Media Industry Can Help Drive Sandy Hook Promise Mission: Mktg.ai’s Kevin Wassong
The 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting remains one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history and a defining moment in the national debate over gun violence. For Kevin Wassong, founder and chief executive of Mktg.ai, hearing firsthand from a parent who lost a child in the attack became the catalyst for a years-long effort to mobilize the media and advertising industries in support of prevention programs.
Speaking with Beet.TV, Wassong described how meeting Nicole Hockley, whose son Dylan was killed in the shooting, changed the course of his involvement with Sandy Hook Promise, a nonprofit organization focused on violence prevention and youth mental health initiatives.
Gun violence remains national challenge
Gun violence involving children and schools continues to be a major public policy issue in the United States. Advocates of stricter gun laws argue that stronger regulations could help reduce shootings, while opponents contend that protecting constitutional gun rights and focusing on mental health, security measures and enforcement of existing laws are more effective approaches. The issue remains one of the country’s most contentious political battlegrounds, with lawmakers, advocacy groups and voters deeply divided on potential solutions.
Against that backdrop, organizations such as Sandy Hook Promise have focused on prevention efforts that seek to identify warning signs among young people before violence occurs.
An emotional encounter
Wassong recalled first hearing Hockley speak at a conference in 2018. She described dropping her children off at school before learning that a gunman had entered Sandy Hook Elementary.
“It ripped my heart out,” Wassong said. “As a matter of fact, even when I speak about it now, I get choked up.”
He said the experience left him convinced that companies in media, entertainment and technology should play a constructive role in addressing societal challenges.
“I’ve always felt that media, entertainment, technology owes it to society to be part of the solution,” Wassong said. “And I think it’s fair to say we’ve been a contributor to some of the issues.”
Following the conference, Wassong approached Hockley with an idea to create a media advisory board that could help amplify Sandy Hook Promise’s message and expand awareness of its programs.
Building a media advisory network
Wassong said he reached out to a number of senior executives across the advertising and media sectors, including Peter Naylor, Doug Rozen, Adam Gerber and others. The group initially gathered for a lunch meeting that laid the foundation for what would become a much larger industry effort.
“We all got together for a lunch down at the Dejay offices. And that kind of kicked things off,” he said.
The advisory board has since grown to roughly 100 members from across the media ecosystem, according to Wassong. Participants contribute what he described as “time, talent, and treasure” through volunteer work, expertise and media support.
Those efforts have helped secure substantial donated advertising inventory for the organization. Wassong estimated that more than $170 million worth of media support has been contributed over time.
Focus on prevention programs
Wassong emphasized that Sandy Hook Promise’s primary mission differs from many organizations involved in the broader debate over gun violence.
“The main difference between what Sandy Hook Promise does and what other organizations do is that they’re about developing programs that allow kids to recognize signs in themselves or others that they might be at risk of perpetrating some event,” he said.
According to Wassong, the organization says its programs have helped prevent school shootings and suicides while reaching millions of students nationwide through educational initiatives. He said more than 41 million students across the United States have received training through the organization’s programs.
The nonprofit also works with advertising agencies BBDO and PhD on public service campaigns that have received industry recognition, including Emmy Awards.
Seeking broader participation
Wassong said the advisory board continues to recruit participants from across the advertising, media and marketing sectors. He encouraged individuals and companies interested in supporting the effort to reach out directly to him or to Sandy Hook Promise leadership.
Despite the growth of the initiative, Wassong said the ultimate objective is to make the organization’s work unnecessary.
“We’re really excited by that and the work that we’ve been doing, with the ultimate goal, by the way, of being obsolete,” he said.
The 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting remains one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history and a defining moment in the national debate over gun violence. For Kevin Wassong, founder and chief executive of Mktg.ai, hearing firsthand from a parent who lost a child in the attack became the catalyst for a years-long effort to mobilize the media and advertising industries in support of prevention programs.
Speaking with Beet.TV, Wassong described how meeting Nicole Hockley, whose son Dylan was killed in the shooting, changed the course of his involvement with Sandy Hook Promise, a nonprofit organization focused on violence prevention and youth mental health initiatives.
Gun violence remains national challenge
Gun violence involving children and schools continues to be a major public policy issue in the United States. Advocates of stricter gun laws argue that stronger regulations could help reduce shootings, while opponents contend that protecting constitutional gun rights and focusing on mental health, security measures and enforcement of existing laws are more effective approaches. The issue remains one of the country’s most contentious political battlegrounds, with lawmakers, advocacy groups and voters deeply divided on potential solutions.
Against that backdrop, organizations such as Sandy Hook Promise have focused on prevention efforts that seek to identify warning signs among young people before violence occurs.
An emotional encounter
Wassong recalled first hearing Hockley speak at a conference in 2018. She described dropping her children off at school before learning that a gunman had entered Sandy Hook Elementary.
“It ripped my heart out,” Wassong said. “As a matter of fact, even when I speak about it now, I get choked up.”
He said the experience left him convinced that companies in media, entertainment and technology should play a constructive role in addressing societal challenges.
“I’ve always felt that media, entertainment, technology owes it to society to be part of the solution,” Wassong said. “And I think it’s fair to say we’ve been a contributor to some of the issues.”
Following the conference, Wassong approached Hockley with an idea to create a media advisory board that could help amplify Sandy Hook Promise’s message and expand awareness of its programs.
Building a media advisory network
Wassong said he reached out to a number of senior executives across the advertising and media sectors, including Peter Naylor, Doug Rozen, Adam Gerber and others. The group initially gathered for a lunch meeting that laid the foundation for what would become a much larger industry effort.
“We all got together for a lunch down at the Dejay offices. And that kind of kicked things off,” he said.
The advisory board has since grown to roughly 100 members from across the media ecosystem, according to Wassong. Participants contribute what he described as “time, talent, and treasure” through volunteer work, expertise and media support.
Those efforts have helped secure substantial donated advertising inventory for the organization. Wassong estimated that more than $170 million worth of media support has been contributed over time.
Focus on prevention programs
Wassong emphasized that Sandy Hook Promise’s primary mission differs from many organizations involved in the broader debate over gun violence.
“The main difference between what Sandy Hook Promise does and what other organizations do is that they’re about developing programs that allow kids to recognize signs in themselves or others that they might be at risk of perpetrating some event,” he said.
According to Wassong, the organization says its programs have helped prevent school shootings and suicides while reaching millions of students nationwide through educational initiatives. He said more than 41 million students across the United States have received training through the organization’s programs.
The nonprofit also works with advertising agencies BBDO and PhD on public service campaigns that have received industry recognition, including Emmy Awards.
Seeking broader participation
Wassong said the advisory board continues to recruit participants from across the advertising, media and marketing sectors. He encouraged individuals and companies interested in supporting the effort to reach out directly to him or to Sandy Hook Promise leadership.
Despite the growth of the initiative, Wassong said the ultimate objective is to make the organization’s work unnecessary.
“We’re really excited by that and the work that we’ve been doing, with the ultimate goal, by the way, of being obsolete,” he said.
