XDRTB Social Media Campaign to Raise Awareness --- and three quick questions

I received a couple of emails from TED that contained a link to a horrendous video.
Please don't watch if you are easily upset by images of sickness and extreme suffering. Since Smaller Indiana has always felt like a HOOSIER TED to me, I was compelled to post it. For those of you interested in how to use Social Media to get your message to as many of your early adapters as possible... this is the way to do it -- an ideal case study in the making.


If you forward this information to anyone, PLEASE Help All social-media advocates on Smaller Indiana by answering three quick questions :


1) Did you press the Sign button on the site?


2) Did you forward or post the video link using social media? (i.e. email, facebook, Twitter, blog, the link provided on the site, etc.)


3) If you did forward or post the message, how many people do you think will actually watch it?


Extra Credit: How many of those viewers from question # 3 will forward or post it? (This of course would be pure speculation).

Here was the first Email from TED-- 11:30 am, October 3, 2008

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“I’m working on a story that the world needs to know about. I wish for you to help me break it, in a way that provides spectacular proof of the power of news photography in the digital age.”
James Nachtwey


Today, this major TED Prize wish is coming true.

I urge you to take three minutes out of your day, and click on this link:

www.xdrtb.org

(I recommend clicking on the arrow at bottom right of the video player to enlarge it.)

Tonight these pictures will be projected in some 50 cities all over the world. We wanted you to see them first.

I will follow up shortly with another note about this extraordinary story.

Chris Anderson, TED Curator



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EMAIL NUMBER 2--- RECEIVED AT NOON
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Dear friends of TED,

In the midst of a horrifying story, here is cause for hope.

Over the past year, hundreds of individuals and companies associated with TED have collaborated in a spectacular TED Prize project, launching today, to raise global awareness of XDR-TB.

(What is XDR-TB? If you missed my earlier email, please visit www.xdrtb.org and prepare to be shocked and moved.)

The next step is yours. I am today calling on all friends of TED to do their part in spreading the word. Forward this email, blog, write, broadcast, talk with your family, friends and work colleagues. You can quickly add your name to our advocacy effort by clicking the 'Sign' button here. http://xdrtb.org/

This is a race between the ability of a deadly, mutated bacteria to spread, and our ability to spread awareness first. Health authorities know what needs to be done, but politicians and the public at large don't have XDR-TB on their radar. That's what James Nachtwey's powerful TED Prize wish is all about.

I am so proud of what he and the TED community have made possible. Tonight, and over the next few days his breath-taking pictures are being projected at scale in public places in some 50 cities all over the world. Details are here under 'Where to Watch'. (http://www.xdrtb.org/takeAction.php)

Time magazine is running a 7-page, cover-promoted feature in all of its global editions published today.
Many other media are on board to support the effort, including Boston Globe, The London Observer, Youtube, and Wired.com.

Huge thanks are due to:

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COLLABORATIVE LIST ALERT, KYLE. A nice mixture of companies from the For-Profit and Not-For-Profit world. I am uncertain if ANY of the organizations are a governmental agency. If there are, this is what I call a Collaborative Trifecta.
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- Our main project sponsor, the global medical technology company BD who are at the forefront of TB diagnostics.
- TEDster Jon Kamen and his amazing team at Radical Media who created the slideshow, print campaign, logos, and messaging around xdrtb.org.
- DEMOS who volunteered production services for all UK events, including projection of images on National Theater of London.
- Phantom Galleries LA who did the same for all LA Events, including Elevate Film Festival
- Printers Coloredge who created prints of the photos and large scale vinyl images.
- Akamai for their powerful web distribution.
- Mammalfish who built our website
- Peer 1 who offered their web services
- Mode Studios our Technical consultant
- Health consultancy Global Health Strategies and TEDsters Stefan Sagmeister and David Rockwell for their strategic advice

Our Digital Screen partners generously donated time, energy and space to play the Nachtwey slideshow around the world and on every continent. Kudos to:
- Urban Screens
- Streaming Museum
- JM Network
- PR Newswire
- Drishtipat Creative
- The Global Festa
- Eye Candy Media

If this inspires you to get more involved in this cause, please consider supporting one of these organizations:

- RESULTS – Advocacy organization who will drive forward the call to action.
- Stop TB Partnership – Helping to make a difference with the awareness created.
- WITNESS - will collect user generated content around this issue and create a network of people working together to push forward awareness of XDR TB.
- Medecins Sans Frontieres – NGO who helped James gain access to countries to document XDR-TB
- Partners in Health - NGO who helped James gain access to countries to document XDR-TB

A huge thank you to the TED team who worked on this, led by TED Prize Director Amy Novogratz and project producer Bonnie Calvin. And of course none of this could have happened without the inspiring, spectacular photography and vision of one of the great photographers of our time, James Nachtwey. It's been an honor to work with him and to see this wish come true.

My best,

Chris Anderson, TED Curator
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If any Smoosiers would like to see the actual emails, just send me a message, or post a comment on my profile page.