With Buddhism on the decline, a group of local monks hired a Yulu to help spread the word about Buddhist principles.
The Challenge
When results of a report on world religions revealed that the number of practising Buddhists was on the decline, a group of local monks sprang into action and took the unprecedented step of hiring a PR firm. They needed help to educate the public that whether or not they identified as Buddhists, most people already ascribed to Buddhist principles.
The Solution
Yulu conceived a grassroots campaign called ‘Are You a Closet Buddhist?’ in which monks took to the streets to ask Vancouverites questions that helped identify whether they were ‘Proud Buddhists’ or ‘Closet Buddhists’. The work done by the street team of monks was complemented by an online survey, where respondents answered questions about compassion, forgiveness and spirituality. Most discovered their own inherent values were Buddhist in nature.
The Results
Yulu’s campaign garnered the attention of the Vancouver Sun, CBC’s On the Coast, CBC News Vancouver, the Province, Ottawa Citizen, Vancouver Is Awesome, The Huffington Post, Calgary Herald and more. The campaign succeeded in winning over the broader association of monks, which had been divided into its respective ethnic groups for years and was reluctant to enlist PR help.