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| Shoes for Orphan Souls |
| Strategic Counsel/National
Media Campaign |
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| Lovell Public Relations has worked with
Buckner Orphan Care International, a non-profit organization
known primarily for its orphanages and adoption program,
for the past three years to position and grow a new program.
In 1999, Buckner assumed ownership of Shoes for Russian
Souls. While the program collected shoes for Russian orphans,
Buckner saw the potential to expand the program’s
reach to other countries and sought Lovell Public Relations’
counsel. |
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| The agency identified an opportunity for
Buckner to partner with shopping malls during the back-to-school
season, one of the busiest shopping times of the year.
The campaign incorporated shoe drives to bring additional
traffic to the mall, along with back-to-school advertising
and promotional efforts to promote the shoe drives and
back-to-school shopping. Lovell Public Relations recommended
that Buckner test market the concept at a Dallas mall.
The program’s first year was extremely successful,
exceeding Buckner’s goal of securing 10,000 pairs
of new shoes. |
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| Lovell worked with Buckner to expand the
program in its second year to seven malls and secured
over 50,000 new pairs of shoes. In addition, because of
the exposure provided by the malls, thousands of people
in several new markets were introduced to the program,
which led to additional support from other businesses,
community groups and churches. In preparation for its
third year of growing the program, Buckner set a goal
of holding shoe drives in at least 300 cities nationwide.
Lovell Public Relations launched a national media campaign
to showcase the need for shoes. |
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| Challenges |
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To create national awareness
of Shoes for Orphan Souls. |
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To expand the shoe drives to 300
cities. |
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To collect enough shoes to send
to at least 20 countries. |
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| Strategies/Tactics |
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Secured participation from 26 malls
in different regions to provide space and collect
shoes. |
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Developed an effective back-to-school
campaign for the malls |
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Enlisted community groups to host
shoe drives or provide volunteers. |
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Prepared a step-by-step planning
guide for mall marketing managers and community
group volunteers to coordinate local media efforts
and shoe collections. |
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Coordinated local promotions with
the mall marketing managers such as securing donated
billboards and area transit boards, displaying in-mall
signage, distributing flyers and brochures at mall
stores and information booths, and holding kick-off
publicity events at the malls. |
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Targeted trades and other national
media with testimonials and personal stories. |
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| Results |
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Collected over 600,000 pairs of
new shoes, thousands of socks and shoelaces, and
over $250,000 in cash donations, with a total estimated
value of over $9 million. |
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Received participation from over
500 community groups and churches in 33 states. |
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Increased Buckner’s humanitarian
outreach to 21 countries. |
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Secured coverage on more than 40
TV affiliates as well as an interview on USA Radio
Network, which was aired on 1,300 stations nationwide.
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Secured coverage in local publications
including The Dallas Morning News and The San Francisco
Chronicle as well as articles in trade publications
such as Footwear News, Corporate Philanthropy Report
and Fundraising Management. |
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Generated additional corporate interest
and support for 2002. |
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Initiated plans to launch an online
celebrity shoe auction in 2003. |
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Recognized with a 2002 MAXI for excellence in marketing. |
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| Since 1999, Buckner Orphan Care International
has distributed more than 600,000 pairs of shoes
to orphans in more than 20 countries. |
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