AFFIRM Agency’s Work on Wisconsin’s 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Marketing Results in Increased Statewide Awareness
Consistent, multi-year public education and outreach campaign is yielding significant results
(Pewaukee, WI) AFFIRM Agency, a leading full-service marketing and advertising firm based in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, has been involved with research, branding and marketing for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in the State of Wisconsin since 2022. The statewide public education campaign, which includes materials in English, Spanish, and Hmong, has significantly increased awareness, trust, and use of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. In 2025 alone, the campaign has served nearly 3 million impressions to audiences who need the service most. Wisconsin’s 988 Lifeline has seen a 22 percent increase in calls, and texts and chats have increased by 48 percent from June 2024 to June 2025. With an integrated multi-channel marketing and advertising campaign, bilingual outreach, and targeted messaging to at-risk populations, the campaign has helped drive a surge in 988 contacts and increased understanding of the service.
The 988 awareness strategy includes providing a full toolkit of communications materials, available online for partners and community groups to download or request for their own outreach efforts. AFFIRM worked with Wisconsin’s 988 team to leverage unique partnerships with the Green Bay Packers, the Gun Shop Project, the Veteran Peer Outreach Program, the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) and more. Examples of key creative deliverables for the current campaign can be found here: https://affirmagency.com/work/dhs-988/.
Though the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is a national service, each state is charged with ensuring that the approach to service and messaging is customized to the state’s specific audiences and those at highest risk. Before the 988 service even launched, Wisconsin’s 988 team focused on defining those at-risk populations, barriers and misperceptions of the service.
For a campaign like 988, AFFIRM applies its successful social marketing and behavioral change process. For example, the agency planned and conducted focus groups and surveys to assess the current understanding of resources among at-risk populations, and to explore how the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline might be effectively communicated to these groups within Wisconsin. Based on the research, AFFIRM created a comprehensive media strategy and statewide campaigns, including TV commercials, online video, radio, static and animated banner ads, outdoor advertising, infographics, collateral, and paid social media. Specific campaign measurables are tracked, and key insights on those results help inform the next phase of the campaign.
“The Wisconsin 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline public education and outreach campaign is an ideal example of the breadth and depth that is perfect for AFFIRM’s expertise in social marketing and behavioral change,” said AFFIRM Agency President Danny Mager. “Effectively determining the barriers and then crafting key messages to the audiences who need to hear it the most is something we do very well. This kind of approach is also highly applicable to product marketing, consumer products and services and business-to-business marketing. It’s our passion to change behavior for the benefit of all our clients and their unique objectives and goals,” he concluded.
The Wisconsin 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline campaign continues to highlight confidentiality and works to reduce the stigma of seeking help through inclusive messaging. As a result, 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline usage increases, along with public trust and understanding. Additionally, each year, the campaign performs well with strong added value from traditional media tactics. The campaign’s effectiveness can be seen with the high volume of 988 contacts within the state – so much so that AFFIRM was engaged to successfully help recruit additional 988 counselors by the non-profit that staffs the service, Family Services of Northeast Wisconsin.
AFFIRM is a full-service marketing communications agency with expertise in social marketing and behavior change campaigns that positively impact public health, transportation, social causes, as well as product marketing and consumer influence. Headquartered in Pewaukee, Wisconsin the agency serves local, regional and national clients in Business-to-Business and Consumer markets. For more information, call 262-650-9900, or visit www.AFFIRMAgency.com.
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