(Editor's Note: This article was published first in print in the October 2022 edition of The Stand.)
“How would you market the product of life if that was your business?”
Carl Landwehr posed that question to others involved in the fight for life and ultimately decided to make it his business.
The answer? Conduct research to better understand the feelings and emotions of women considering abortion, then use mass media to shine a spotlight on the issue and bring a conversation about the topic to the mainstream public.
That was the impetus for the pro-life organization known today as the Vitae Foundation.
Since its founding by Landwehr in 1974, Vitae’s efforts have always been to bring about “a time when cultures value the gift of life.”
Research and media production manager at the Vitae Foundation, Elizabeth Parker, who has been a pro-life advocate since childhood, spoke with The Stand about Vitae, what makes it different, and what it hopes to accomplish in the future.
Research
“We’re a research institution,” said Parker.
Early on, Vitae collaborated with nationally-recognized consumer psychologist, Dr. Charles Kenny of Right Brain People, an organization that conducts emotional research to help companies uncover emotional connections between their brand and their consumers.
Thus, “right brain research” became a hallmark of Vitae’s strategy.
“We try to figure out the why, because the why is at the root,” Parker explained. “So we do ‘right brain research’ into why women are making abortive decisions.”
Reach
Vitae’s research translates into resources used to help pro-life organizations craft more effective messages and then better understand how to market those messages to abortion-minded women.
“We provide those resources free to pregnancy resource centers, churches, parachurch ministries, and individuals. We are always looking for avenues to get our ministry tools out there,” Parker said. “We have a seek-and-disperse mindset. We feel called to do this research, create the resources, and then provide them for free.”
Vitae’s focus extends beyond that of saving babies, however.
“We want to be effective at winning the woman as well as winning the life of a child,” Parker explained. “The other side has unfortunately done a great job of saying the pro-life mission is all about just getting the baby here. That’s never been true. However, they’ve done a good job of making it seem like it’s true. Vitae is a part of that counter-marketing tactic to show that we are pro-family, pro-woman, and, of course, we are pro-life.”
Results
Vitae’s 2021 annual report showed its “marketing reached over 2 million abortion-determined women, and of those, over 22,000 made a connection with a lifesaving pregnancy center.”
Though the pro-life movement was handed a victory with the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade in June, Vitae’s work won’t stop.
“Praise God for what happened with Roe v. Wade, but technically, our work is just beginning,” Parker said. “Women and families need to know that loving resources are readily available. We have to up our game to ensure we are putting ourselves in strategic places where we are available to families in need.
“We want to abolish abortion and make it unthinkable,” Parker added. “With right brain research, a pro-family approach, and a Christ-centered and surrendered mindset, we hope to change people’s hearts and minds and do just that.”
