It is amazing how the world can unite during times of tragedy. The outpouring of support for Haiti by individuals, celebrities, governments, and the media has been overwhelming. DOOH Networks are also participating in the fundraising efforts. Matthew Stoudt, CEO of Outcast has pulled together Zoom Media, AdSpace Networks, IndoorDIRECT, Captivate Network, PumpTop TV, Premier Retail Networks, CBS Outernet, and TargetCast Networks for what Stoudt described in the DailyDOOH as, “A unified message that will run on over 40,000+ screens and reach an estimated 100 million Americans monthly.â€
The Preset Group has also created high-resolution video and flash content that any network can broadcast. The video spots encourage $10 donations to redcross.org by texting “Haiti†to a short code. While historically premium SMS never took off in the US, providing an impulse-friendly way to contribute to an urgent cause has proven to be right on the money, driving the most successful mobile donation program seen so far.
DOOH has a proven track record in raising awareness for social issues. We’ve all seen the Amber Alerts on digital billboards on the highway that aid the authorities in finding missing children. And recently, the FBI displayed a Most Wanted poster on a ClearChannel digital billboard in Times Square after a pilot program in Philly led to two arrests. In 2008, a three month DOOH-exclusive campaign resulted in an 18% increase in awareness for the Michael J Fox Foundation’s volunteer organization.
Audiences are accustomed to learning about and participating with charities and social causes through DOOH Networks; it stands to reason that this would be an excellent avenue for brands to expand their cause marketing budgets. Consider using DOOH as effective way to raise awareness and extend cause marketing into integrated cross platform campaigns. Adcentricity’s Rob Gorrie recommends smart, cross platform campaigns sponsored by brands which could incorporate the social media and mobile assets (such as the donor’s photo and name–with their permission, of course) into the video spots to give recognition to participants (a reason users often participate with charities on their social networking profiles) on screens across the country.
Cause marketing doesn’t have to be limited to online micro-sites and banners – it can touch people throughout their daily lives.
