Leadership Stories

Erick Hong

Erick Hong
Although still a university student, Erick Hong is a nationally recognized expert in the field of social marketing. All of his many successful efforts center around the notion of transforming the attitudes and actions of young people. Hong co-created the Truth campaign, one of the most distinctive and visible public-will efforts in the United States. By appealing to the unique values and characteristics of today's young people, the Truth campaign attempts to transform popular conceptions about tobacco. As a social-marketing consultant, Hong has traveled across the United States helping numerous cities and states create their own anti-tobacco initiatives.

During his campaign to reach and motivate the public, Hong has met with top executives from every major broadcasting network, offering his unique expertise on the most effective strategies for reaching today's youth. He has actively used communications in order to garner public will, leading media training sessions for youth activists. With Hong's help, young leaders learn to take full advantage of television and other formats in promoting their messages. He has also employed online communications, developing the anti-tobacco movement's first website. Hong is now expanding his public-will-building work beyond the issue of tobacco prevention, focusing on other issues affecting the health of young people.

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