Case Study – Digital Marketing for Charity : BBC Children in Need 2009
Posted 3 months, 3 weeks ago at 6:53 pm. 0 comments
Friday 20th November is the date for one of the biggest charity events in the UK, BBC Children in Need. This year the BBC have really embraced digital and social marketing as a method of gaining interest in this most noble of causes and ensuring that any potential donors who have cut down their TV watching time in favour of online services will still be exposed to the Children in Need brand and be given every incentive to donate.
“In 2008 the BBC Children in Need Appeal raised over £38 million and for every penny you gave the charity, a penny will go towards projects helping disadvantaged children in the UK. We are able to make this promise because the charity uses its investment income and Gift Aid to cover all running costs. Every year, thanks to public donations and the amazing efforts of fundraisers, schools, businesses and our corporate partners, we are able to provide support to thousands of youngsters aged 18 and under.”
This year the BBC Campaign is being covered across Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, BEBO, MySpace and all of the BBC Websites. Of all of this activity it is perhaps the Twitter and Myspace efforts that are the most interesting.
On twitter you can follow Pudsey who describes himself as “one of the UK’s most loveable bears and the mascot for BBC Children in Need.” He can be found on twitter chatting and answering questions @pudseybear. This is an interesting idea as other fictional characters, such as Alexsandr the Meerkat, have shown that Twitter can be used successfully to promote a brand with a solid and unifying voice. This is important as rather than being a cold info only twitter feed the content becomes more personal and engaging and the tone more consistent.
MySpace is also interesting as you are able to get involved “If you’ve got the voice of an angel or fancy yourself as a bit of a songwriter, then join the oodles of talented supporters across the UK who make a single or album to raise money for BBC Children in Need each year”. This effectively allows anyone to produce their own charity single which is a great idea for a viral campaign to raise even further funds.
Finally there is an interesting tactic being undertaken in order to generate donations online in micro-transaction format. The Digital Bandana campaign encourages you to “Get with the Bear by Pudseyfying all your pictures with a Pudsey bandana! You’ll look cool donning the hottest accessory around and at the same time will be donating £1 to the BBC Children in Need Appeal.” This is a nice addition to the campaign that charges a small fee to add a digital version of the Pudsey bandana to your profile or avatar picture. Go to pudseybandana.co.uk to get involved with this one.
This varied and wide ranging campaign is sure to be very successful and when combined with the various activities across the more traditional BBC media outlets it looks set to ensure another successful year for Children in Need, even in the current tough economic climate. For more information on all of the above or to make a donation to the campaign please visit the Children in Need Website today.