Spring 2007 - Milton Academy

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L E A D E R S H I PMarketing toUnderserved AudiencesDeveloping Civic EngagementSusan Clark ’76“Forty percent of people in the United Statesread at an eighth-grade level or less. TheVoting Rights Act of 1965 outlawed literacytests for voter registration, but if the onlysource of nonpartisan information aboutCalifornia ballot measures is a state-issuedballot pamphlet written at a twelfth gradelevel, that functions as a de facto literacy test.”Susan Clark’s communications and socialchange organization, Common Knowledge,has an unusual track record and uniqueniche. Common Knowledge offers itsclients traditional marketing expertise—strategic planning, campaign development,qualitative and quantitative research,training and technical assistance. What’sdifferent is their emphasis on developingcommunity and civic engagement, especiallythe participation of lesser-heard voices.Combining these elements yields thepractice they call “community marketing.”Susan transitioned to her current workfrom a successful career in corporate marketing.She served as vice president ofplanning and new products at Del MonteFoods, director of marketing at theCalifornia State Lottery and as a brandmanager at Procter & Gamble. In herheart, however, her real interest was in theneeds and concerns of underserved audiences,and throughout these years she felta pull toward working for a cause.Susan points to one achievement,California’s “Easy Voter Guide,” as anexample of the projects she finds mostgratifying. “The Easy Voter Guide,” supportedby state agency and foundationfunding, has a circulation of three to fourmillion for each statewide election inCalifornia. Available in five languages, theguide is distributed by over 2,000 organizationsand more than 40 newspapers.The print guide and its companion Website, easyvoter.org, help “new and busy votersmake sense of California elections andgovernment.”The project began when Susan was anadult literacy volunteer, as well as a memberof the League of Women Voters. Shewas frustrated that people with limitededucation are shut out of most civic discourse.The League, historically a providerof nonpartisan information about the how,what and why of voting, did not have thecapacity to reach out beyond the savvyreaders who are their typical clients.The ability to negotiate a ballot is particularlyimportant in California, where routinely,voters are asked to make “30 to 40decisions about elected offices and ballotmeasures, many of a highly technicalnature,” reports www.easyvoter.org. “Despite(or because of?) record levels of partisanadvertising, many voters report feelingoverwhelmed by the long ballots they face.In a recent survey by the Public PolicyInstitute of California, 77 percent said thatthe language of the propositions was toocomplicated and confusing.”“We institutionalized non-participation,”Susan says. “We say we believe that everyonein a democracy has to participate, butwhat if they don’t have access?” To explorehow to open up access to the process, shesecured funding from the California statelibrary to work with adult literacy studentsand other community members to co-createa voting engagement program.“To really understand what will work for thecommunity, we create working groups oftarget audience members. Every project wedo is audience-designed,” Susan says. “Theusers describe the need, define the scope ofthe communications and help with theactual implementation. As a result, what wecome up with together is more effectivethan having used just a focus group at thefront or end of the project.”8 <strong>Milton</strong> Magazine
“One quarter of California residents arefrom another country; another one quarterare from another state,” Susan explains.“We found out that the image many newvoters had in their mind was that votingwould be like a trip to the Department ofMotor Vehicles: long lines, taking a test,and no one to ask for help. Many peopleassume that non-voters are turned off bypolitics, but we found that ‘performanceanxiety,’ fear of being embarrassed, is abigger barrier.” Susan’s team of communitymembers created a three-part engagementmodel that was shown to doublevoter turnout. “The Easy Voter Guide” isthe most visible element of the programand has become popular with mainstreamaudiences as well.Susan says Common Knowledge is fortunateto work with organizations that arewilling to fund projects at a level thatallows her to do research and involve thecommunity they’re serving. “We have abroad range of clients,” says Susan. “Theycome to us; and an essential part of ourwork is the network of ‘distribution partners,’such as the California State Library,community colleges, and a variety of communityorganizations. We have ongoingrelationships with people who serve otherpeople.”Susan is now working on projects aboutmaking climate change and energy reductionrelevant for more of the general public.Some of her other projects includeProjectMoney.org—co-designed by adultlearners—a free service that helps peoplewho might have been intimidated learnabout using a bank, saving money, usingcredit cards, filing tax forms, and findingother financial resources. For MerrillLynch, Common Knowledge managedtraining and message and materials developmentfor reaching new 401(k) investors,especially in lower-income and lesseducatedaudiences. Common Knowledgespearheaded a successful multiyear CivicEngagement Project for Children andFamilies and assisted the CommonGround Project in framing and facilitatingcommunity dialogues on welfare reformand affirmative action, in partnership withthe San Jose Mercury News.Susan’s organization is flexible: It canstaff up or use interns if necessary. Shedescribes herself as a generalist. “I lovedeconomics and art history equally atthe University of Michigan,” she says.She feels that her work with CommonKnowledge is far from finished. Sheloves learning about new fields and workingwith organizations that are committedto helping people improve their qualityof life.CDESusan Clark ’76 (foreground) with a working group including target audience members9 <strong>Milton</strong> Magazine
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Spring 2007 - Milton Academy

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