Heroic Media is a non-profit organization that seeks to save the lives of unborn children by spreading the Pro-Life message with carefully orchestrated advertising directed at young women who may experience a crisis pregnancy. The organization’s goal is to encourage pregnant mothers to choose life by reassuring them that they are not alone and connect them with local life-affirming resource centers.
Heroic Media was founded in 2004 by Brian Follett, a retired Texas business man. Follett knew that the Pro-Life community must bring the message to pregnant women through relevant cultural means in order to reach them. After meeting with several state and national Pro-Life leaders who agreed with his premise, Follett began Heroic Media.
Heroic Media’s mission is to be a “faith-based non-profit that reduces abortion by creating a Culture of Life through television, billboard, and internet advertising that connects women in crisis pregnancies with life-affirming resources.” The name Heroic Media is also very symbolic. The word “Heroic” refers to the heroism of motherhood and the courage of all those who support life, and the word “Media” describes the means through which the organization uses to reach pregnant mothers.
One unique aspect to the organization is that all of their work is research-driven. Their ads are written, shot, and produced to reach the target audience in the geographic market where they will air. All of their work is focus-group tested in advance to make sure it is reaching the key demographic. The abortion rate is also rigorously researched in markets during the thirteen-week television ad campaigns. The markets that have consistently run Heroic Media’s campaigns have seen their abortion ratio drop up to 24% and an increase in the visits to local crisis pregnancy centers.
The main source of funding for all of this advertising and research comes from individual donors. The organization also receives financial support from churches, community organizations, and foundations. Heroic Media does not currently receive any income from government sources.
Heroic Media is headquartered in Austin, Texas. The organization has divided the nation into five regions, assigning a president and executive director to each. It is the hope that theses divisions will allow for resources to be used most efficiently without being stretched too far. Dividing the nation into regions also allows Heroic Media to tailor make their advertisements to the prominent cultural trends in each region.
The Pro-Life community should take notice of how important it is to use social media to get our message out. Younger generations are using media to stay in touch with family and friends, educational research, entertainment, and even emotional support systems. There is no quicker and more efficient way to reach women in crisis pregnancy than through well placed advertisements. For more about Heroic Media visit (www.heroicmedia.org).