts
Design event flyers, headers, and posts to advertise upcoming events and rallies
Create and organize printing of brand deliverables, including business and post cards, t-shirts, and tote bags
Photograph, film, and video edit marketing materials
Monitor best performing posts to increase engagement
Gather insights and empathy for people with substance use disorder

Solution

Curated Flyers

These are some of the flyers that were printed and posted on social media to promote the event:

Trail of Truth Videos

Videos created to showcase the impact of substance use disorder on families. An emotional tone was used as a call to action to attend the event.

Tombstone Video

Painted tombstones symbolize the lives lost from substance use disorder
The intent of the video was to showcase the emotional toll on families, materialized by these tombstones

Gracie Parker Video

Edited and manually subtitled video for accessibility and storytelling
Showcased a case study on the lives of the children and families affected by substance use disorder

Discovery

Research

I had the amazing opportunity to market, photograph, and attend Truth Pharm's advocacy events. Talking to those affected by substance use disorder helped me get a better picture of how to message and therefore design my social media campaigns.

This hands on experience strengthened my understanding and empathy for the families, victims, and lives affected by substance use. Listening to the speakers and performers detail their experiences inspired me to create materials that would help Truth Pharm spread their messaging.

Design

Brand Guidelines

Truth Pharm already had an established brand image that I followed. They prioritized a mid-century modern, bright, inviting color scheme that informed my designs.

For the Trail of Truth, the brand was more serious, with purple and black being the primary colors of the campaign.

Delivery

Printables & Social Media

Business cards, postcards, flyers, and other forms of merchandise were designed to promote both Truth Pharm and the Trail of Truth.

Alongside printed deliverables, I managed the both social media accounts and posted at least 3 times a week, tracking analytics using the Meta Business Suite.

Reflection and the future

Takeaways

Social media is a relatively inexpensive way to expand any organization's reach

‍I'm proud to say that my efforts at Truth Pharm led to a 2000% increase in account engagement according to the Meta Business Suite, with the social media videos being the most popular. To my surprise, I also found that people also responded positively to text heavy posts if they were accompanied by an impactful photo.

My time at Truth Pharm informed me of a problem that plagues people from all different backgrounds. I truly looked forward to educating myself and learning about the science of addiction through people that have lived through so much.

The Future

How can Truth Pharm keep their advertising approach relevant according to changing trends?
How can we change our messaging to include all groups within the "anti drug war" community?
How can we facilitate uploading content and ensure that posts stay fresh and diverse?