Digital Marketing MAC Award Submission

“See the Vision – Boys & Girls Club Online”

January 13, 2016

For the past 17 years, Boys & Girls Club of Greeneville & Greene County (BGCGGC) has provided kids and teens with a safe place to spend their out-of-school time with caring, adult mentors who lead programs targeted toward positive youth development. Although the presence of the Boys & Girls Club has been felt throughout the community, it was important to bring to attention to the positive, high quality programs and services that the Club offers to the youth of the community.

To achieve this endeavor, the Club’s marketing plan was shifted to include a large digital marketing presence enhanced by print and other marketing materials to raise brand awareness and increase brand consistency and messaging. Due to the Club’s upcoming Capital Campaign, there was a need for more exposure prior to the campaign’s start.

Marketing initiatives for the Boys & Girls Club is developed in-house and executed by the Executive Director and the Marketing & Grants Coordinator. This highly effective marketing team has been exceedingly successful in promoting the Club’s mission-driven programs, annual special events and youth sports through all avenues. Because of its successful efforts, the Club was contracted by Boys & Girls Clubs in Tennessee to maintain the Tennessee Alliance’s marketing strategies.

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The overall goal for the Digital Marketing plan sought to raise brand awareness and increase brand consistency and messaging to align with Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) across all digital platforms.

The primary marketing objectives for this goal included:

Build awareness of the Boys & Girls Club brand by aligning messaging with national brand standards and bring attention to the Club’s mission and impact in the Greeneville and Greene County community

Raise visibility and awareness of the positive influence and the important roles the Boys & Girls Club plays in the lives of the youth of the community

Increase social media engagement and social media fans among parents, donors, volunteers and youth

Redesign new website with consistent branding and messaging

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Two segments of a target audience were identified within the Digital Marketing plan. The primary target audience included those within the community who directly benefit from the Club’s programs and services – Club members, their parents or guardians and potential Club members and their families. The secondary target audience included those within the community with the means to help support the Club’s programs and services, either monetarily, in-kind or through volunteer service like businesses, organizations, volunteers, donors and local and regional government leaders.

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Objective 1: Improve awareness and bring attention to the Club’s mission and impact

Strategy: The BGCGGC took a stronger approach toward building brand awareness and brand consistency and messaging. The first step was to examine national brand standards and messaging. Online communications focused on the key advocacy periods listed in the Boys & Girls Club Brand Calendar to help evoke particular consumer mindsets. Social media posts were focused on the advocacy period’s theme, as well as the three pillars that BGCA promotes – healthy lifestyles, academic success and good character and citizenship.

Almost all Facebook, Twitter and Instagram posts included #greatfutures, while most other posts included #healthylifestyles, #academicsuccess and #goodcharacterandcitizenship depending on the type of program or activity that was highlighted.

Pinterest showcased different programs offered to Club members, the Club’s youth sports events and clinics, specialized programs including themed parties or end of summer carnivals, STEM activities, awards, Kid of the Day and programs focused on healthy lifestyles, academic success and good character and citizenship.

Social media posts highlighted the dynamic, mission-driven programs, activities and opportunities that Club members engage in on a daily basis through pictures and text.

A new website was launched with the theme of Boys & Girls Club Pantone Process Blue and a focus on messaging centered on the Club’s mission and impact in the community.

To drive traffic back to social media sites and website, links were listed on fliers, program and special event recaps, press releases, donor materials, parent handbooks and special event publications.

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Objective 2: Raise visibility and awareness of the positive influence and the important roles of the Club

Strategy: To raise awareness of the positive influence and the important roles the Club plays in the lives of youth in the community, social media posts were focused on the benefits that Club members receive each day they walk through our doors. It was a focus to utilize personal stories and alarming figures to evoke emotion among the online community.

Kid of the Day posts were used to show the recognition that the Club offers to youth throughout the year. A Club member who has demonstrated excellent character is selected to receive this honor. He or she then receives a name badge along with food certificates from local sponsors. This is one of the more successful tactics to show the Club’s positive influence to the community.

Social media accounts focused on highlighting mission-driven programs and showcasing the benefits Club members receive through the After-School and Summer Program.

Leveraged key dates such as Boys & Girls Club Week, Global Youth Service Day and Unity Day to focus on personal stories, community impact through Club service and the positive influence that staff play in Club member’s lives.

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Objective 3: Increase social media engagement and social media fans

Strategy: Through the tactics listed in objective 1 and 2, it was the hope that through more emotional and mission-driven posts that an increase in social media engagement and fans would follow. Additionally, on all print materials (thank you cards, Christmas cards, special event programs, flyers, etc.) the Club’s social media sites and website links were displayed to drive traffic back to these sites.

Objective 4: Relaunch new website

Strategy: The original website was launched in 2004 and had become outdated and incompatible with mobile and tablet viewing. To reach our audience and increase consistency of our high-quality brand, the website underwent a complete transformation with a greater focus on organization, conciseness, mission-focused messaging and an overall theme of Boys & Girls Club Pantone Process Blue. The relaunch allowed for audiences to understand the impact the Club has on the community while also telling the story of our mission and day to day activities at the Club.

A marketing meeting was held to discuss the vision for the future of the Club and how to best translate that through the new website.

To stay consistent with Objective 1 and 2, similar tactics were put into place to achieve Objective 4. Messaging was centered on the mission-driven programs and activities the Club offers while pictures were focused on showing this message. The two-fold focus helped to not only tell our online audience the positive influence and impact the Club makes, but show them as well.

The old website lacked a professional tone and was inconsistent with the national brand. The solution, create a more 21

st century tone consistent with BGCA’s colors

and messaging, eliminate the need for continuous scrolling by creating concise pages with mission-focused messaging and replace the outdated photos of stock kid pictures to photos containing images of our members participating in programs that spark emotional reactions.

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When assessing if our campaign was successful, quantitative and qualitative methods were used.

Quantitatively we looked at the increase of our social media audience, which includes Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest, from December 31st, 2014 to December 31st, 2015. Using different analytic software, the total number of the Club’s social media audience was totaled. An increase of almost 14% was observed in our social media audience from last year. The redesign of the website included a total transformation of the old website to include more consistency with the national BGCA brand and more mission-driven messaging.

Qualitatively we observed some of the most impactful posts on our social media accounts that focused on mission-driven messaging and storytelling qualities. In the supporting documents, examples of this messaging is demonstrated. We also viewed shares, retweets, likes and pins as an assessment of the success of our campaign. When encompassing all social media accounts as a whole, the number of impressions we made to not only our primary audience, but our secondary as well, was massive.

Through our evaluation methods, our digital marketing plan was a success. We reached both audiences and increased our online presence and brand awareness while relaunching our new website.

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The following Supporting Documentation is included:

Photos of posts from Facebook

Photos of posts from Twitter

Photos of posts from Instagram

Photos of posts from Pinterest

Photos from website, www.ggcbgc.org

Flyers that contain links to social media sites and website link

Thank you card with website link on back

Christmas card with website link on back

Give the Gift of a Great Future year-end fundraising appeal donation page with

links to social media and website link

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Facebook Posts, www.facebook.com/BGClubofGreenevilleGreeneCounty

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Twitter Posts, www.twitter.com/BGC_Greeeneville

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Instagram Posts, www.instagram.com/bgc_greeeneville

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Pinterest Posts, www.pinterest.com/bgcgreeeneville

Website Photos, www.ggcbgc.org

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