Brief

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Okanagan turns donations to their Renew Crew and the Community Partner Program with Value Village, donations of used clothing and small household items into revenue. In an economic downturn with increasing pressure on the need for self-generated revenue, BBBSO turned to Touchpoint Agency to assist in increasing donations.

Approach

Armed with the knowledge that the target audience would be females seasonally cleaning closets in spring and fall, Touchpoint developed the creative for the campaign that introduced a female Big Hero to complement the male figure used for the mentor program. A positioning line of ‘It may seem like a little thing, but to a kid it’s a big thing.’ underlined the message that the simple task of cleaning a closet can make a significant difference to the children that use the service of BBBSO. It also reinforced the connection with ‘littles’ and their ‘big’ mentor.

The campaign rollout included events at Value Village locations throughout the Okanagan Valley with a 12’ balloon of the female Big Hero, on-location radio, donation trucks wrapped with the campaign graphics and ready to receive donations.

Ongoing efforts were extended through online media channels, and a portal website www.bigheroes.ca providing additional donation information. Door to door drops were done with green donation bags imprinted with the campaign graphics as well as donation details. Bin graphics were also developed for donation drop points at Walmart in Kelowna, Vernon and Penticton as well as at City of Kelowna Glenmore Landfill.

Results

Even in an economic downturn, BBBSO has experienced significant donation increases and raised awareness for the organization. The campaign has also helped to better align the efforts of the Renew Crew to BBBSO so that the general public understands the relationship.