Sign up for eNews
Challenge: GlobalGiving is a premier online organization that connects donors to grassroots charity projects worldwide. The organization came to M+R to develop and execute a winning communications strategy in order to raise its brand visibility and cultivate new and current donors,
Strategy: To promote GlobalGiving as a leader in online giving, M+R devised a creative earned media strategy that leveraged GlobalGiving’s assets as well as existing national and international events. We helped GlobalGiving penetrate the holiday media market around Thanksgiving by developing and publicizing the “Great American Sleep-In” campaign, which challenged Americans to avoid the shopping mall on “Black Friday” and, instead, opt to give a more meaningful gift through GlobalGiving.org. Similar “giving” media campaigns were created around Ramadan, Hanukah, Mother’s Day and other holidays when thinking of others is – or should be – top of mind. We also developed a breaking news strategy to help engage Americans in humanitarian giving when international crises such as the 2008 natural disasters that devastated Myanmar and China.
Results: The “Great American Sleep-In” secured GlobalGiving approximately 20 radio interviews during Thanksgiving week, which led to more than 35 individual radio hits across more than 15 states. In addition, we booked TV interviews for GlobalGiving’s leadership on CNN Sunday Morning and Washington, D.C.’s local CBS affiliate and received a variety of coverage in top-tier online outlets such as Forbes and MSNBC. The sleep-in challenge became an integral part of GlobalGiving’s annual fourth quarter fundraising efforts. M+R’s other media relations, expert positioning and breaking news efforts on behalf of GlobalGiving resulted in feature story placements and coverage nationwide in the Associated Press, The New York Times, USA Today, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune and Christian Science Monitor, as well as on ABC News and NBC’s Today Show. This effort played a significant part in GlobalGiving’s 200 percent growth in revenue over two years!