From Stonewall to the Stars: How Grassroots Social Media Created a Movement
October 26, 2020 3:30 p.m. – 4:20 p.m.
Session Type: Marketing Communication
The power of social media — fueled by grassroots enthusiasm — is in the spotlight in this panel discussion detailing how one mother’s vision of a world where her gay son — and all LGBTQ+ persons — will experience acceptance and affirmation morphed into the nationwide Free Mom Hugs movement. Oklahoman author and activist, Sara Cunningham, along with her social media expert, Katrina Kalb, will respond to probing and insightful questions from the moderator, Jaron Terry, APR, Fellow PRSA, as they describe how the movement’s message went viral, gathering followers and online momentum, eventually catching the attention of The Washington Post, the “Today Show” and of actor and activist, Jamie Lee Curtis.
They will detail the role of social media in how Cunningham’s book, “How We Sleep At Night,” her raucous road trips — initially from Oklahoma City to the birthplace of the equal rights movement, the Stonewall Inn — her ubiquitous presence at Pride events across the country, her online declaration that she would be a “stand-in mom” at same-sex weddings, and the grass roots encouragement and participation of more than 8,000 “Mama Bears” in the United States, led to a Lifetime Movie Network production set to air in 2020, starring Jamie Lee Curtis in the role of Sara.
The LMN movie will be the culmination of the Free Mom Hugs movement’s message of affirmation and a launch pad for continuing the march toward equal rights for all. LMN is part of A&E Networks, a joint venture between the Disney Media Networks subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company and Hearst Communications.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
• Learn how social media techniques can be used to strategically promote a message to drive amplification through cross-platform sharing.
• Discern the importance of creating on-the-ground documented events to garner traditional media attention that can be translated into influencer attention and more than thousands of social media clicks.
• Understand the importance of target audience identification in generating followers who will accelerate growth of the movement by extending to connected audiences and influenced audiences.
• Recognize how diversity and inclusion is advanced for the LGBTQ+ community as one affirming voice takes her message of acceptance and affirmation from the written page to open highway and from thousands of laptops and hand-held screens to traditional media and the LMN.
They will detail the role of social media in how Cunningham’s book, “How We Sleep At Night,” her raucous road trips — initially from Oklahoma City to the birthplace of the equal rights movement, the Stonewall Inn — her ubiquitous presence at Pride events across the country, her online declaration that she would be a “stand-in mom” at same-sex weddings, and the grass roots encouragement and participation of more than 8,000 “Mama Bears” in the United States, led to a Lifetime Movie Network production set to air in 2020, starring Jamie Lee Curtis in the role of Sara.
The LMN movie will be the culmination of the Free Mom Hugs movement’s message of affirmation and a launch pad for continuing the march toward equal rights for all. LMN is part of A&E Networks, a joint venture between the Disney Media Networks subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company and Hearst Communications.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
• Learn how social media techniques can be used to strategically promote a message to drive amplification through cross-platform sharing.
• Discern the importance of creating on-the-ground documented events to garner traditional media attention that can be translated into influencer attention and more than thousands of social media clicks.
• Understand the importance of target audience identification in generating followers who will accelerate growth of the movement by extending to connected audiences and influenced audiences.
• Recognize how diversity and inclusion is advanced for the LGBTQ+ community as one affirming voice takes her message of acceptance and affirmation from the written page to open highway and from thousands of laptops and hand-held screens to traditional media and the LMN.
