Our soluton was in the numbers. If we could get lots of people to take small actions, it could all add up to a really big day. We used the Day of Action as a launching point to start a tidal wave of support and activity. And we used the numbers on simultaneously-connected facebook and microsite experiences to maintain support, show real-time results, and keep the public engaged.
Some people have time. Others have money. And still others can spread the message through their social networks. Instead of asking for only one way to participate, we made sure everyone could have a voice. From the microsite or Facebook page, users could choose to donate, volunteer, commit to spending an hour per day exercising with their children, or spread the message through social media.
It worked. Every tweet, every Facebook post, every donation, every volunteer, and every pledge was counted. And all of those small actions added up to something amazing: With just a $2,500 Facebook ad spend, the Day of Action got North Texas kids to lose over 12,000 pounds. Local citizens sent 435,000 viral messages. and over 15 million minutes of exercise were pledged.
United Way of North Texas
Strategy, Non-Profit, Creative
Social Media, Viral, SMS, Email
Social media has changed quite a bit since this campaign. Facebook is no longer the dominant platform it used to be, and of course Twitter as we know it is no more. Were we to repeat the program today, I would likely involve Instagram and Reddit as primary channels with Facebook as secondary. Still, this has been one of the more rewarding campaigns of my career and I’m glad it worked the way it did, when it did.
