Xenophon Strategies

The Salvation Army

Digital Media Engagement

Viral campaign lights a spark

Project Highlights

• Satellite Media Tour
• Blog Engagement
• Social Networking
• Online promotion

As the firm of record for The Salvation Army National Headquarters, Xenophon Strategies provides communications services and strategic counsel to one of the world’s most recognizable charitable organizations. In addition to providing media relations and crisis communications in support of disaster relief efforts during more than a dozen natural disasters including hurricanes and earthquakes, Xenophon’s relationship with the Army includes supporting its largest fundraising effort of the year, the iconic Annual Red Kettle Christmas Campaign, with a satellite media tour and media engagement.

Internet donations increased 27% to $10 million driven by a 59% increase in Online Red Kettle donations to nearly $1 million.

The Salvation Army’s accomplishments during the 2008 Red Kettle Campaign started with the partnership of the Dallas Cowboys and the chart-topping Jonas Brothers. Jonas Brothers (Kevin, Nick and Joe) kicked-off the 12th annual Red Kettle Campaign, which ran from November 27 until December 24 nationwide, with a nationally televised performance during the Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game. In addition to the visibility this event created on television and in the resulting coverage in blogs and traditional media, the Salvation Army received tremendous financial support by partnering with The Jonas Brothers, The Dallas Cowboys, and other corporate sponsors including the National Hockey League, all of whom put up online “virtual” Red Kettles on their Web sites. Xenophon’s outreach to blogs, in addition to traditional media, about the partnership provided a viral spark online, which translated into new vehicles for both donations and conversations about the fundraising effort.

Xenophon promoted the Jonas Brothers’ performance and the Army’s partnership with the Dallas Cowboys by pitching a digital audience. Blog outreach consisted of targeting philanthropic, religious and entertainment and pop culture bloggers. Traditional methods of media outreach were integrated with electronic engagement, ongoing communication with authors following blog posts, and sharing a Public Service Announcement featuring The Jonas Brothers via an FTP site. Several blogs, including JustJared.com and x17online.com, featured details of the event and the “how-tos” of donating to the Salvation Army, and within 24 hours, the story was picked up by PerezHilton.com, a leading entertainment blogger. This attention online ballooned into a viral sensation, and within hours of the post on PerezHilton.com, numerous other blogs picked up the story, leading to millions of impressions online.

As a result of these efforts, donations to The Salvation Army’s Red Kettles set a new national record of $130 million in 2008, surpassing the previous record of $118 million set in 2007. Internet donations increased 27% to $10 million driven by a 59% increase in Online Red Kettle donations to nearly $1 million. The Army’s overall national growth, despite the economic downturn, is attributed to the continuous generosity of the American people, a large breadth of corporate partnerships and the greater application of innovative digital technologies. Xenophon’s work on the Red Kettle Campaign earned a 2009 Thoth Award for Issues and Brand Management. The Thoth Awards are distributed each year by the Public Relations Society of America.