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B. 2017 Puget Sound Buddy Walk Marketing & Sponsorship Campaign:
OBJECTIVE
To raise funds, solicit corporate sponsorships and drive attendance to the 2017 Puget Sound Buddy Walk.
CHALLENGE
The Puget Sound Buddy Walk is hosted by the Down Syndrome Community of Puget Sound (DSC), a local non-profit committed to building a supportive, inclusive, and diverse community for all. The event celebrates individuals with Down syndrome and is their largest fundraising event of the year.
Fundraising for the Puget Sound Buddy Walk has historically lagged behind other Buddy Walks held around the country. They were often only able to raise $40,000 or $45,000, which in this affluent market, leaves a lot of room for improvement. Leadership at the DSC had a variety of explanations for this – most centered around intense competition for philanthropy dollars in the Seattle market and the low quality and lack of organization around their materials.
SOLUTION
A friend of the agency who is involved with the DSC asked if we would take on the Buddy Walk a pro-bono client. We immediately accepted and started to dig in. Our first step was to conduct an audit of all marketing-related materials the DSC was using to promote the Buddy Walk. We found a lot of disjointed assets lacking a unified message. We worked with them to rebrand the entire collection, establishing a platform that a new cohesive design, clear messaging and photography from past events that put the members front and center and emphasized the inclusiveness, fun and pride of the event.
Next, we rethought their sponsorship materials, turning a collection of loose papers into an eBook that could be sent easily by the volunteer staff at the DSC, and which allowed donors to quickly click over to the donation site. We also produced posters, flyers and social media headers to promote the event across multiple channels and present a consistent message.
Our overall approach across all pieces was to let people shine. The event is a true celebration, and we wanted that feeling to come through loud and clear.
RESULTS
Armed with a new set of materials, the Puget Sound Buddy Walk was able to far exceed past years’ fundraising totals and set a new record in 2017—raising more than $70,000. The simplicity of the materials allowed the all-volunteer staff to amplify the message without devoting much more of their time. Additionally, the materials energized the member community, leading to their highest turnout in recent years. This year, we are building and expanding on the current set of materials to try and capture more donations earlier on in an effort to reach $100,000.
