The American Red Cross Youth Movement:

Encouraging blood donation among individuals ages 16-24 …by empowering a generation!

December 21, 2011

IMRockstar: Integrated Marketers

Laura Parkinson.12348 Avenida Consentido, CA 92128; 858-521-8953 lgparkinson@IMRockstar.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Opening Letter 3

Executive Summary 4

About IMRockstar 5

Background 6

Target Market 10

SWOT Analysis 16

Brand Positioning, Personality, Perception 20

Integrated Marketing Communications Statement 28

Creative Brief 29

Media Plan 30

Campaign Budget 34

Integrated Touchpoints 35

Public Relations + Social Media 42

Internal Communications Plan 47

Integrated Communications Flowchart 48

Evaluation Plan 49

Conclusion 50

Appendix 51

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December 21, 2011

Peggy Dyer, Chief Marketing OfficerChief Marketing Officer, AMERICAN RED CROSS2025 E St. NWWashington D.C, 20006

Dear Ms. Dyer,

Inspired! This one word describes the heartfelt feeling that we have after immersing ourselves in the world of the American Red Cross. Your mission has inspired us to take up your cause…to volunteer as blood donators and to recruit our teenagers into a Red Cross club. For that we thank you for giving us this awakening. We hope that the integrated marketing campaign that we’ve created will show our passion and sincere desire to be your partner and continue your work.

We realize that you will be able to choose amongst many qualified firms. But we know that we stand out because of our personal depth of experience with your target group. We’ve given birth to them. We’ve raised them from childhood into young adults. We’ve backpacked through Europe with them. We’ve been their friends on Facebook. We’ve listened to their thoughts and dreams…helped guide them through high school, into college and on to their first jobs.

You see….they are our children; our sons and daughters, nieces and nephews, and while their generation is uniquely different from ours, we know them intimately.

We’ve been motivating them for years….to do their homework, to clean their rooms, to volunteer.We used to hold the most influential role in their hearts. But, as they’ve grown up we realize that their friends have come to take over a large portion of that role.

Our objective within this integrated marketing campaign is to carry on your work and inspire young adults 16-24 to donate blood and develop a lifelong relationship with the American Red Cross.

Of course, no matter how well we may personally know them, as marketers we couldn’t help going thru the steps of studying them just like any other target group. We researched, surveyed and talked to them in focus groups. We also studied your brand, your industry and your current efforts to reach this target. In the end we’ve created a campaign that will empower and encourage Millennials to unleash their passions and become a part of the American Red Cross mission and to spread your work.

Again, thank you for allowing us to step inside your mission and share our ideas. We will contact you on Tuesday, December 27th to make sure that you’ve received our proposal. We look forward to setting up a meeting that will allow us to convince you in person.

With enthusiasm and sincerest regards,

Laura ParkinsonIMRockstar, President + Chief Integration Officer12348 Avenida Consentido; San Diego, CA 92128

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The formula is simple:

WELCOME + ACTIVATE + PASSION + EMPOWER + EXPRESSION + INSPIRE = ARC DONORS 16-24

We will WELCOME Gen-Y’s to our cause…ACTIVATE their PASSIONS…and EMPOWER them to EXPRESS their feelings and INSPIRE their generation to become American Red Cross blood donors and volunteers for life!

Y=70 million strong. The greatest opportunity for the American Red Cross lies in challenging, mobilizing and harnessing the enthusiasm of Generation Y. IMRockstar learned when developing the award-winning youth strategy for Red Bull that “influencers” are the key to the equation when dealing with this generation.

We’ve identified the influencers…. the brands, the celebrities, the mentors…. and we’ll use them to help inspire our target into self-expression. Because in the end, the single most powerful voice to activate this generation is their own. We will start the dialogue…but we want them to join in and add their spirit, creativity and empathy to the message and then share and multiply it by broadcasting it within their social media world.

We’re going to take advantage of trends that show that volunteerism and cause support has significantly increased with Generation Y. And while we plan to increase blood donations 15% by the end of the campaign, our key strategy is to lay the groundwork to create a GEN-Y for the American Red Cross Movement that they will support for years to come. Blood donation will be the exclusive topic during this launch year yet eventually all service areas of the Red Cross will be folded into the movement.

IMRockstar brings to the table their solid relationship with one of the most recognizable and credible brands to this generation…MTV. They will help us voice our plea and team up with one of their core sponsors to challenge Gen-Y’s to use their passions to create user-generated content surrounding our blood drive mission to influence their friends to join in doing something truly worthwhile!

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ABOUT IMRockstar

While we are not a firm with a NY stock exchange symbol or the most offices or the greatest number of employees… what we are is a group of professionals who have exactly the right backgrounds and experience to carry your torch to the young adults of America.

IMRockstar is a network of senior professionals who have been in the agency business for a combined 111 years. While we’ve all worked at the Who’s Who of global advertising agencies, we knew that it was time to stop performing for shareholders and to stop sacrificing our standards just to increase the stock price a few pennies. We knew that we wanted to do more than market widgets and distribute coupons…. We had to lose the chains that came with the stylish offices, lavish expense accounts and cappuccino bars.

In order to follow our hearts and our passion and in order to create work that doesn’t compromise the time and effort that it takes to be brilliant in exchange for strict agency billable hours, we had to get out of the big system and build an agency that we believed in… an agency that has purpose… integrity…standards and that allows us to fulfill our mission of only working with clients who recognize our need to do great work.

We love this industry and we joined it when media was traditional and communication was one-way. We grew with it as it expanded into cable and 100+ channels… and exploded with the Internet and soared on the wings of mobile and social media. New media has rejuvenated us! We embrace the challenge to merge the best of traditional media with the most innovative new media.

We have a depth of experience in all the major advertising categories but what really developed us into brand marketers who specialize in youth marketing was when we took on a little known beverage called Red Bull. Red Bull invented the energy drink category and was first entering the U.S. market when we partnered with the Austrian client. IMRockstar reinvented marketing to the younger generation when we developed and launched an award-winning integrated strategic campaign from coast to coast…throughout college campuses, small towns and large cities across the country. The results are legendary as the Harvard Business Review named Red Bull ‘Marketer of the Year’ in the year 2000.

The secret to our specialty is PASSION. We focus on tapping into consumers’ passions and using them to develop a “love of brand” feeling that they can have with your brand.

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AMERICAN RED CROSS BACKGROUND

Their mission statement simply states that the American Red Cross is a humanitarian organization led by volunteers and guided by its Congressional Charter and the Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross Movement. Its seven fundamental principles are: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality. Its mission guides the organization to provide relief to victims of disasters and to help people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies.

The American Red Cross is a non- profit organization which does not receive federal funding. The main source of human support comes predominately from volunteers and financial support is provided from the donations of many philanthropic organizations, people and corporations. Ninety-one cents from every dollar donated goes to humanitarian services and programs. Branches are located across the U.S. and internationally that provide relief to people suffering from the aftermath of disasters and war.

“Today, in addition to domestic disaster relief, the American Red Cross offers compassionate services in five other areas: community services that help the needy; support and comfort for military members and their families; the collection, processing and distribution of lifesaving blood and blood products; educational programs that promote health and safety; and international relief and development programs.” (www.redcross.org)

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American Red Cross History-

Clara Barton founded the American Association of the Red Cross in 1881 to aid the injured during the Civil War. Though the organization is modeled after the International Red Cross, Barton established it to serve America in peace as well as war, particularly in times of natural disaster and national tragedy. “In 1904, Clara Barton commented on the role of the Red Cross in American life: ‘It is not in its past glories that the benefits of the Red Cross lie, but in the possibilities it has created for the future’” (Gilbo p. 45). In some way, the American Red Cross has touched the lives of countless citizens of the United States. It is a critical agency that has made it much easier to handle emergency situations in peacetime and during war.

The organization is important to the United States and the world. It offers food and aid to foreign countries and also ranks as a leader in the nursing, health and safety fields. It provides medical services as well as morale boosting services to the American armed forces. It also serves an important function as the nation’s foremost blood collection agency. In fact, it obtains nearly half of all blood donated in America today. (www.redcross.org)

Throughout its history, the American Red Cross has provided relief to victims of disasters. Millions of relief workers aid victims of house fires, earthquakes, floods, bombings, and hurricanes. The 1990s brought a record-breaking number of hurricanes to our shores, including Hurricane Andrew for which the Red Cross spent close to $84 million and provided almost 15,000 volunteers in Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi. During the 1990s, the American Red Cross was named one of the 10 best-managed charities in the country by Money magazine.

The services it provides help those in need at all economic and socio-economic levels. The Red Cross does not look at politics, race and social status; it only looks at human need. It also promotes mutual understanding, friendship, cooperation, and lasting peace among all people.

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The Biomedical Services Category-

According to HAEMONETICS-The Blood Management Company up to 60 million blood collection procedures are performed throughout the world every year to obtain blood's three major components: red cells, platelets, and plasma. These blood components are transfused to patients or used to make drugs.

Within the U.S. there are several national organizations which support the blood collection industry including ADRP (Association of Donor Recruitment Professionals). Information from www.adrp.org states that in the U.S., all blood components intended for transfusion to patients must be collected from volunteer donors – that is, donors cannot be paid. Seventy percent of these donations occur at mobile blood drives. All of the U.S. blood collection industry is not-for-profit.

This not-for-profit industry includes the American Red Cross system, which collects almost half the blood in the U.S., as well as community blood centers. A much smaller percentage of blood collections are donations at hospital blood banks.

Trends in the Industry-

There are numerous trends in today’s transfusion industry according to the America’s Blood Center website:

Regulatory Scrutiny : Regulatory agencies that monitor the manufacture of blood components by collectors have become extremely cautious.

Increased Donor Restrictions : Fewer people are eligible to donate blood each year because of new regulatory restrictions.

Cost Pressure : There is a continuing cost pressure felt by the industry as it adjusts to the costs of blood safety. Automated collection yields efficiency gains and assists in alleviating supply problems, and also provides an economic benefit to the blood collection community.

Blood Safety : There is a continuing demand for safer, higher quality blood products, including the removal of potentially harmful white blood cells.

Widespread Blood Shortages : Shortages were wide spread and frequent prior to September 11, 2001, and while donations increased dramatically after the attack, over the years they are again becoming a problem.

Blood Filtration : Within the blood collection industry is a move toward filtration of blood.

The Competitive Landscape-

According to the National Blood Donation Center, of the 15.6 million donations collected in 2010, blood centers were responsible for 95.1% and hospitals 4.9%. Direct blood center competitors of the Red Cross include United Blood Services and America’s Blood Center as well as a variety of regional blood donation centers. These organizations are similar to the Red Cross in that they supply blood and blood services to local hospitals as well as work with national and international redistribution organizations. United Blood Services does have a slight advantage over the Red Cross in that their barriers to donation participation

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are slightly more relaxed, however, the Red Cross is still perceived as more trustworthy and is a universal household name.

Since the American Red Cross is a non-profit organization, its competition for monetary donations goes beyond direct competitors to include all ethical organizations created to benefit mankind. “The US nonprofit institutions industry includes more than 1.4 million organizations with combined annual revenue of more than $1 trillion. The industry is highly concentrated: nonprofits that make more than $100 million account for less than 1 percent of all firms but earn more than 60 percent of industry revenue.” (Hoovers, 2011). The American Red Cross also faces an equally competitive field when it appeals for a volunteer’s donation of their valuable time.

Challenges and Opportunities-

Across the globe, blood center CEO’s, recruitment supervisors, marketing managers as well as front line recruitment and collections staff are dealing with a changing industry. “Blood collection as we knew it has changed and the likelihood that this market will continue to transform and evolve is inevitable,” explains Kelly High, 2010-11 ADRP President. (www.adrp.org)

The world continues to see an increasing number of blood shortages. Although the U.S. saw a record number of blood donors in response to the 9/11 tragedy, by January of 2002, U.S. blood collectors were already experiencing critical blood shortages. Weekly, there are reports around the globe of blood collectors making urgent "pleas" to donors. A 2000 survey of the U.S. blood supply noted that 7% of hospitals had postponed surgeries because of lack of available blood at some point during the year.

Surgeries requiring more transfusions, especially solid organ transplants, are increasing. Also, chemotherapy treatments are becoming more common. Both compromise a patient's ability to generate healthy blood cells so these patients require frequent transfusions of both platelets and red cells.

The population is aging, and so not only are these people who used to be frequent blood donors no longer able to give blood, but they are also starting to use blood. The next generation of potential blood donors has not adopted blood donation as part of their "culture" as past generations have.

While the American Red Cross faces what may seem like an insurmountable list of challenges for a non-profit organization, they realize that their greatest opportunity for the future lies in challenging, mobilizing and harnessing the enthusiasm of the millennial generation. Gail McGovern, President and CEO of the American Red Cross, clearly recognizes the importance as she points out that, “Adults who volunteered as youths are twice as likely to volunteer and donate as adults.” Gail and the ARC also realize that in order to develop this generation they must reach out to them with an integrated program that communicates to them using the traditional and new media that they regularly consume.

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TARGET MARKET

Our key objective is to recruit new blood donors ages 16-24 with the intention of keeping them within the American Red Cross family for life. “The most important market segment for blood donation are Millennials,” according to Gail-Anne Nothard from the South African National Blood Service. “They are our future donors, and they represent the largest segment of the population, so it is critical to spend resources on them.” Nothard should know. She has written a paper about it: “Market Segmentation as a Means of Improving Recruitment/Retention of Donors and Brand Perception.” In the paper she details her organization’s success in reaching its new target market of young people aged 16-26. The efforts earned an increase of nearly 33,000 donors (28 percent) in just two years, 2007-2009.

Demographics-

Millennials, also known interchangeably as Gen Y’s, are the fourth generation to be titled with a specific name. Generally they have been born between the years 1980-2005. “Since the Millennial generation is larger than the Baby Boomers and three times bigger than Generation X, marketers’ understanding of Millennials’ needs, tastes and behaviors will clearly shape current and future business decisions,” said Jeff Fromm, senior vice president, Barkley. Research shows that Millennials comprise nearly a quarter of the U.S. population and are evenly split between males and females. They come from a wide variety of educational, income and ethnically diverse backgrounds across the country.

Demographic identifiers would best be used to determine the manner in which individual blood centers should target and interact with potential donors. However, when developing an over-arching national strategy to reach such a diverse group it is more important to recognize what this generation has in common: the major influences, values, feelings, beliefs and attitudes.

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Psychographics-

Christian Scholz made many key observations in his research paper, “Generation Y and Blood Donation: The Impact of Altruistic Help in a Darwiportunistic Scenario.” He believes that Generation Y (interchanged for the Millennial Generation) is characterized by an optimistic view of life and overall philosophy, but is at the same time realistic and to some degree egocentric. He remarks that, “they seek to explore boundaries, push limits, and experiment in the name of self-awareness, independence and self-expression.”

Scholz describes the characteristics of Generation Y as:

collectivism balance

positivity passion

moralism learning

confidence security

civic-mindedness willingness to work

His research also identifies and ranks the value system of this generation: (1) determination to succeed, (2) personal goals, (3) good pay, (4) self-development, (5) opportunities for training and development.

While Scholz looked at the broad age demographic of the Millennial generation (1981-2005), it is important to segment down to our 16-24 targeted age group. In the 2009 research and insight from “Adshel’s Essential Guide to Gen Y” six focus groups sessions, split by age, were held in Sydney and Melbourne Australia in order to explore the world of Gen Y. A snapshot of the Adshel findings show:

-Quality and reliability are fundamental-New brands are generally ‘discovered’ via several key sources-Word of mouth is key to discovery while advertising and the Internet also play an important role-Recognition of a brand’s longevity and its reputation over time encourages trust -They feel comfortable with brands that have a clear and acceptable brand image

The Adshel study also identified what it considered essentials of engaging Gen Y’s:

-Acknowledge their journey. Be part of the life-changing landmarks they are going through.-Give them confidence to fit in. Help minimize the risk of them standing out from the crowd.-Tap into the power of social networks. Find ways to become part of the dialogue between groups.-Help them to discover and satisfy their curiosity to uncover new experiences.-Allow them to express themselves and give them the tools to demonstrate their emerging individuality.-Encourage them to spread their wings and explore their world-Tap into new technology since it is a natural extension of their lives-Reinforce brand recognition and credibility

Barkley, one of the largest independent marketing agencies in the U.S conducted a groundbreaking study of Millennials, “American Millennials: Deciphering the Enigma Generation.” Based on a survey of more than 5,000 respondents and 3.9 million data points, the study provides new information on a range of digital and social media habits of American Millennials as well as their attitudes in the areas of cause marketing.

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Referencing the study, Brad Hanna, senior vice president and group account leader at Barkley reported that “It’s harder to put the Millennials into one distinct profile. They’re very healthy, but they’re very adventuresome, and that really means that brands have opportunities to capture that part of Millennials when they’re in those mindsets. I think that’s very different than how we market today. We tend to really look at our consumers today as a single mindset. We’re going to have to understand the different mindsets that Millennials transition in and out of in their daily lives.”

Highlights from the ‘Enigma’ Study-

Cause Marketing: Millennials report a significantly greater awareness of cause-marketing programs in general than older generations. They prefer to participate and even lead events to raise money for causes, but are much less likely to directly contribute money. They are passionate about spreading the word about causes they believe in. And, they report greater exposure to campaigns through social media (40% versus 22%) and online news (28% versus 22%), while Non-Millennials rely on newspaper and direct mail.

Millennials Seek Peer Affirmation & Advice: 70% of Millennials reported feeling more excited when their friends agreed with them about where to shop, eat and play. Additionally, Millennials gather information on products and services from more channels

Millennials are the first generation of “digital natives”: Millennials are 2.5 times more likely to be an early adopter of technology than older generations. 56% of Millennials report that they are among the first to try a new technology while 60% produce, upload online content, including photos, videos, wiki entries, blog posts, micro-blog posts and product/service reviews (as compared to 29% of non-Millennials).

Millennials participate in social marketing at a higher rate than non-Millennials. They are significantly more likely to explore brands in social networks (53% vs.37%). And when it comes to making purchases, Millennials are far more likely to favor brands that have Facebook pages and mobile websites (33% vs. 17%).

Media Usage. Millennials appear to have substituted television and print media for the increased online activity and media consumption. Millennials watch significantly less TV than Non-Millennials; fewer Millennials report watching 20-plus hours/week (26 percent versus 49 percent). When they are not watching live TV, Millennials are much more likely to watch shows mainly on their laptops (42 percent versus 18 percent), with DVR (40% vs. 36%), or On-Demand (26 percent versus 18 percent).

The Barclay executive Brad Hanna stresses the importance of keeping technology in mind when marketing to Millennials. “Brands are capitalizing on this fact and creating digital connections with their consumers versus marketing to them. Marketers can create a conversation through quick response (QR) codes, interactive websites and social media.”

Ty Law, U.S. research analyst at Euromonitor International remarks that, “Social media is basically the new word-of-mouth advertising. Millennials are very social media driven. If they like something, everybody will know about it. If they don’t like something, that news too will travel fast over social media. People say it’s the best way to advertise because it’s highly trustworthy. It’s not necessarily an ad telling you, but it’s somebody you know telling you something positive or negative about a product.” Law also believes that Millennials are more influenced by cause-focused marketing campaigns and events than they are by direct marketing.

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Millennials + Volunteering

A review of trends since 1974 by The Corporation for National and Community Service indicates that young people are initiating a renewal in civic and political participation that have developed into an increased rate of volunteering. At the same time, schools are offering service and service-learning opportunities in record numbers. While today’s teens may engage in volunteering patterns that differ somewhat from their parents and grandparents, the fact that the rate of volunteering among young people has doubled since 1989 suggests a major shift in the perception of volunteering among America’s youth.

Volunteering among teenagers (ages 16 to 19) has dramatically increased since 1989. While volunteer rates among teenagers declined between 1974 and 1989 (20.9% and 13.4%, respectively), the percentage of teenagers who volunteer more than doubled between 1989 and 2005 (from 13.4% to 28.4%).

While the teenage volunteering rate has increased significantly over the last 30 years, teenagers continue to be primarily interested in episodic volunteering (contributing 99 or fewer hours a year). Today, 67.9 percent of teenagers are episodic volunteers.

Teenage volunteers are significantly more likely to serve with educational or youth service organizations today (34.7% in 2005 vs. 26.8% in 1989). In fact, volunteering with a religious organization (30.3% in 2005 vs. 34.4% in 1989) was the most common place that teenagers volunteered in 1989 but it is now the second most popular place for teenager volunteering, behind educational organizations. More teenage volunteers are also serving with social and community service organizations today.

What exactly is driving young people’s increased enthusiasm for volunteering? One factor seems to be the growth of school-based service and service learning. There has been a growing trend to include community service and service-learning in America’s schools as educators and school administrators realize the value of service for youth academic and personal development.

Older Millennials (ages 20-24) appear to have been motivated by the events of September 11, 2001. After the attack on our country young people expressed a significant increased desire to serve their community. According to The Corporation for National and Community Service, two out of three (66.3%) students entering college in 2005 believed it to be very important to help others who are in difficulty, the highest percentage reported by entering college students in the last 25 years.

The government agency, Volunteering in America, provides statistics that detail (based on single year 2010) 8.3 million Adults (ages 16-24) dedicated 844 million hours of service to communities across the country. Between 2008 and 2010, the average national volunteer rate among this group was 21.9% per year. Additionally, the average Young Adult volunteer rates for states ranged from 13.7% to 39.9%. Utah (39.9%), Wisconsin (32.8%) and Iowa (32.5%) ranked at the top of the chart.

During the same timeframe, average young Adult volunteer rates for large cities ranged from 14.7% to 32.5%. The highest volunteer rates registered in Salt Lake City (32.5%), Seattle (32%), Portland (30%), Kansas City (30.7%) and Minneapolis-St. Paul (30.6%)

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Millennials + Blood Donation

American Red Cross statistics reveal that almost 20 percent of the millions of donations made each year come from high school and college blood drives. This shows that Millennials have heard the call for help. A study by the Australian Red Cross Blood Service helps us understand our target’s feelings about blood donation. The group performed research with 68 young people, aged 18-25 from Brisbane and Melbourne. The groups were divided into 3 focus groups; new, experienced and lapsed donors.Dr. David Irving, the Blood Service’s Executive Director, revealed that “Gen Y is a very different group from our older donors who will give blood mainly for altruistic reasons. The younger generation thinks “someone else will help” and doesn’t feel any sense of urgency or immediacy.” He also shared conclusions that “we can get ‘Gen Y’ to donate-that’s not the problem. The problem is getting them to come back.” The research prompted further to find out what’s stopping young people from returning to give blood and how that can be changed. Dr. Irving reported that, “our current Blood Service processes are not very ‘Gen Y” friendly; they don’t want to have to make appointments –they want blood donating to be convenient, and want to turn up when it fits their schedule.” Changes in lifestyle, a lack of control in the process, getting a tattoo and traveling are some of the additional reasons that the research revealed to explain the reluctance of Gen Y blood donators.

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Millennials + Media Usage Habits

Now that we’ve defined our target…..how do we reach them? Frankly, we need to be where they spend their time. It’s not a surprise that the Internet is in the forefront of the age group’s media habits and usage. From shopping to socializing to watching TV, they do it all online.

A Harris Interactive study on the Internet habits of youth found that eight in ten 8-to-12-year-olds (79%) and nine in ten 13-to-24-year-olds (88% of 13-to-17-year-olds, 90% of 18-to-24-year-olds) spend an hour or more online on a typical day.

The average number of hours spent online daily increases with age, rising from 1.9 hours among 8-to-12-year-olds to 3.5 hours among 13-to-17-year-olds, topping at 4.5 hours among 18-to-24-year-olds.

In fact, virtually all members of this age group are online, and nearly as many are social network users. Millennials are ahead of the curve by almost any digital metric: online video viewing, mobile internet usage, mobile commerce, and location-based services.

Their presence on such a wide variety of digital media offers marketers a wealth of opportunities to target them, but Millennials are typically unenthusiastic about advertising and prefer to avoid marketing messages that seem insincere according to eMarketer analyst and author, Jared Jenks. “What appeals to them is authenticity,” said Jenks. “They are not opposed to connecting with brands, but do so only when there is an exchange of value and, of course, when it is on their terms.”

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SWOT ANALYSIS

The American Red Cross has a strong foundation of brand strengths. Their brand equity is born out of a rich humanitarian history that is well-known and well-respected throughout our country. In order to have a strong foundation you also must have depth. There are over 700 locally supported American Red Cross chapters from coast to coast which perform over 200,000 blood drives annually making them the single largest blood supplier in the U.S. Their depth is also identified by the wide network of human and financial resources that they have at their disposal. Another key area of strength lies in the fact that they have a youth marketing program in effect that provides 169,312 volunteers, nearly 29% of their total support.

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However, the organization’s depth and structure can also be considered a weakness when the hierarchy becomes difficult and nimble to activate. Over the past decade the American Red Cross has received some criticism for decisions it made and for how it handled its money which led the public to question the organization’s motives. This has also led to turnover within the executive levels. The September 11 controversy included two key issues. The Red Cross asked for blood donations but in the end some overage was destroyed. And, it was discovered that only 30% of the $547 million Liberty Fund was spent as the standard disaster relief guidelines for meeting victims’ needs. Hurricane Katrina relief also brought controversy as fraud and theft by volunteers and contractors were uncovered within the American Red Cross effort.

While on the one hand we consider the American Red Cross presence in youth marketing to be a positive strength. Compared to other humanitarian organizations the American Red Cross is definitely ahead of the marketing curve in their use of interactive mediums. However, on the other hand, a close inspection finds that the branding identity within their youth efforts is stiff, uncreative and communications don’t speak in a millennial tone of voice. Additionally, there isn’t a depth of content that would keep encouraging consumers to connect with the brand on a regular basis.

It is a prime opportunity that new communication channels have been exploding. After all, Millennials surround themselves with technology and they love to keep in touch and express themselves. It is up to the American Red Cross to combine the opportunity that technology provides with a challenge that sparks the competitive and creative spirit of young adults.

There are three groups of influencers that provide potential opportunities that the American Red Cross should explore. Credible celebrities can help ignite young adults into action. High schools and colleges are in a position to support and encourage programs and Corporate America has both deep pockets and the desire to get in touch with students.

Of course the American Red Cross must operate while facing daily threats that include legal liabilities, regulatory compliance, competition, controversial policies, natural disasters and man-made wars. However, while these threats can be overwhelming, the American Red Cross must not let them get in the way of their focus on the future of the blood donation program.

Our SWOT analysis of the American Red Cross leads us to recommend that in order to increase donations from 16-24 year olds the IMC campaign must 1) re-brand and personalize the Red Cross youth identity portrayed to this targeted group 2) incorporate influencer groups and 3) provide the challenge that will ignite their passion.

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ONLINE SURVEY

To this point we had examined our target and the American Red Cross in depth using secondary research. We drew our conclusions in a SWOT analysis. But we wouldn’t be done until we directly questioned Millennials.

In November 2011 we drew up a list of ten questions and by using the tool Survey Monkey we developed our survey. The survey was distributed on college and high school Facebook pages, on church websites, and on targeted LinkedIn message boards. We received a total of 14 replies from respondents aged 16-24, 79% were females and 21% were males. Only 7% of the respondents didn’t have any unaided awareness of the services provided by The American Red Cross. 14% were ‘Very Aware’, 43% were ‘Aware’ and 36% acknowledged that they were ‘Slightly Aware.’

Of the six primary services that the American Red Cross lists as their mission, there was 100% awareness for ‘Aids victims of natural disaster’ and ‘Provides the collection, processing and distribution of lifesaving blood and blood products.’ 92% of the respondents cited awareness of ARC’s relief efforts, while 62% acknowledged their efforts in both providing educational health and safety programs and military comfort.

We probed the respondents on their feelings about blood donation. 23% volunteered that they would like to donate. Another 23% would like to donate but don’t think that they can. And, 39% said that they want to donate, but admitted that it just wasn’t a current priority. While 15% agreed that blood donation is worthwhile, they frankly just don’t want to do it. There weren’t any respondents who replied that it just isn’t their responsibility to donate for others. The implication tells us that our campaign content should include educational and motivational messaging.

When asked what prevents them from participating, the largest number of respondents (46%) said that they’ve been advised against giving blood. 27% admitted that they are ‘afraid of needles’ and 18% said that they ‘didn’t know where to participate.’ Having a ‘lack of time’ was checked by 9%.

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It was encouraging to see that 92% of those questioned felt either ‘Strongly’ or ‘Very Strongly’ about charitable giving, while only 8% admitted to being ‘Indifferent.’ No one said that they did not feeling strongly about charitable giving at all.

Our next question investigated the likelihood of the group becoming future donors. 46% indicated that they were ‘Extremely’ or ‘Very’ likely to donate. Another 30% seemed unsure about the possibility as they answered ‘Moderately’ or ‘Slightly’ likely. And 23% are ‘Not likely’ at all to donate. This information indicates that we can reach nearly half of our target if we put the right message at the right place at the right time while another third of our target will need stronger messaging.

In the end we sought open-ended responses to the question, ‘What are your thoughts and feelings about the American Red Cross?’ We didn’t receive any negative thoughts and several of the respondents described the organization as ‘worthy,’ ‘helpful’, ‘great’ and ‘wonderful.’

In conclusion, we found that the American Red Cross has a very positive image and good general awareness with this slice of our target group. The implication is that we don’t need to spend our efforts building the brand within the minds of Millennials from the ground up. Likewise, we don’t need to correct misconceptions. Our research showed that slightly half of the group showed strong intent towards future blood donation. Therefore the IMC campaign must provide education, information and motivation in order to seal their intent and move the others to action.

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AMERICAN RED CROSS BRAND POSITIONING

Over the years the American Red Cross has created a unique position for itself in the minds of its volunteers, donors and the public…

Be a part of a life-changing experience. When emergencies strike, lives can suddenly take a different path. When you rise to meet the challenge, everyone’s life begins changing for the better—including your own.

They are letting us know that no matter how prepared we are…EVERYONE can be affected by an emergency. And when an emergency or disaster happens, your life may no longer follow the careful plans that you intended. It is only when people join together and face these challenges that everyone’s life will begin to improve. While the functional attributes of the American Red Cross address the disaster relief services that they offer, the emotional comfort that they provide is as equally important.

However, most American Millennials have never experienced a major disaster. And, since they tend to have strong feelings of invincibility, the current ARC positioning may not seem in close touch with their lives. Personalizing the positioning may resonate more effectively with our target group.

An emergency can strike any of us at any time. We only have each other to depend on. Helping others will help us all. You can save a life.

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AMERICAN RED CROSS + BRAND PERSONALITY

The American Red Cross believes that their personality traits are deeply rooted in their fundamental principles. There are four powerful words that they use to describe their voice and tone….

PASSIONATEHUMAN GENUINE TRUSTWORTHY

These personality traits can still apply to the Millennials; however they can be expanded to better suit this generation.

WE ARE PASSIONATE.

We want them to know that the American Red Cross is passionate, deeply cares about the mission at hand and is motivated to help those in need no matter where they live, no matter who they are and no matter what their backgrounds. The American Red Cross should appeal to this generation’s strong inner spirit and strength by showing them that we face our challenges with great enthusiasm.

WE ARE FRIENDLY.

Millennials like to spend their time hanging out with their friends. The American Red Cross should not come across as a big stuffy organization full of administrators in ties and suits. The Red Cross should be portrayed as being an organization filled with laid-back people who are their friends as well as adults who are accessible and fun to be around, just like a favorite teacher, youth pastor or young boss.

WE ARE INSPIRING.

Volunteering and donating are not mandatory. The American Red Cross wants to inspire Generation Y to become involved and do something worthwhile.

WE ARE EMPOWERING.

The American Red Cross shouldn’t be portrayed as a government agency or a contractor who rolls in to take care of our society’s needs. Let young adults know that the American Red Cross faces and solves challenges because they empower people to change the world and change lives for the better.

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AMERICAN RED CROSS + BRAND PERCEPTION

In order to engage our target in a two-way conversation about the American Red Cross we held a focus group session on a patio outside a Starbucks location in San Diego on the second weekend in November 2011. Our group comprised of 6 young adults ages 16-24. Four were female and 2 were male. We had 1 high school teen (age 16), 3 college students (age 22) and 2 college-graduate working adults (ages 23 and 24). Half of the group had previously donated blood and half were non-donors.

We began the focus group by exploring everyone’s perception about the American Red Cross and everyone believed that the brand has a favorable reputation. In fact, only 1 person had heard any negative press and this concerned ARC’s refusal to take donated blood from gay men.

When probed about their knowledge of American Red Cross services, blood donation was mentioned by 4 of the 5 participants. Disaster relief was the second most mentioned service.

The group didn’t have a strong feeling of comparison between the Red Cross and other humanitarian organizations. Two participants were not sure of any comparisons, yet their responses seemed to come from a lack of knowledge about the Red Cross and competitors. The other participants answered that the Red Cross was more visible, more recognized, more effective, more productive about getting the word out about blood drives and they have more volunteers and receive more donations. A female participant also felt that the American Red Cross is usually the first to help in emergencies. A young male questioned if the Red Cross is a medical version of the Peace Corps.

We then asked the group for what words came to mind to describe the American Red Cross. The words they cited included: charity, disaster relief, blood donation, emergency, donate, needles, good cause, helpful, caring, relief. Since only two of the words mentioned were personality characteristics this implies that our campaign must help bring out personality attributes.

Similarly it was telling when we asked what type of personality the Red Cross has and half of the group wasn’t sure. This continues to make us believe that the Red Cross isn’t coming across with personality characteristics. Two other participants used the words serious and they mentioned the words motivated, dedicated, helpful and caring. Even though the subject of blood donation is serious it would help to engage this target if a concept of “fun” was incorporated into the campaign. This could be done with visuals within the creative and by the Red Cross putting on events that were not only beneficial but fun to attend.

The Red Cross should stress blood donation education within their communications to Millennials. When questioned about their experience, only 2 confidently admitted to receiving blood donation education, while 3 expressed that they were ‘somewhat’ educated. The youngest participant, who is in high school, hadn’t received any education.

Of the 3 participants who had previously donated blood 2 expressed that the experience was generally favorable and they would also be willing to donate again. However despite the third participant voicing non-favorable experiences including not being able to look at the needle or blood, she’d donate reluctantly again for a good cause.

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2 of the non-donors cited reasons of fear of passing out and fear of needles to explain why they had never donated. The third non-donor had attempted to donate at a college blood draw but was turned down due to weight requirements. In order to battle those who have fear issues we suggest incorporating first-hand positive and reassuring experiences from young adult donors within the youth communication content channels.

We can draw creative and strategic insight from the responses we received when asking the group about what would be the biggest influence in getting them to donate. Half of the group mentioned that a friend or family member in need would be the biggest influence and everyone agreed that they would donate if personally asked to donate for a friend or family member. Other influences included ‘donation site near-by’, ‘a fun event’ and ‘school peer pressure.’ However, the most telling influence came from a young college student who said that he wanted to feel like he was doing something worthwhile. The group soundly agreed which suggests that this concept should be within the forefront of our campaign messaging.

We specifically asked the group which media would be the most effective in influencing them to donate. Our Millennials listed TV, Social Media and Event Marketing the most often. Radio and e-Mail also received single mentions. This insight should drive our campaign media selections. When asked how they’d like to receive information about the Red Cross the answers mirrored those given as the influencers. Additional respondents mentioned that they’d like to receive information via e-mail. It could be telling that no one wanted to receive information via mobile, telephone or texting.

Our final question explored what tone our participants felt would be most effective in influencing them to donate. A ‘factual’ tone was the overwhelming response and two added ‘light-hearted’ to this thought. A ‘sympathetic’ tone was mentioned by 2 participants while ‘guilt’ and ‘shock’ only received individual mentions. This gives us a clear indication that this audience needs to hear honest facts.

The information that we learned from conducting this focus group was very telling. Millennials have a positive perception of the American Red Cross; however the implication shows that warm personality characteristics need to be drawn out.

The focus group learning shows that our campaign should include an educational focus and programs should be instituted within high schools. Social media is a necessary channel and since Millennials would be most influenced by a personal request for a donation from a friend or family member, our campaign needs to encourage young adult donors to make this request and it must provide the communication opportunity.

It is clear from our extensive secondary research as well as information that we learned first-hand from our survey and focus group that Millennials firmly connect the Red Cross with blood donation. We conclude, in order for the American Red Cross to become more to Millennials…to command more of their time, effort and passion…the organization must offer more back to young adults. Our campaign must challenge Millennials and offer them a creative outlet to express themselves as they support the American Red Cross mission.

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AMERICAN RED CROSS + YOUTH MARKETING

The American Red Cross currently participates in youth marketing. In fact the main American Red Cross website has a section branded as redcrossyouth.org. This effort is a great start, however the image is stiff and it feels as though it’s written by adult marketers. Additionally, the young adults pictured on the Home Page look friendly but they aren’t dressed in a “cool” fashion. Their clothing more resembles prison wear. Image is very important to Millennials!

A local Florida chapter doesn’t use the redcrossyouth.org branded name. Instead they branded their young adult club as Youth Corps. The main problem is that there isn’t a consistency from the parent organization down through to the local chapters.

The name Youth Corps has promise since it conjures up a cool version of the Peace Corps. Additionally, we award higher style points to this southern Florida chapter for expressing their accessibility on various

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social media channels and for having the subjects photographed in a real life situation in somewhat more “youth-cool” t-shirts.

Another social media execution comes on a Facebook page for the American Red Cross National Youth Council. The creative execution is clean but this third example of the term “youth” makes us question whether the word will equally resonate with older Millennials. We recommend that formal naming research be conducted and all options be reviewed and considered.

A Florida West Coast Region chapter sponsors the American Red Cross Club at the University of South Florida (ARCUSF). Their website shows a good use of cross promotion with Facebook as well as an integrated video player with YouTube American Red Cross content. Moving forward, however, naming continuity should spread through all universities.

The American Red Cross has its own “channel” on YouTube. We recommend expanding this concept to include a branded channel dedicated entirely with young adult video content.

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The National Youth Council of the American Red Cross hosts a professional looking execution on Twitter. However, the only problem is that the conversation is entirely one-way.

Another Twitter execution from this group is also one-way which leads us to believe that the younger end of our target group has yet to embrace Twitter. However, it does show an interesting strategy and use of celebrity support by auctioning personal items from the closet of singer Katy Perry on eBay.

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The American Red Cross is also active on the social network Meet-Up. This is a great channel for reaching the young professionals within our target group. However, “Club Red” is another example of the lack of naming continuity.

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INTEGRATED COMMUNICATION STRATEGY STATEMENT

In order to develop a unifying integrated communication strategy statement for our campaign we’ve broken down the rational benefits that the American Red Cross provides with the emotional benefits that our target will feel when becoming involved.

The culmination of all our research helps us identify overlapping factors that drive our IC strategy statement into a powerful insight….

Joining the American Red Cross Movement inspires and empowers me to do something worthwhile!

In order to meet our objective of increasing on-going blood donation and volunteerism within the millennial generation, we need to create a “movement” that our Gen Y’s can connect with. This “movement” will provide all the benefits that the Gen Y’s seek and it translates into a “cause” that they can support.

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CREATIVE BRIEF American Red Cross Youth Initiative

Why are we advertising?To encourage blood donation among eligible individuals over a 12-month period

Whom are we talking to?Millennials ages 16-24 (high school and college students, young professionals)

What do they currently think? The American Red Cross is a caring organization responsible for blood donations and disaster relief.

What would we like them to think?I can be a part of a Red Cross youth movement with my friends and support a great cause by using my creativity and enthusiasm

What is the single most persuasive idea we can convey?Joining the American Red Cross Movement inspires and empowers me to do something worthwhile!

Why should they believe it?The American Red Cross is trusted organization that is supported by my friends, family, teachers, and influencers. Joining will help me earn their respect.

Are there any creative guidelines?Television, video executions, Internet (website/micro-site, banners, e-mail), social media (Facebook, blogs), posters. Consideration for branded name

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MEDIA PLAN

MARKETING OBJECTIVE:

Encourage blood donation among eligible individuals ages 16-24 over a 12-month period

MEDIA OBJECTIVE:

Reach 85% of 16-24 year olds in the U.S. over a 12-month period in an integrated and interactive campaign and encourage them to share the messaging with friends

STRATEGIES:

Segment the target into 3 demographic life stage categories: high school, college, young professional

Use advertising mediums most influential and highly consumed by target group Leverage majority of media budget with 1 key integrated media partner in a 360 degree

program in order to maximize impact and efficiencies Leverage relationships of integrated media partner in order to sign a corporate sponsor and

endorsement talent Launch the campaign with high share-of-voice, impactful buys. Lower SOV after launch to

sustaining continuity levels, increase media weight leading up to key events Spike media weight around key donor periods: January- National Blood Month, June 14- World

Blood Donation Day Use mediums with capability of sharing in order to increase reach Incorporate user-generated Corporate Challenge to develop deeper engagement, credibility and

consumer activation Target influencers (educators/administrators) in an effort to drive awareness and program support

for GEN-Y+ programs and clubs within their schools Develop a database of influencers and connect with them throughout the campaign using multiple

communications

MEDIA MIX:

Digital 47%Television 35% Event Marketing 15%Direct Mail/E-Mail 03%

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TACTICS & RATIONALE

The GEN-Y+ Movement will be launched with the partnership of MTV 360 Integrated Marketing. 90% of our working media budget will help leverage a comprehensive program that provides media, events, campus blood tours, music endorsements and creative production.

Undeniably an institution, MTV is viewed in over 500 million households in 140 countries, on 63 channels and in 17 languages. The MTV brand is valued at $80,000,000 and is frequently mentioned as the most valuable brand for young people. MTV sets trends and popular youth culture, and is a leader in creativity and innovation. MTV has established relationships that will allow The American Red Cross to launch the GEN-Y+ Movement with maximum impact.

MTV 360 MEDIA COMPONENTS:

Television/Video Rationale:10 MTV cable networks with 65% reach P15-34 yrs will segment our target into unique audiences and ethnic groups

Digital Rationale:MTVN Digital reaches 25% of our target using the websites, newsletters and blogs of the MTV properties and their Ditigal Tribe Network

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MTV 360 MEDIA COMPONENTS:

Television/Video Rationale:

Digital Rationale:

Mobile Rationale:MTV Mobile is the widest distributed mobile network in the world. MTVN channels reach 30% of our target with over 800 hours of programming

Social Media Rationale:MTV will promote the GEN-Y+ Movement and blood drive program across all their MTV branded social media channels

EventsRationale:

MTV will produce concerts, an award show and a college campus blood drive tour

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ADDITIONAL MEDIA COMPONENTS:

Digital/Video Rationale:

E-Mail/Direct Mail

Tactic:The GEN-Y+ Challenge will target educators and art schools.Sample lists to be purchased include:National Association of State Boards of EducationAssociation of Teaching ArtistsNational Press Photographers Association-collegiate chapters

Rationale:

With 167MM unique visitors per month, or 78% of the Internet audience, ValueClick is the 3rd largest digital ad network in the U.S. 50% of the schedule will run on HULU in order to reach Gen Y's who watch television online.

In order to reach this target, the American Red Cross needs to use a medium that allows direct contact, personalization and the ability to convey detailed materials. E-mail and direct mail will additionally allow the Red Cross to build a data list from those who have interest and develop a long-term relationship.

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CAMPAIGN BUDGET

WORKING MEDIA ………. $10,000,000

PUBLIC RELATIONS / SOCIAL MEDIA ………. $5,000,000

CREATIVE PRODUCTION ………. $1,900,000

INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS ………. $500,000

RESEARCH / EVALUATION ………. $300,000

AGENCY FEE ………. $1,800,000

LEGAL/TRAVEL /OUT-OF-POCKET ………. $400,000

CONTINGENCY ………. $100,000

TOTAL EXPENDITURE ………. $20,000,000

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INTEGRATED TOUCHPOINTS

The Marketing Campaign Concept

The American Red Cross’ objective is to increase blood donations from young adults in a 12-month period. To be honest….our true objective runs much deeper than that. In order to increase blood donations we see the need to develop a deep sense of loyalty and passion amongst Generation Y so that they become lifelong members of the American Red Cross mission and blood drive program.

Our strategy is to help inspire the Generation Y for the American Red Cross Movement. We will supply the platforms which empower young adults to build the cause into their own so they can do something truly worthwhile!

The Integration Process:

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Incorporate content & creators into campaign and communication channels

Use events and MTV Award Show as national platform to increase blood donations

Empower and challenge Gen-Y's to join the conversation

Launch GEN-Y+ Movement in all communication channels

Create awareness for our problem using influencers

Create a unifying identity

TOUCHPOINT CONCEPT 1: Logo Development for GEN-Y + Movement

Objective: Brand the overarching “movement” to activate Generation Y into service for the American Red Cross

Strategy: Create a movement called Gen-Y for the American Red Cross that visually incorporates design elements of the Red Cross brand. The logo will be used on all marketing projects related to the movement and all young adult programs that the American Red Cross provides, both regionally and nationally.

Rationale: A “movement” creates an identity that the consumer can join, support and relate to. The movement web address is incorporated into the logo to provide the source for more information, to serve as an invitation to “join” the movement and to provide the main benefit of the movement…“save” which ties back to GEN-Y’s need to “do something worthwhile.”

This brand replaces the current redcrossyouth.org identity which alienates older Gen-Y’s who feel too adult to be considered a “youth.”

TIMING: Launch Sept 1 and run throughout the campaign and beyond

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TOUCHPOINT CONCEPT 2: Website Re-design

Objective: Develop a modern and edgy look that Generation Y can connect to and replace www.redcrossyouth.org. The content must

Strategy: Redesign using more appealing graphics, photos, typography and colors

Rationale: The new “cool” site must be a destination that young adults want to hang out at. On August 1st the site will re-launch under the direction of the newly created Gen-Y+ Press Corps so the voice of the website comes from the consumers.

The takeaway should be that “this is our site that provides a platform for our cause and empowers us to express our creative passion and share with our friends.

TIMING: New website to launch Sept 1…site will be “live” through entire campaign

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TOUCHPOINT CONCEPT 3: 30-Second Television Campaign

Objective: Inspire and invite young adults to join in the GEN-Y for the American Red Cross Movement, donate blood and “do something worthwhile”

Strategy: 3 phases will run during the 12-month period: PHASE 1 – Awareness, PHASE 2 – Competition, PHASE 3 – Winners. 3 spots will run within each phase using celebrities to inspire and personally invite Generation Y viewers to join them.

Rationale: Celebrities are identifiable and are influencers. The implication is that the consumer can become their friend and join their team while doing something worthwhile

Exact celebrities can’t be confirmed until campaign is approved. MTV 360 Integrated Marketing will negotiate and manage relationships, appearances and event performances.

SAMPLE SCRIPT (Phase 1)………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...

Spokesperson 1: We are Generation Y. We are the most ethnically diverse, educated and talented generation EVER and we are proud of that!

Spokesperson 2: Generation Y is all about change and progress. And while we’re concerned about global climate change and world hunger we want to see change that we can affect.

Spokesperson 1: Did you know that by donating just one pint of blood you can save up to 3 lives? Think about it…in just one year, in under 5 hours, one person can save 15 lives.

Spokesperson 2: Just imagine the power we have if we connect! We can save the world…one life at a time. So gather your friends and join us in the GEN-Y for the American Red Cross Movement!

TIMING: PHASE 1: Sep-Dec; PHASE 2: Jan-Jun 14; PHASE 3: Jun 15-Aug

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TOUCHPOINT CONCEPT 4: Rich Media Online Banner Campaign

Objective: Inspire and inform target to join the GEN-Y+ Movement and donate bloodStrategy: Use a series of rich media Internet banners to communicate messagingRationale: Rich media banners will capture attention with production design and allow a multitude of

short messages and facts to be conveyed with frequency……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

...............................................................................................................................................................

(There will be multiple banner variations of the above with copy fading in and out a frame at a time)

Frame 1: healthy or sick.

Frame 2: LIFE or death.

Frame 3: What a difference a pint makes!

Frame 4: GEN-Y JOIN2SAVE.org

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Frame 1: We can SAVE the world… ONE life at a time!

Frame 2:

Frame 3: GEN-Y JOIN2SAVE.org

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

TIMING: A variety of banners will run throughout the 12-month campaign.

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TOUCHPOINT CONCEPT 5: Corporate Challenge Identity/Poster

Objective: Create an identity for the Corporate Challenge which includes all 3 partners

Strategy: Visually combine the Red Cross symbol with the GEN-Y+ logo and partner identities while incorporating the individual challenge disciplines

Rationale: An identity will maintain a consistent visual image of the challenge on all communication visuals. The takeaway is that consumers will be inspired by the competition disciplines and partners

TIMING: The logo will be used at the beginning of the educator influencer campaign. The corporate partner logo won’t be incorporated until after sponsor is confirmed. The completed identity will be used through the competition and after the award show when the winners are posted in an online gallery on the GEN-Y+ and MTV websites.

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PUBLIC RELATIONS + SOCIAL MEDIA

Objectives:

-Develop 50% awareness for the GEN-Y+ Movement among 16-24 year olds over a 12-month period.

In conjunction with other integrated efforts, increase blood donations from Gen-Y’s by 15% within 12 months

-Increase website visitors and social media participation by 300% in a 12-month period. Website visitors to increase to 921,000 as site transitions from www.redcrossyouth.org to www.join2save.org

Strategies:

-Partner with a major corporation and media company to host a creative challenge in order to build a deeper connection between the target group and the GEN-Y+ Movement and to drive blood donor recruitment

-Develop GEN-Y+ specific blog, Facebook Page, Twitter and Linked-In accounts to be managed by GEN-Y’s. Blood donation will be the exclusive topic for a 12-month period.

-Host 3 major events during the year that will include national blood drives and major press opportunities

-Promote MTV collegiate campus blood drive program

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TOUCHPOINT CONCEPT 6 / PR: The GEN-Y+ Corporate Challenge

DESCRIPTION: The GEN-Y+ Movement must belong to its participants and in order to build their passion for the movement we must empower them to use their creative talents in Art, Music, Digital and Fashion to express the cause. At the same time the creative participants will be developing a wealth of user-generated content to “share” and be used to inspire other Gen-Y’s to join, to donate and to “do something worthwhile”

OBJECTIVE: Secure a corporate sponsor over the course of first 2 months to support GEN-Y+ Art, Fashion, Music and Digital Challenges

STRATEGY: Develop and pitch corporate sponsorship proposal in conjunction with MTV directly to marketing directors at top 10 Generation-Y advertisers. The Sony Corporation is the initial target.

……………………………

OBJECTIVE + TIMING: Conduct outreach program to school (high school, college and trade school) educators/ administrators and students to develop awareness for GEN-Y+ Movement opportunities and MTV/ Corporate Challenges.

Phase 1: Awareness (Sep/Oct/Nov/Dec).

Phase 2: School Registration (Dec). Promote the branded Corporate Sponsor Challenge and encourage educators and students to form GEN-Y+ clubs and register schools for challenges.

Phase 3: Competition (Jan-Feb-Mar-Apr). Promote active competition and last minute entries to educators and students.

Phase 4: Judging/Finalist Announcement, Event promotion (May)

Phase 5: Event & MTV Award Show (June)

STRATEGY: Use social media outlets and endemic press to reach educators and administrators. (The PR efforts will be reinforced with a paid direct mail and e-mail advertising program). Use social media, consumer magazine, websites and radio to reach consumer target 16-24. Run promotional campaign on all MTV media properties (media partner responsibility).

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TOUCHPOINT CONCEPT 7 / PR: The GEN-Y+ Corporate Challenge Event & MTV Award Show

DESCRIPTION: The Corporate Challenge will culminate in New York in a daylong exhibit of finalists and a major blood drive. The evening event will include a dinner and a televised concert and award show on MTV that features finalist creative from the Art, Music and Digital challenges along with a Victoria Secret type of fashion show from the finalists in the Fashion challenge. Musical performances from GEN-Y+ celebrity spokespeople will be mixed throughout the show. Across the country, local GEN-Y+ clubs will host corresponding blood drives and a live stream of the MTV Concert/Award Show

OBJECTIVE: Generate national awareness and encourage recruitment for the GEN-Y+ Movement and its efforts to increase blood donations 15% among those ages 16-24.

Phase 1: Corporate Challenge Event + MTV Concert Award Show

Phase 2: Corporate Challenge winner announcement and creative display promotion

Strategy: IMRockStar will plan, promote and execute the event with a dedicated PR and event team. Communication channels will include social media outlets, consumer magazine, websites, radio and campus print to reach consumer target 16-24.

MTV will produce and promote the Concert/Award Show across all integrated MTV properties. The Concert/Award Show will be taped live and will air on MTV, MTV2 and MTVU. MTV will host the winner showcase on their websites for a period of 1 year.

The corporate partner will provide funding for the event and prizes and will receive audio and visual recognition within all paid, promotional and public relations and social media efforts.

TIMING: June 14

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TOUCHPOINT CONCEPT 8: Social Media

Objective: Empower consumers to become part of the GEN-Y+ media campaign, self-express and share with friends

Strategy: Open up GEN-Y+ social media platforms by allowing consumers to use campaign elements to build and share their version of communication messages with their friends.

Rationale: Allowing consumers to use their own self-expression by writing copy, incorporating photos of their GEN-Y+ clubs and posting videos to the GEN-Y+ YouTube Channel and MTVU Channel will create engagement and a sense of “ownership” of the campaign as they add their voice to the discussion. Consumers will also be able to post their creative GEN-Y+ Corporate Challenge submissions on the Facebook Page to inspire a dialogue and solicit votes.

TIMING: The entire 12-month campaign

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Touchpoint Concept 9 / PR: Press Release

CONTACT: John GallinaIMRockstarjpgallina@imrockstar.com858-521-1234

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Gen-Y to Unleash Talents in the Sony Challenge for the American Red Cross

September 1, 2012

San Diego, CA—The Sony Corporation has issued a creative challenge in support of the GEN-Y for the American Red Cross Movement and its efforts to increase youth blood donations by 20% in 2013. The Sony/GEN-Y+ Challenge will consist of 4 major creative competitions in art, music, digital and fashion that will be promoted by the MTV Networks. Members of Gen-Y are being asked to express their passion for joining and supporting the American Red Cross mission and its blood drive efforts.

Sony spokesperson, Bob Cange, said that the corporation is donating $1,000,000 to help underwrite the competition and related blood drive efforts. High schools, trade schools and colleges are also being invited to support the program by sponsoring and running the challenge within their curriculum.

GEN-Y+ winners within each competition category will receive a $50,000 scholarship to the school of their choice and a $10,000 award to their GEN-Y+ club. If a student from a school sponsored program wins, the school will also win a $50,000 educational grant.

The registration phase of the competition runs from December 1- 31, 2012 while the competition kicks off on January 1st. Finalists will be announced on May 1st and invited to New York City on June 14, 2013 to attend the Sony/GEN-Y+ Challenge Awards presented by MTV Networks.

For more information on the Sony/GEN-Y+ Challenge or the GEN-Y+ Movement please contact John Gallina at jpgallina@IMRockstar.com or go to www.join2save.org.

About the American Red Cross:The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies nearly half of the nation's blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information on the Gen-Y+ Movement, please visit www.join2save.org.

About Sony Corporation

Sony Corporation is a leading manufacturer of audio, video, game, communications, key device and information technology products for the consumer and professional markets. With its music, pictures, computer entertainment and on-line businesses, Sony is uniquely positioned to be the leading electronics and entertainment company in the world. Sony Global Web Site: http://www.sony.net/

TIMING: Press releases will be sent the entire 12-month campaign. This example would be issued in October.

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TOUCHPOINT CONCEPT 10: PR/Internal Communications TV/Video PSA Campaign

Description: A series of five video PSA’s will be produced with different celebrity spokes teams. The campaign will be distributed among commercial and social media channels to reach consumers and on the American Red Cross intranet to reach employees and volunteers.

(VISUAL)

SPOKESPERSON 1: It’s been said that Generation Y is the most civic-minded generation to date… that’s because we believe that we can make a difference in the world.

SPOKESPERSON 2: Now think about this…..4.5 million Americans will die each year without a blood transfusion.

SPOKESPERSON 1: GEN-Y for the American Red Cross. Now’s the time to JOIN-2-SAVE. SPOKESPERSON 2: Please, bring your friends.

(VISUAL)

GEN-Y JOIN2SAVE.org

(insert facts for PSA #2-5):

Now think about this...more than 38,000 blood donations are needed each day to keep Americans alive.

Now think about this…every 2 seconds someone in this country needs blood.

Now think about this…spending just one hour of your day could save 3 lives.

Now think about this…every minute of every day, someone needs blood.

TIMING: Phase 1 with celebrities will run Sep-June; Phase 2 with user-generated content June 15-Aug

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INTERNAL COMMUNICATION PLAN

OBJECTIVE: Develop a program to reach and continually inform internal stakeholders within the American Red Cross over a 12 month period about the GEN-Y+ Movement, blood drive progress and advertising campaign

STRATEGIES

Phase 1: Pre-Campaign Launch

2 months prior to advertising campaign launch a series of presentations will take place starting at the most senior levels of the ARC organization:

-Agency and ARC Marketing Department campaign presentation to board of directors and executive team-ARC Marketing Department presentation at department directors’ meeting-ARC Marketing Department presentation at key donor luncheon

1 month prior to launch:

-Department directors will share the campaign with their managers and the communication process will continue on down the organization hierarchy until all corporate and chapter members are reached-Memo from the ARC CEO goes to ARC members and volunteers-Campaign article is featured and updated on the home page of the ARC intranet with a countdown to launch-GEN-Y+ Movement brand guide is issued Phase 2: Campaign Launch

-A campaign launch party + blood drive will be hosted at the American Red Cross headquarters on the day the campaign media goes live. ARC employees, major donors and the press will be invited.-Individual chapters will host regional launch parties + blood drives.

Phase 3: Communication Updates

-Status e-mails and activity reports to be issued on a weekly basis internally-Intranet to feature column on campaign updates to include execution reports from the field-Regional chapter campaign feedback to be regularly sent in by the field

RATIONALE

-It is crucial to get buy-in from the top before the campaign is released through the organization. Personal presentations will allow a two-way conversation with these key members.-Everyone within the organization must be educated as campaign ambassadors-Launch parties will generate excitement and connect employees, key donors and volunteers to the campaign-Using all internal communication channels and regular updates will keep the campaign top-of-mind

TIMING: The Internal Communication program must begin shortly after the agency selection and campaign completion. Recommended start is March 2012.

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INTEGRATED COMMUNICATIONS FLOWCHART

Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug2012-2013 FLIGHT 2012 2013Natl blood donor month/World blood donor day 1-31 6/14Phase 1-Gen-Y Kickoff & Awareness Phase 2-Gen-Y Challenge registrationPhase 3-Gen-Y Challenge competition Phase 4-Gen-Y Challenge event/award show Phase 5-Gen-Y User-Generated-Content WORKING MEDIATelevision (paid and promotional) launchDigital campaign launchE-mail/Direct Mail launch

PR & SOCIAL MEDIAGEN-Y Website launch & sustain launchGEN-Y Facebook launch & sustain launchGEN-Y Twitter launch and sustain launchGEN-Y Linked-In launch & sustain launch

EVENTSGEN-Y+ Movement Kickoff event GEN-Y+ / MTV Collegiate Campus Blood TourGEN-Y+ Corporate Challenge KickoffGEN-Y+ Event & MTV Award Show 6/14 MAR INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS AUG(Runs Mar 2012-Aug 2013)

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EVALUATION PLAN

OBJECTIVE: Develop a comprehensive plan to accurately identify the consumer target, gage current employee youth knowledge, set baselines, test messaging and measure response through the 12- month campaign.

METHODS: The evaluation plan will take place in three stages:

Exploratory Research

-Conduct statistically accurate consumer survey research to establish behavior and attitude baselines-Conduct an internal IMC Audit of Red Cross youth managers in order to fully understand the current state of the program and to identify barriers and gaps in integrated marketing efforts

Diagnostic Measures

Use focus groups to sequentially test the campaign positioning statement, the marketing concept, the copy and creative elements

Evaluation & Measurement

Use web tracking studies on a periodic basis and at campaign completion to measure growth of GEN-Y+ brand awareness

Use internal tracking reports to measure success by-increase in blood donations from 16-24 year olds-increase in website visitors from target group-number of GEN-Y+ Facebook friends-number of visits to GEN-Y+ Challenge Winner’s Gallery-% of increase in youth clubs generated into GEN-Y+ clubs -% of increase in young adult volunteers

RATIONALE: A formal pre and post evaluation plan is necessary in order to reduce the risk of the financial investment, to maintain consistency of the IMC message, and to measure the IMC campaign contributions.

BUDGET: $300,000

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CONCLUSION:

The true solution to the American Red Cross problem is integrated marketing communication. When we take our formula…

WELCOME + ACTIVATE + PASSION + EMPOWER + EXPRESSION + INSPIRE = ARC DONORS 16-24

…. we will multiply the results when all the marketing efforts are working together as a unified force.

At the end of the GEN-Y+ Challenge we will have identified the young adults who will be our voice to this generation. We will invite them in to be our editors and content providers on our website, social media channels and advertising campaigns in order to inspire others to donate blood and do something truly worthwhile.

The American Red Cross needs to not only increase blood donations….but to mobilize the power of a generation. IMRockstar has basically rewritten the books on youth marketing and is poised to lead the charge because this is our PASSION!

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APPENDIX: GENERAL SURVEY http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FR95NYM

1. What is your gender? -Female -Male

2. What is your age group?-16-17, -18-24, -25-34, 35-44, -54-65, -65+

3. Are you aware of the American Red Cross? -Yes-No

4. Choose the services that the American Red Cross provides: (choose as many as needed)-Aiding victims of natural disasters-Community services for the needy-Support and comfort for military members and their families-the collection, processing and distribution of lifesaving blood and blood products-educational programs that promote health and safety-international relief and development programs

5. How do you feel about donating blood?-I would like to donate blood-I would like to donate blood but I don’t think I can-Donating blood is important, but it’s not a priority for me right now-Donating blood is worthwhile but I don’t want to do it-It’s not my responsibility to donate blood for strangers

6. If you believe that donating blood is worthwhile what prevents you from participating?-I’m afraid of needles-I don’t know how or where to participate (lack of information, time, access to location)-As an athlete, I’ve been advised against donating blood-I have a medical condition that would prevent me from donating blood

7. How strongly do you feel about charitable giving? -Very strongly-strongly- Indifferent- Not strongly at all

8. If you believe charitable giving is important, what would you choose first to donate:-Volunteer time-Money-Physical resources (blood, bone marrow, organ donation….etc.)

9. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being “very likely” and 1 being “not likely at all”) how likely are you to donate blood?

10. What are your thoughts and feelings about the American Red Cross?

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APPENDIX 2: FOCUS GROUP MODERATOR GUIDE

Red Cross Perceptions

What words come to mind to describe the American Red Cross?

Name some services that they provide?

What do you think is the reputation of the American Red Cross? (prompt: favorable/non-favorable)

Have you ever heard anything negative about the American Red Cross?

How does the American Red Cross compare to other humanitarian organizations?

What type of personality does the American Red Cross have?

Blood Donation

Have you been educated about blood donation?

Have you ever donated blood?

Describe your experience as favorable or non-favorable. Would you donate again?

If you haven’t donated, why?

What would be the biggest influence in getting you to donate?

Would you be more willing to donate if a friend or family member asked you?

Advertising/Media

(if necessary prompt: TV, Radio, Magazine, Newspaper, Billboard, Direct Mail, Poster, Event, Banner ad, Video ad, Text, Social Media, e-Mail, Text, Mobile Application)

What form of communications have you seen or heard from the Red Cross?

What type of media would be the most effective to encourage you to donate?

How would you prefer to receive information about the American Red Cross and blood drives?

What 3 media do you use most?

What famous personality would help encourage you to donate?

What tone of advertising would be most effective to get you to donate? (prompt: sympathetic, humorous, guilt, shock, factual, other)

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APPENDIX 3: ADDITIONAL CREATIVE EXECUTIONS…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Every second counts!

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

1 hour = 3 lives.

Change a life …

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

The need = constant. The gratification = instant.

IMRockstar: 53

REFERENCES:

RedCross.org, 2011. About Us. Retrieved 10/31/2011 from http://www.redcross.org/aboutus

RedCrossBlood.org, 2011. Blood Facts & Statistics. Retrieved 11/5/11 from http://www.redcrossblood.org/learn-about-blood/blood-facts-and-statistics

RedCrossBlood.org, 2011. Retrieved 11/6/11 from http://www.redcrossblood.org/students

Hoovers, 2011. Non-Profit Institutions. Retrieved 11/4/11 from http://subscriber.hoovers.com.www.libproxy.wvu.edu/H/industry360/overview.html?industryId=1084

RedCrossBlood.org, 2011. Why is your blood needed? Retrieved 11/4/11 from http://www.redcrossblood.org/

The Essential Guide to Gen Y 16-24, Research & Insights 2009 | Australia. Retrieved 11/1/11 from http://www.adshel.com.au/how/insights

AdAge.com, The Edelman Study. Retrieved 11/1/11 from http://adage.com/article/adagestat/key-millennial-trends-a-edelman-study/146644/

“The 8095 Exchange: Millennials,their Actions Surrounding Brands, and the Dynamics of Reverberation”. Retrieved 10/31/11 from http://www.edelman.com/insights/special/8095/8095whitepaper.pdf

The Digital World of Millennials: MAY 11, 2011. Retrieved 10/31/11 from http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?id=1008382&R=1008382

http://www.thefabc.org/

2008 American Red Cross Brand Standards Manual. Retrieved 11/1/11 from http://www.rockriver.redcross.org/media/Brand_Standards.pdf

Australian Red Cross Blood Service website. Retrieved 11/9/11 from http://www.donateblood.com.au/media-centre/latest-

national-news/gen-y%E2%80%99-wants-to-rule-when-donating-blood

http://www.volunteeringinamerica.gov

Volunteer Growth in America: A Review of Trends since 1974. Retrieved 11/11/11 from http://www.volunteeringinamerica.gov/special/Young-Adults-(age-16-24)http://www.nationalservice.gov/pdf/06_1203_volunteer_growth.pdf

http://www.haemonetics.com/site/content/bloodsupply/about_industry.asp

http://blog.aflcio.org/2010/11/10/iwj-issues-red-cross-blood-drive-guide-with-focus-on-safety-workers-rights/print/ Marketing Through the Generations. Retrieved 11/9/11 from http://www.bevindustry.com/articles/print/85020

http://www.templeadlib.com/2011/05/02/millennials-a-generation-of-change/

Give the Gift of Life. Retrieved 11/1311 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYJEK6bv8Ys&NR=1

How to Save a Life: Support Blood Drives. Retrieved 11/21/11 from http://youtu.be/PC9VnzICA54 , http://youtu.be/yYJEK6bv8Ys

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