Small Budget Programs
April 6, 2009
CNN capitalized on the 2008 election year spirit to bring two socially relevant programs, CNN Heroes and Planet in Peril: Battle Lines, directly to millions of Americans engaged in community service and environmental stewardship. Through its CNN Community Outreach initiative, the media company was able to attract national audiences and engage them with its brand in a meaningful, cost-effective way.
To promote CNN Heroes, which honors individuals chosen from 4,000 nominations by a blue ribbon panel, CNN aligned with the largest non-profits in community service with a collective membership of 40 million. The goal was to drive online voting at CNN.com and generate media coverage through local events.
To drive awareness and viewership for Planet in Peril: Battle Lines, a documentary on the environmental conflicts between growing populations and natural
resources, CNN partnered with 10 leading environmental organizations with a total of 9.3 million members.
With this community outreach program, CNN redefined “direct marketing,” accessing trusted channels of communication to speak directly with individual Americans about their passions. It reinforced CNN's connection to the most important social issues of the day and strengthened the CNN brand on the community level. Another benefit: The program’s partners loved the reach. “CNN Heroes has generated great excitement within the Y movement,” noted Mamie Moore, YMCA communications director.
The program also delivered impressive metrics for CNN, including 1 million votes for CNN Hero of the Year, a 250 percent increase from the previous year, and 8 million viewers for the show, an 82 percent increase.
The Planet in Peril: Battle Lines tune-in message directly reached 11.1 million consumers. In addition, CNN.com helped generate $300,000 in donations.
The bottom line: By negotiating top-level partnerships with 21 powerful non-profits, CNN managed hundreds of communication venues and engaged millions of consumers–all for the cost of a typical print ad.
In June 2008, The Bronx Zoo opened “Madagascar!”–a new exhibit showcasing the African island’s wildlife, while inspiring a conservation ethic as the first greencertified landmarked building in New York City.
Because the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), a non-profit that runs the zoo, has only a small promotional budget, the program strategy focused on reaching out to partners willing to work with the zoo in exchange for ticket giveaways and those who appreciated the power of the zoo’s reputation. The goal was to create a sense of immediacy that would drive visitors to the new exhibit.
Campaign partners included 26 Applebee’s restaurants, 493 Baskin-Robbins stores, 18 D’Agostino’s supermarkets, 110 pizzerias, the WNBA’s New York Liberty, and Paramount Pictures/Clearview Cinemas. In addition, Zipcar wrapped eight of its hybrid rental vehicles with Madagascar! branding and created a Web site button that would allow consumers to choose these specific cars.
By promoting Madagascar! through these low-cost strategic alliances, the WCS was able to create widespread awareness about the exhibit through its target market. Overall, the program generated more than 90 million impressions with a promotional value estimated at $4.9 million–all accomplished with a budget of less than $30,000.
For eight years, Whirlpool has been a partner to Habitat for Humanity, providing a refrigerator and range for every home and contributing thousands of employee volunteer hours to the cause through the Whirlpool Building Blocks Program.
With no advertising budget for its 2008 building event in Dallas, Whirlpool successfully reached a mass audience through grassroots and viral marketing efforts. As a result, nine homes were built in one week with 300 volunteers from across the country, with more than 90 media outlets picking up the news story. In addition, Whirlpool’s small-budget program created a long-lasting sense of community for Building Blocks participants.