Secret introduces anti-bullying campaign with help from 'Glee' star
NEW YORK — In its ongoing commitment to support fearless women, Secret Deodorant has created the Mean Stinks program, a supportive Facebook community that gives young women the courage to stand up to a stinky behavior: bullying.
To help this cause, Secret is partnering with relatable role models — Amber Riley, best known as Mercedes on the hit Fox show "Glee," and nationally renowned relationship expert Rachel Simmons — to start a movement of "nice."
Secret also is partnering with PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center by donating a portion of proceeds from select Secret Clinical Strength purchases to its prevention efforts.
To spread the word, Riley will participate in Facebook Q&A sessions on the Mean Stinks page, as well as appear in print advertising that helps support donations to PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center.
Simmons, a best-selling author and expert on the social issues facing young women also is jumping in to help. Simmons devotes her time to working with parents, educators and school leaders to help communities end bullying. Simmons and Secret have created an experience on Facebook that empowers young women by providing tools for them to face the difficulties and drama of bullying.
To understand the depth of this epidemic, Secret commissioned a survey of 1,000 young women, ages 16 to 21 years, to prove the proliferation of bullying extends beyond grade school and has intensified with the explosion of cyberbullying. Survey findings underscore that 48% of college-age students have experienced or witnessed bullying or mean behavior at college or in the work environment. Secret's bullying survey with Russell Research revealed:
99% agreed that being bullied stinks;
94% of young women agreed social media makes it easier for girls to bully or torment one another;
73% felt angry and 64% have felt frustrated after witnessing someone being bullied;
96% were personally concerned about seeing a person being bullied and no one doing anything to help; and
87% agreed that social media sites have the power to be used positively in the fight against bullying.
Secret also is launching an iAd for the Mean Stinks program on Apple's mobile advertising network, and will donate $1 to PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center for every user who saves a special wallpaper to his or her iPhone and iPod Touch when they see the ad in their favorite apps.