STRATEGIC MARKETING PLAN TO PROMOTE A NEW ONLINE SERVICE
– Client Success Story –
Food Band doubles online donations with strategic marketing support.
The Big Challenges
- Promoting a new product
- Persuading people to donate online
- Lack of marketing plan to target many different groups
- A need for a compelling visual identity
The Awesome Results
- Doubled the amount of online donations
- Increased awareness among corporations, groups, and individuals
- Successfully set up marketing strategies for each target market
- A fresh and eye-catching logo
A New Product = A New Set of Challenges
Mint helped us leverage our outreach into the community. They also helped us become more aware of the importance of marketing and how it works.”
Creating a new product or service is super exciting, but there’s the risk of launching “not with a bang but a whimper.” Heidi Magnuson-Ford, Development Officer at the Greater Vancouver Food Bank (GVFB) helped develop the Virtual Food Drive (VFD). Launched in November 2014, the VFD was a new tool to transition the organization’s traditionally in-person fundraising efforts online. Instead of lugging canned goods to a drop-off, the VFD’s dedicated and secure microsite, resembling an online grocery store, provides donors a quick and fun way to buy food donations. Guilt-free online shopping that supports a cause—who could resist?
Even with an amazing new product, the problems were threefold: no one knew about the VFD, there were too many target audiences (e.g. corporations, sports teams) and marketing channels to manage (e.g. email newsletters, printed collateral), and not to mention the staff wasn’t particularly keen on the black & white photo-based logo. The Food Bank needed help with the daunting task of tying together the organization’s branding, messages, promotional tactics, and target segments through a cohesive marketing strategy.”
Mint Marketing: An Easy Decision
Heidi and her team weren’t on the lookout for just any agency. “We were looking for someone who was interested in our mission, because that interest gets translated into the work.” They narrowed it down to a few options, but still weren’t convinced they had the right agency, until a consultant recommended Mint Marketing Works.
Once we met Ivana we didn’t have to think hard whether or not we wanted to work with Mint!”
Delivering on Details
Mint immersed themselves in the GVFB and became familiar with the VFD. They worked hard to understand the limitations of its technology, and dived deep into consumer psychology of online giving. After working on the project for six months, Mint gave the VFD a new visual identity: an energetic orange and green logo, with a shopping cart to boot! They also created branded collateral and established an online flagship event. Most importantly, Mint helped detail the marketing tasks for each channel while tying it all together in an easy- to-execute plan.
A Solid Spike in Donations
In the end, there was a spike in online giving during the 2015 Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season. Heidi and her team raised over $67,000 during the three-month holiday season—more than doubling what they made in total since the launch! “Mint helped us leverage our outreach into the community. They also helped us become more aware of the importance of marketing and how it works. It’s all these different methods and pieces that need to come together to get a message out. It just doesn’t get itself out. You have to have a strategy for making it happen,” said Heidi.
Not only did Ivana meet our expectations, she exceeded them, she kept the team on track with a kind and supportive approach. Ivana was so great at identifying all the details, documenting them into a plan, and keeping us on task.”
When you give a little of yourself, whether it’s a money donation or time to learn something new,
it’s amazing how much more you end up receiving in return.