social marketing campaign to engage not the 17 percent of Oregonians who smoke — but the 83 percent who don’t. It provided information and resources to help smokers quit or prevent youngsters from starting. It worked with business owners, landlords and community colleges to ensure people enjoy clean air in the places where they work, play, live and study. One particular initiative, the Tobacco Quitline, provided informational material in English, Spanish, Simple Chinese, Russian, Korean and Vietnamese. Like the “El Tesoro” play for Metro’s Let’s Talk Trash campaign, the multilingual posters reflected Metropolitan Group’s belief that respecting cultural context is critical to driving long-term change. “Lasting change has to be relevant to diverse stakeholders, so Metropolitan Group started doing multicultural engagement early,” says Friedenwald-Fishman. “Just look at the changing demographics of our communities. If we want enduring change, we have to be relevant to a broad cross-section of people who will ‘own’ the values and carry them forward.”
Metropolitan Group grew directly out of its founders’ experiences and education at Willamette University. Today, the company still regularly hires Willamette graduates for the liberal arts rigor they bring to their work on behalf of social causes. Left to right: John Donovan ’88, founder and senior vice president; Rob Sassor ’02, director; Eric Friedenwald-Fishman ’88, founder and creative director; Olivia Stone ’11, senior associate.
Carrying It Forward In Metropolitan Group itself, a new generation of Willamette graduates is helping ensure that the university’s principles and ethos live on in the company. Although Friedenwald-Fishman, now creative director, and Donovan, senior vice president, are the sole remaining founders, the company regularly hires Willamette graduates. “We believe in the need for diversity, so we hire broadly to avoid unintended bias,” explains Friedenwald-Fishman, who also serves on Willamette University’s Board of Trustees. “But generally we WILLAMETTE UNIVERSITY
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