December 3, 2024

Let's try this again... In our excitement to share the new communication campaign with you, we missed a few important details in the special communication sent yesterday. We have made corrections here. We hope you will join us on December 10 for the kickoff event. Email us at PreventHPV@stjude.org with any questions. Thank you!

Family First.

Sunday Suppers.

HPV Cancer Prevention.

It's Our Way Down South.

Join us on December 10 from 12-1 pm Central Time to learn about the new communication campaign of the HPV Vaccination Roundtable of the Southeast. The campaign kickoff event will review the development of the campaign and show you how to use the resources to promote HPV vaccination in your community beginning in January 2025. If you are unable to attend live, register to receive a link to view the recording later. Register here.

Learn about the development process, gain insight into the campaign concept, and take a first look at campaign materials in this special communication.

Learn more about the Southeast Roundtable at stjude.org/southeast-roundtable.

Email PreventHPV@stjude.org with questions

Register for the regional communication campaign kickoff here. 

It's Our Way Down South.

In May 2024, the communications priority implementation team started working on developing a regional communication campaign for the Southeast. This involved finalizing a scope of work describing the project, including intended deliverables, and identifying a communication vendor to support the process. The Southeast Roundtable contracted with VML as the communication vendor.  The implementation team met regularly with the communication vendor to discuss what we wanted in a campaign and how the campaign will be used. The campaign was iteratively developed and designed to meet our needs for us and by us over the last six months. The campaign materials will become available this month for use beginning in January 2025. We will evaluate the campaign to improve on resources during a second phase, which will again be guided by the implementation team. 

We are pleased to share with you the campaign concept we developed together with the communication vendor and associated materials. The Southeast HPV vaccination communication campaign is based on quintessential southern characteristics -- those we share and those unique to our state or jurisdiction. Because in the south, we share a sense of pride in our culture. We love what makes us uniquely southern -- and even more specifically, uniquely South Carolinian, Tennessean, Virginian, and more. We know there is nothing like a Georgia peach, a Cajun seafood boil in Louisiana, or an intense football rivalry. We love family first and relish the time we spend together. Everyone who lives here knows it, feels it, celebrates it, and commits to continuing the traditions. We protect our culture and those we love. And we want to start a new southern tradition: protecting our kids from HPV cancers because it's our way down south.

So take a first look at the campaign materials in this special communication. Join us on December 10 for the official campaign kickoff to learn more and plan to use these resources developed for us by us beginning in January 2025. Register for the kickoff event here. 

We extend special thanks to members of the implementation team who have been actively engaged in developing the concept and informing the creative.

• Allison Agnew
• Mariana Arevalo
• Heather Brandt
• Julia Brown
• Karlisa Cryer
• Gabby Darville-Sanders
• Marlise Elgart
• Jane Grey
• Nikki Hayes
• Caree McAfee
• Jennifer Nkonga
• Beth Poore
• Heather Mercer
• Deborah Overall
• Tara Pendygraft
• Sara Wales
• Sherrie Wallington
• Brianna White
• Astrid Wilkie-McKellar

In addition, we thank the Southeast Roundtable Planning Committee and other members of the St. Jude HPV Cancer Prevention Program (not listed above) who have supported this priority action and implementation team. 

Take a First Look at the Campaign Materials.

Following are examples of campaign materials, which will be available following the virtual campaign kickoff event on December 10. Posters and postcards will be available in print format with the Southeast Roundtable QR code. Instructions on how to request materials will be provided during the kickoff.

To receive information on how to access the materials following the kickoff event, sign up for the HPV Vaccination Roundtable of the Southeast listserv by emailing PreventHPV@stjude.org with "SE RT Listserv" in the subject line.

General Social Media Images.

Four general social media images will be provided. The general images can be used by any state and jurisdiction in the region to complement the state- and jurisdiction-specific versions. Each social media image will include suggested accompanying text, which can be personalized for use. Each image also allows for co-branding by adding your organization's logo. Here is an example of how this could look when posted on social platforms.

Posters. 

Two versions of a poster will be available for use. Posters are sized at 18x24 and will include the option for co-branding by adding your organization's logo. The vanity URL and QR code directs recipients to the stjude.org/southeast-roundtable webpage. The QR code can be changed to direct recipients to your organization's website. Here is one of the two versions of the poster. 

Postcards. 

Four versions of a postcard will be available for use. Postcards are sized at 5.5x8.5 and will include the option for co-branding by adding your organization's logo. The postcard is meant to serve as an informational introduction to HPV vaccination as cancer prevention. The vanity URL and QR code directs recipients to the stjude.org/southeast-roundtable webpage. The QR code can be changed to direct recipients to your organization's website. Here is the informational side of the postcard to give you an idea of what it looks like.

State- and Jurisdiction-specific Social Media Images.

While the south may be a region sharing rich culture and heritage, states and jurisdictions also have their own flavor. To help increase the salience of the campaign, members of the implementation team worked with the communication agency to optimize relevance for each state and jurisdiction. Each state and jurisdiction will have two tailored options during this first phase. Each social media image will include suggested accompanying text, which can be personalized for use. Each image also allows for co-branding by adding your organization's logo.

Alabama

Arkansas

District of Columbia

Florida

Georgia

Kentucky

Louisiana

Mississippi

North Carolina

Puerto Rico

South Carolina

Tennessee

Virginia

West Virginia

2025 Virtual Annual Meeting of the Southeast Roundtable.

The HPV Vaccination Roundtable of the Southeast will host its 2025 annual meeting virtually on January 21, 22, and 23 from 10 am-12 pm Central Time. Register for one or all three of the meetings – and we hope you will join us for all three. We have so much to share and so much to learn and do to improve HPV cancer prevention across the region. Register today at https://tinyurl.com/SERT25. 

The agenda for each day of the annual meeting will be focused on one of the three priority actions of the Southeast Roundtable: 1) regional communication campaign, 2) elimination of HPV cancers starting with cervical cancer as a public health problem, and 3) starting HPV vaccination at age 9.

January 21, 10 am-noon CT

Communication: Develop and implement a communication campaign and messages for the Southeastern region 

January 22, 10 am-noon CT

Elimination: Develop and disseminate a plan for HPV cancer elimination in the Southeast, beginning with cervical cancer as a public health problem

January 23, 10 am-noon CT

Start at Age 9: Accelerate efforts to start HPV vaccination at age 9 

Each day, the two-hour meeting will begin with a review of accomplishments over the past year and future plans followed by lightning talks delivered by subject matter experts to revisit potential opportunities for the Southeast Roundtable to consider for 2025. Then, moderated breakout sessions will allow for discussion about the priority action and possible next steps as well as consider other possible priority actions to be explored. Specific agendas for each day with confirmed speakers will be released before the end of 2024.

Learn more about the Southeast Roundtable at stjude.org/southeast-roundtable.

If you have any questions, email us at PreventHPV@stjude.org.

About the HPV Vaccination Roundtable of the Southeast.

The southeastern United States has historically had the lowest HPV vaccination coverage as a region – with some exceptions – and the highest rates of HPV cancers, especially cervical and oral cancers. Focusing on the Southeast allows people and partners to galvanize existing successful efforts working in the region, learn from each other, and further reach and impact on improving HPV vaccination coverage.

The HPV Vaccination Roundtable of the Southeast is comprised of a group of people and partners from 14 states and jurisdictions – Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Puerto Rico, and District of Columbia -- working together to improve HPV vaccination coverage in their respective states and jurisdictions and in the region.

The HPV Cancer Prevention Program at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital provides backbone support for the Southeast Roundtable, building on past and current efforts of the American Cancer Society and ACS National HPV Vaccination Roundtable to address low HPV vaccination coverage in the region. 

To learn more about the Southeast Roundtable or join our efforts, please visit the HPV Vaccination Roundtable of the Southeast website at stjude.org/southeast-roundtable.