Awareness Campaign Media Strategies & Techniques | Final Project

Build awareness. Spark a movement. Support a nonprofit.

<Instructions: Your awareness campaign consists of multiple components—10 total Parts, following directions provided in walk-through guidance. Your goal is to make a cohesive awareness public relations campaign that employs digital strategies and techniques in order to spark audience engagement and participation supporting a not-for-profit/cause-based initiative.>

COMPONENTS

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

Research Message & Brand Goals Inverted Pyramid Landing Page

Questionnaire Brand platform

Key terms and

phrases

Core facts about

cause

Campaign objectives and desired outcomes

5W’s Promotional copy

Related links

Image, graphic or video

Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10

Social Media Opinion Piece Online ad Html Email Summary & Conclusions

Facebook post

Twitter post

Short piece in your voice geared for placement on site or blog

Facebook ad with goal of increasing visits to campaign site

Goal-based email to friends, family and colleagues

Final thoughts

PART 1: RESEARCH

What is your awareness campaign? What is the definition, history and general ideas and theories surrounding your public awareness issue?

My awareness campaign focuses on generating volunteers and donations for the Make-A-Wish foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to granting a wish for kids with terminal illnesses. The foundation began in 1980 when a few self-less individuals worked to make the wish of a seven-year-old boy, with leukemia, come true. Today the foundation spans worldwide and more than 270,000 children in the United States and its territories have benefited from experiencing their most heartfelt wish.

What do you want to make your audience aware of about this issue? Do you want to inform or persuade?

I would like to inform my audience of the great benefits this foundation has delivered for the last 36 years in order to raise awareness and generate new volunteers and donors to the foundation. The organization helps to provide a little bit of joy to a child facing a terrible situation. To continue these efforts people need to be made aware of the benefits Make-A-Wish provides.

What are some of the statistics related to your public awareness?

Many kids are diagnosed each year with terminal and life-threatening illnesses. In 2015 (at 35 years in existence) Make-A-Wish granted more than 14, 800 wishes (the most in its entire history). The foundation has more than 28,000 active volunteers in the United States to make these wishes come true. The average cost to

make a wish come true in 2015 was $10,130. Of those wish experiences, 75% involved travel. Make-A-Wish needs more than 2.5 billion frequent flier miles each year to cover the cost of travel for wish kids and their families. For those community volunteers involved, 95% reported an increased sense of compassion and 84% felt an increased faith in humanity. Wishes and the volunteers/donors who make it happen have a huge impact on not only the child but also their families. Ninety-nine percent of parents reported that the wish experience provides their child with increased feelings of happiness and 96% say the experience strengthens their family during the difficult time. A combined nearly 89% of doctors, nurses and health professionals say they believe the wish experience can influence a wish kids’ physical health. (this information was gathered using the Make-A-Wish website.

What solution would you implement to change the problems surrounding your public awareness campaign?

I would like to raise awareness for this foundation in order to increase donor relationships and support. Time, effort, and donations are needed to continue making these wishes come true. Even the smallest help can make a big difference in a wish kids’ attitude.

What organizations, business or individuals are working to change the problem and improve the issue? How do they approach their strategies? Give two examples.

The Sunshine Foundation, which was founded in 1976 by a Philadelphia Police officer, is a non-profit organization that is also geared toward answering the dreams of chronically ill, seriously ill and challenged children. The organization has many chapters across the country. They too look for donations and volunteers through single volunteers, corporate sponsors and workplace campaigns. They utilize social media to attract attention and raise awareness. The Disney Worldwide Outreach Program is part of Walt Disney Company’s charitable division geared toward helping charitable organizations throughout the world. What started in 1983 (under a different name) has morphed into a charity program that partners with other foundations to help make dreams come true. This program partners with Make-A-Wish foundation, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and Toys for Tots to help bring a little happiness to children across the country. Activities are marketed directly through the partners they team up with. The Kids Wish Network is another organization geared toward making dreams come true for children who are chronically and seriously ill. They also work with abused and physically challenged children. The organization tries to raise awareness through fundraising and events as well as social media outlets (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube).

How will knowledge about this campaign help your audience make a difference? What can they do to get more involved in the issue?

By becoming aware of all that the Make-A-Wish foundation entails and their level of success and reach in communities worldwide, people will be able to find ways to support and extend these efforts. Through either volunteering individually, through corporate sponsorships, or donations, people will be able to provide the support and resources needed to make a wish come true for kids struggling with life threatening illnesses.

What are some valid resources with interesting and accurate information about this cause? List

http://wish.org/ https://topnonprofits.com (currently #42)

three. http://sunshinefoundation.org/

Select an organization (or multiple organizations) that will benefit most from your messaging and efforts. This would be a group (or groups) you will direct audience members to for engagement, fundraising or volunteering.

Name of Organization Purpose or Relationship to the Cause, Organization or Movement

Website URL

Make-A-Wish To grant wishes to kids with life threatening illnesses.

http://wish.org/

Sunshine Foundation To answer dreams of chronically ill, seriously ill, physically challenged and abused children.

http://sunshinefoundation.org/

Kids Wish Network Dedicated to infusing hope, creating happy memories, and improving the quality of life for children that have experienced life-altering situations.

http://kidswishnetwork.org/

PART 2: MESSAGE & BRAND Multimedia Collection 1. Use Google images or other source to find a logo/wordmark affiliated with your cause, nonprofit organization

or movement. If one does not exist – use a desired font style and create something simple using the campaign title. Place the image in the “Brand Platform” grid below.

2. Use Google images, organization’s website or other source to collect about 6 images that illustrate and relate best to your cause, nonprofit organization or movement. (save as jpegs)

3. Place the images in the grid below + use these images for other aspects of your campaign (i.e. Facebook posts, landing page layout, html email layout, opinion piece)

Image from: http://wish.org/

Image from: http://sandiego.wish.org/

Image from: http://sanfrancisco.wheelsforwishes.org/donate-car-oakland/

Image from: http://sf.wish.org/wishes/wish-

Image from: http://massri.wish.org/wishes/wish-stories/i-

Image from: https://www.linkedin.com/company/make-a-wish-foundation

stories/i-wish-to-be/wish-to-be-batkid

Image from: https://www.pinterest.com/makeawishhawaii/the-many-ways-to-give-back/

wish-to-go/alisha_7000

Brand Platform

Cause, Movement or Nonprofit logo or wordmark

This is the logo from the Make-A-Wish website (http://wish.org/)

Campaign Fonts Header Subheader Body Copy

Century Gothic and Century School Book

N/A N/A

Campaign Color Scheme Primary Secondary Accent

N/A

Key Words & Phrases

Key Words 1-2 word “bullet points” that best illustrate the strengths of the cause, nonprofit or movement.

Key Phrases 3-8 word short statements or tags that summarize the unique aspects of the cause, nonprofit or movement.

1) Fundraising 1) Making dreams come true

2) Volunteer 2) Supporting kids with life threatening illnesses

3) Sponsor 3) Non-profit organization

4) Donation 4) Helping to grant wishes

5) Childhood illness 5) Making a difference

Message Profile

High level profile of nonprofit organization, cause or movement

Name: Make-A-Wish foundation

Purpose: To grant the wish of every child diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition.

Affiliated events, initiatives, fundraisers

Make-A-wish International (https://www.worldwish.org/) Fundraisers: http://www.maggianos.com/make-a-wish-campaign-2016 Wishmakers At Work: http://wish.org/ways-to-help/fundraising/wishmakers-at-work#sm.0000005o8fuea6ze89ww924jeoltn

Wishmakers On Campus: http://wish.org/ways-to-help/fundraising/wishmakers-on-campus#sm.0000005o8fuea6ze89ww924jeoltn

Digital assets of “main” organization, cause or movement (if applicable) [web and social media presence]

Web url: http://wish.org/

Facebook url: https://www.facebook.com/makeawish

Twitter url: https://twitter.com/makeawish

Other… Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/make-a-wish-foundation Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MakeAWishFoundation Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makeawishamerica/

Promotional assets [current visibility – advertising, PR, awareness]

How is the cause, nonprofit organization or movement currently promoted? What marketing tools and outreach is currently used?

The Make-A-Wish foundation has a wide array of promotional campaigns across a variety of platforms and outreach efforts. Make-A-Wish has several local chapters around the country. Fundraising efforts are handled online, on campus (college/university students), at work (through corporate sponsorships and employees) and through events held in communities across the country. They utilize social media to get the word out about these opportunities. They also have a blog, Wish Nation, which provides behind-the-scenes views on how it all works.

Core audience Who are the people who will help meet the organization’s objectives or aid in raising awareness?

Make-A-Wish and its member organizations (local chapters and international foundation) will lead the effort in meeting the objectives and raising awareness. These efforts are increased by partnerships within the private (individuals) and public (corporations) sectors. Everyone working at Make-A-Wish and those who are affiliated through partnerships and sponsorships will lead by example. The promotional campaign will be strong in its efforts to inform the public about the goals and efforts needed to continue making this foundation a success.

Core target market(s) What is the organization or cause geographic reach? What areas do they focus on for promotion and outreach?

The Make-A-Wish foundation has local chapters throughout the United States. They also have an international chapter which strives to grant wishes all over the world. This promotional campaign will be geared toward raising awareness and generating more volunteers and donations within the United States. Outreach and promotion will be different based on the audience (corporate vs. individual) and geographic location as different fundraising events take place in different parts of the country.

Main messages [tag lines, popular affiliated phrases]

What is the primary mission and vision of the organization?

In the words of the organization: The Make-A-Wish foundation strives to grant the wish of every child diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition.

Core Strengths What unique attributes does this cause, organization or movement have that most appeals to supporters?

The most unique attribute the Make-A-Wish foundation has is its focus on making dreams come true for kids ages 2 ½ to 18 years old who suffer from a life-threatening medical condition. Each wish kid is unique and being able to grant their most desired wish during their time of struggle and suffering helps to encourage and raise their hopes against the battle for life.

PART 3: CAMPAIGN GOALS & OBJECTIVES What type of awareness campaign are you designing? (Choose 1-3)

1. Increasing public knowledge of the Make-A-Wish foundation and what it stands for (granting wishes for kids with serious medical conditions).

• Raising money (fundraising)

• Increase public knowledge of cause or specific related organization

• Increase online engagement

• Increase general engagement (volunteers, participation in programs, attendance at events)

• Recruit members

• Get donations (clothing, food, air miles, printing, pro bono services, etc.)

• Event volunteers and attendance Other?

2. Raising Money (fundraising) to help support the foundation in its effort to make dreams come true and grant wishes.

3. Increase general engagement with the foundation through individual and corporate volunteers and donations.

What are your main campaign goals? What do you most hope to achieve with your awareness efforts? Provide at least three. Examples

• Increase fiscal donations

• Get more of my family and friends get involved, support, donate

• Promote X organization via my social media channels

• Increase engagement on organization X social media

• Promote [specific event] for X organization Other…

1. Increase monetary donations for fiscal year 2016 through individual and corporate fundraising/partnerships.

2. Get more people involved in the efforts to bring joy to these kids who are battling life-threatening conditions. Increase the number of volunteers who help make wishes come true.

3. Promote the Make-A-Wish Foundations work through social media channels.

PART 4: INVERTED PYRAMID Campaign Title Help Make Wishes Come True

Who Overview of the cause Each year, a large number of children are diagnosed with life-threatening medical conditions. At the Make-A-Wish foundation, it’s our mission to grant a wish for every single one of these kids. For over 35 years we’ve been bringing joy to wish kids’ and their families by making their dreams come true.

What What makes the cause unique and important

Every 35 minutes we’re able to grant a wish. With the help of nearly 28,000 volunteers and countless donations we make dreams come true all over the world.

Where What region do you want to focus on for your cause?

The Make-A-Wish foundation has many local chapters across the country. To find a local chapter near you check out our website at: https://wish.org/local-chapters.

When Use compelling argument or statistic to help establish a sense of urgency

In 2015, the average cost for a wish nationwide was $10,103. Nearly 75% of all wish experiences involve travel. We need your donations and volunteer efforts to continue making dreams come true in 2016.

Why Why is this cause important? Why should people care?

Your efforts make a difference, 99% of parents reported that the wish experience gave their wish kid increased feelings of happiness. In addition, 96% said the experience strengthened their family.

How How will [donations, engagement, volunteering] make a difference for this cause?

With your donations you not only bring joy to a child with a life-threatening illness you can impact their lives. A combined 89% of health professionals believe the wish experience can influence a wish kids’ physical health.

Additional Info More about the cause, its history, value, impact

Make-A-Wish began in 1980 when police officers granted a seven year-old boy with leukemia his wish to become one of them for a day. Wishes are driven by wish kids’

interests, creativity and personality.

Closing Info How people can learn more, help or get involved, attend, donate and engage? Promote link(s) to the organization or campaign.

To learn more about the Make-A-Wish foundation and ways to get involved, visit our website at: http://wish.org/. Don’t forget to sign-up for our email to stay-in-touch on all our upcoming events. https://wish.org/wishes/stay-in-touch.

PART 5: LANDING PAGE Create a mockup of a single-layer “landing page” for your campaign.

Required Elements Other Notes

• Title

• Photo or related graphic

• Overview copy

• Related links

• Call to action (learn more, donate, volunteer, join mailing list, etc.)

• Maintain consistency in brand for logo, fonts and color scheme

• Create your mock up in Wix or feel free to use Photoshop, InDesign or other program

• Incorporate core messaging you established in earlier sections as part of your overall message

Please access the full landing page website at: http://giatg7.wix.com/makeawish

PART 6: SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT Facebook post 1 [35-50 words + photo]

It takes nearly 28,000 volunteers to help complete our mission of granting wishes to kids facing life-threatening medical conditions. Become a volunteer today and help share the power of a wish, by bringing joy to their hearts and yours. Find out more about volunteering for Make-A-Wish at: http://wish.org/ways-to-help/volunteering Image from: https://www.pinterest.com/makeawishhawaii/the-many-ways-to-give-back/

Facebook post 2 [35-50 words + photo]

A large number of kids are diagnosed with life-threatening medical conditions each year. By granting their wishes we can help impact their physical health. Become a volunteer with Make-A-Wish foundation and help make their dreams come true. For more information about becoming a volunteer visit: http://wish.org/ways-to-help/volunteering. Image from: http://sf.wish.org/wishes/wish-stories/i-wish-to-be/wish-to-be-batkid

Twitter post 1 [140 characters]

Help make dreams come true by donating your time or money. Donate at http://site.wish.org/site and bring joy to their hearts. #Make-a-wish

Twitter post 2 [140 characters]

Your donations help bring a smile to their face. Share the power of a wish by making theirs come true. #donatetomake-a-wish.

Facebook Post:

Twitter Post:

PART 7: OPINION PIECE

In the spirit of the discussion forums you have participated in throughout the course, craft a blog post (or call it an op-ed) from a personal perspective on why you are passionate about this cause, nonprofit organization or movement. Make it meaningful in overall content + include at least one photo + link(s) to related articles, websites or other references. 200-500 words.

Make-A-Wish to Help a Kid

There are many non-profit organizations that exist today. They raise money and awareness for many worthy causes. The Make-A-Wish foundation is no different. Their mission of granting the wish of every child diagnosed with a life-threatening illness is ambitious and yet not overstated. For over 35 years they’ve been making dreams come true across the country. Today, they continue to make dreams come true all over the world. Each year many children are diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses. Life is precious and it’s never been more apparent than when looking at the face of a wish kid whose wish has just been granted. Children diagnosed with terminal illnesses have their lives cut short. Giving them a chance to live out a

dream allows them to forget about their troubles if only for a little while. Wish kids and their families deserve a chance to feel normal for a day. The efforts of this non-profit organization have grown in leaps and bounds over the years. For families affected by such tragic circumstances the volunteer and fundraising efforts make a huge impact. Not only do wish kids feel a greater sense of happiness, families are strengthened, and volunteers feel an increased sense of humanity. The Make-A-Wish foundation has many volunteer and fundraising

opportunities. To learn more about how to get involved with a local chapter visit their website. To find out about activities in your neighborhood check out their calendar of events webpage. No parent or family should have to experience such terrible conditions. I know that if I had a child with a terminal illness I’d be grateful for an organization like Make-A-Wish with its self-less individuals who dedicate their time and efforts to bring a little joy to a child’s heart. The hope is that one day we won’t need an organization like this. That a cure will be

discovered for all terminal illnesses. Until that day, the Make-A-Wish foundation deserves our support so we can share the power of a wish with these children and give them a little piece of happiness. Check out the blog post at: https://thatsmineproductions.wordpress.com/2016/06/20/make-a-wish-to-help-a-kid/

PART 8: ONLINE AD Audience

Locations List of locations you would want the ad to appear on select audience profiles and searches

All across the United States

Age [i.e. 18-21, 25-30, 35-40 or you can list multiple]

18-60

Gender [i.e. male, female, all] All

Interests List 3 common hobbies or interests your audience would possess [i.e. 5k runs, philanthropy, volunteering, triathlons, fundraising, yoga, Zumba, working out]

1. Active in volunteer efforts for various organizations

2. Active in donating to various organizations 3. Active in working with kids (big brother/sister,

coach, teacher etc.)

Marital Status [i.e. married, single, dating, engaged, in a relationship, divorced, etc.]

Ideally (single, dating, in a relationship) Realistically (married w/kids, divorced w/kids).

Job Status [student, employed full time, employed part time, volunteer, etc.]

Employed full-time/part-time

Education Level [high school, some college, college graduate, post-secondary, doctorate]

Any education level

Facebook Ad Components

Image

[artwork that you want to include with the promotion]

Headline

[attention-grabbing title which would be featured prominently on the image]

I Wish I could go to Disney World just once

Promo Text

[including Call to Action – 90 characters max]

Even the smallest donations make a big impact.

Donate today and make his wish come true.

SPONSORED

Make-A-Wish Foundation www.wish.org Even the smallest donations make a big impact. Donate today and make his wish come true.

PART 9: HTML EMAIL Create a mockup of an HTML email for your campaign. Your email audience is friends, family and colleagues and the call to action should match up with your overall campaign goals (awareness, volunteers, attending event, etc.).

Required Elements Other Notes

• Headline (subhead is optional)

• Body copy

• Photo and/or logo

• Contact information

• Call to action

• Maintain consistency in brand for logo, fonts and color scheme

• Create your mock up using Photoshop, InDesign or other program

• Incorporate core messaging you established in earlier sections as part of your overall message

PART 10: SUMMARY & CONCLUSIONS The format for this section is your choice – bullets, dialogue, a table – whatever works best with how you want to organize your thoughts. Whatever your choice – just be sure to cover the topics/questions below.

• What I thought I knew – why this cause, organization, movement mattered to me

• What I sought to find out

• What I found out

• What I learned that I didn’t know before

• What I want to know more about after creating this awareness campaign

What I thought I knew – why this cause, organization, movement mattered to me

The Make-A-Wish foundation is such an inspiring organization. From its origination story of self-less individuals helping out a seven year-old to what it has become today, this organization stands for a wonderful happy-hearted cause. I was aware of the basic purpose or mission of the foundation before I began this awareness campaign. When you’re dealing with kids who have life-threatening illnesses you realize the value of life and how they won’t get the chance to experience a lot of life’s major milestones. It’s why awareness and promotion of this cause is so valuable and important.

What I sought to find out I sought to find more about what similar types of organizations are out there, what they do to promote themselves and raise awareness, and the impact they have. I wanted to know how they get the message across and in what ways do they think outside the box. By holding different themed fundraising events for people of all ages and in all geographic locations you understand the effort level involved and why the Make-A-Wish foundation is such an impactful organization.

What I found out It was surprising to learn that while the Make-A-Wish foundation may be the most popular or well-known non-profit organization out there for this cause, there are in-fact others that exist. I wasn’t really aware that the Sunshine Foundation existed but it focuses on similar goals and missions. It was staggering to understand the amount of time and effort that goes into making wishes come true. The air miles required to make a dream come true, the number of volunteers that help each year, and the average cost of a wish was all eye-opening because a foundation like this really needs help from everyone. Every little bit counts it’s what makes the dream work.

What I learned that I didn’t know before

Social media has become such a major component for any organization whether it be non-profit, public, or private. I wasn’t surprised to see such a widespread use of social media outlets (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram etc.) but I was surprised at how many different events and promotions they have. Based on the view of the calendar of events found on their website, they reach such a wide variety of outlets for fundraising and exposure:

• Gatsby at the Betsy (a way for young professionals in Miami to become more familiar with the foundation)

• Make-A-Wish Golf Classic (28th annual 18 hole golf challenge in San Diego, CA

• Wine, Women, & Shoes- proceeds benefit the foundation directly.

The foundation finds different avenues for fundraising efforts which ultimately leads to their success.

What I want to know more about after creating this awareness campaign.

The take-away from this assignment is researching different organizations out there geared toward raising money and support for children fighting difficult diseases. I can’t imagine what it would be like to experience something like this and I hope to never have to. This issue exists for many and I’d like to find out more volunteer opportunities and ways to get involved with each organization.