Categorie:

Inner communications

Title of campaign:

Give a Dream! 2007

short common description of the campaign::

Clients: The Swiss pharmaceutical company Mepha Baltic and the "Aptieka 1"

group of pharmacies.

The "Give a Dream!" project began in 2005, when Mepha Baltic and The Tamro

Pharmacy Programme ("Aptieka 1") decided to organise a socially significant

charitable project which would not only offer benefits to the specific donation

recipient, but also would make a lasting investment in public education and in

encouraging others to take part in such processes. The agency created the "Give a

Dream!" campaign to help children with life-threatening diseases to fulfil their

dreams and to purchase equipment of the Association of Paediatric Palliative Care.

� In the first year, when postcards drawn by children were sold at pharmacies, LVL

5,000 were collected;

� On the second year, children and distinguished Latvian musicians recorded the

"Give a Dream!" album, and the sale of the albums raised LVL 10,000 for the

children and the process of their palliative care.

research work done during the campaign:

PR agency project met with charity experts to learn about the profile of donors.

During the meeting, organisers learned several important aspects about choosing a

donation mechanism and selecting the right time for the project.

At a seminar for pharmacists and in individual conversations, organisers learned

the views of "Aptieka 1" pharmacy directors about the previous year’s "Give a

Dream!" project. Organisers listened to the recommendations of pharmacists as to

how the project could be made even more effective.

With the help of competent legal and bookkeeping consultants, the agency also

drafted a donation scheme that was in line with the requirements of the State

Revenue Service and the Ministry of Finance.

The fundraising plan was presented to "Aptieka 1" pharmacy directors, and their

approval was sought.

The agency studied the range of informational supporters to select the most

appropriate ones.

After a review of the previous year’s experiences, the agency decided to preserve

the "Give a Dream!" goals, but to change and simplify the methods whereby the

goals can be achieved.

In order to make sure that the "Give a Dream!" campaign did not get lost among

many charity projects in 2007, as well as to ascertain that the role of pharmacists

in the project might be enhanced, there had to be an idea as to how project

organisers could address the public more effectively, achieve the goals of the

campaign, and involve the directors of "Aptieka 1" pharmacies.

strategy:

Goals:

� To promote pharmacy loyalty in the "Aptieka 1" brand;

� To present "Aptieka 1" pharmacies as socially responsible pharmacies which

help to educate society;

� To ensure that "Aptieka 1" pharmacies can make a substantial social investment

by raising funds to fulfil the dreams of seriously ill children, some of whom cannot

be cured, to organise a summer camp for children and their families, and to assist

the Association of Paediatric Palliative Care.

In order to promote pharmacist loyalty in the new "Aptieka 1" brand, the "Give a

Dream!" project in 2007 helped to communicate the new name of the former

"Tamro Pharmacy Programme".

There were two opportunities to donate money during the project:

� Donation boxes at all "Aptieka 1" pharmacies in Latvia;

� The charity portal www.ziedot.lv.

The main informational supporters for the project were Radio SWH (free radio

advertising), as well as Latvia’s largest social networking site, www.draugiem.lv,

which provided the homepage for the project, as well as an advertising banner on

the portal.

One of the most important aspects of the homepage was that it gave pharmacy

directors a reciprocal link with respect to the project (the dreams that were

fulfilled, the amount of money that was raised, etc.).

Measurement criteria:

� Total donations (particularly through donation boxes in the "Aptieka 1"

pharmacies;

� Responsiveness of pharmacists;

� Publicity.

The messages:

� The main message: The "Give a Dream!" project invites you to help in the

fulfilment of the dreams of children with life-threatening illnesses by making

donations via the www.ziedot.lv portal or the donation boxes that can be found at

"Aptieka 1" pharmacies throughout Latvia;

� The secondary message: The project is organised by Aptieka 1 & Mepha.

Communications ideas and methods:

1. In concluding the previous year’s project and planning the new one, organisers

assembled a seminar for the directors of "Aptieka 1" pharmacies.

2. The agency designed informational and visual materials for the campaign (the

donation boxes, informational flyers and posters in pharmacies).

3. The project was launched with an emotional event at a "Aptieka 1" pharmacy in

Rīga. In order to emphasise the emotional and social importance of the project, the

event was attended by representatives of the Association for Paediatric Palliative

Care, as well as by the parents and classmates of a young girl called Betija, who

had been helped by the "Give a Dream!" campaign in the past.

4. Thanks to a surprising level of public support, the dreams of 11 seriously ill

children could be fulfilled just two weeks after the project campaign began, and

the process was reflected on the "Give a Dream!" homepage.

Results of the campaign and evaluation::

� Over the course of three months, the "Give a Dream!" project collected an

unexpectedly large sum of money - more than LVL 54,100.

� Most pharmacy directors said that they would be prepared to be involved in the

project in future, too. Asked why, the most often talked about making an

investment that is socially responsible and important to the public.

� There was increasing support among "Aptieka 1" pharmacies for the "Give a

Dream!" project. This was seen in the reciprocal link with pharmacists, as well as

in the fact that several pharmacies made substantial investments in popularising

the project and raising funds through individual contributions.

� The dreams of 11 seriously ill children were fulfilled: A BMX bike for Elvis so

that he could ride together with his cousin. A princess bed for 3-year-old Daniela.

Ski equipment which will allow 5-year-old Edīte to keep up with her sisters on the

mountain. And more.

� The sum allowed to organise a three day camp for families and children, and to

purchase necessary equipment for the everyday treatment of children by the

Association of Palliative Care.

� The "Give a Dream!" homepage was visited by more than 5,000 people a day.

The page registered 2,361 supporters, more than 120 E-mails were received, and

more than 220 comments were written under information about project

developments.

� There were 96 stories in the national and regional media.