Tuesday, June 6, 2017

3 lessons nonprofit PR pros can take from #OneLoveManchester

The scene of Ariana Grande’s latest concert was remarkably different from the one prior.

Less than two weeks after a terrorist bombing killed 22 people and injured more than 100 at the end of her show in Manchester, United Kingdom, the singer and her agent organized a benefit concert that ended up raising more than $2.5 million in donations during its three hours.

“The sold-out concert — about 55,000 people attended — featured emotional performances from Ms. Grande, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Coldplay and more, and has helped raise more than $12 million for the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund,” The New York Times reported.

The benefit concert also made waves online, reaching millions who were not in attendance.

The BBC reported:

The concert was watched by an average of 10.9 million viewers, peaking at 14.5 million as the gig drew to a close — making it the most watched TV show of the year so far.

It also broke iPlayer records for the most watched non-sporting live event in the catch-up service's history.

The BBC said more than 1.07 million viewers requested to watch the gig live via iPlayer on Sunday evening.

Here are a few things nonprofit communicators can take from the wildly successful benefit event:

1. Embrace social media and invite others to take part virtually.

Not only did #OneLoveManchester make viewership records, the benefit effort reached many more through social media.

Others tweeted videos and pictures from the event:

A Twitter account was also created for the event, sharing videos, images and messages. The profile has more than 4,700 followers after the event:

The move to use social platforms isn’t unique to #OneLoveManchester.

The Ice Bucket Challenge raised $115 million for ALS research in eight weeks and garnered roughly 17 million videos online.

The 2014 viral sensation changed the way nonprofit PR pros look at fundraising, especially online. Since then, many other communicators have used the power of social media to dramatically raise visibility for their causes and increase donations and volunteers.

In 2015, Ad Council won a Shorty Award for its “Love Has No Labels” campaign, which involved an X-ray screen of skeletons kissing and hugging, later revealing those involved to belong to diverse backgrounds.

Ad Council reported that the effort garnered some impressive results:

10,000 people witnessed the event live. A video of the stunt went immediately viral (over 40 million views in two days). It recently hit 160 million combined views, becoming the fastest spreading campaign ever, the 2nd most viewed and shared PSA in history after just 3 weeks.

The March of Dimes has also turned to digital efforts to increase its engagement and cause-related success rates. Nick Morpus wrote the following on Capterra Nonprofit Technology Blog:

They used a multi-dimensional approach to content marketing: they began to blog, share the story on Facebook , create videos on YouTube , and share announcements on Twitter. This campaign helps to raise awareness and contributes to funding their mission .

By allowing the people they affected to share their stories online, the March of Dimes has created a content strategy that aligns with its mission: ensuring that every single baby gets a good and healthy start in life.

Nonprofit PR pros who embrace the power of social media have much to gain—both for their organizations and for their causes.

2. Use the power of many.

#OneLoveManchester was a success, in large part, because of the number of people involved. As artists and fans came together, the repeated message was one of love and strength, under a banner of unity.

Rolling Stone reported:

… [B]ecause it was Grande's event — she performed her big hits and also shared the stage with Cyrus, the Black Eyed Peas and many others — and because she was so deeply affected by what happened at her concert, she offered the most touching speech of the night. "I want to thank you so much for coming together and being so loving and strong and unified," she said after singing Crowded House's "Don't Dream It's Over" and its "We know they won't win" chorus with Cyrus. "I love you guys so much, and I think that all the love and unity you're displaying is the medicine the world needs right now.”

“Unity” was the message that resonated at #OneLoveManchester, but it’s a theme that nonprofit communicators can build upon for their individual causes and efforts. Your call should be simple and forward, and your goal should be to get others involved to stand with you and your organization.

Last year, Disney partnered with the Make-a-Wish Foundation for a fundraising promotion that ended with Disney doubling its donation.

Charlie Marchant wrote on Social Media Today:

For every photo uploaded to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram with the #ShareYourEars hashtag, Disney donated $5 to the charity. They originally capped the social media fundraiser at $1 million but doubled their pledge and donated $2 million. The campaign itself isn’t exactly mind-blowing, but the charity donation sure is.

The most interesting part of this campaign? It worked because it asked consumers to do something that they were going to do already: upload pictures of their kids to social media sites.

The move to involve others will become paramount to the success of causes and nonprofit institutions.

Nonprofit leader Gloria Horsley predicts that this year, influential social media users will become even more important to nonprofit PR pros. She wrote in Forbes:

Influencer marketing will also take on a larger role, as we can rally advocates of our nonprofit organization to endorse what we are doing with their social circles. The result is that the trust that these circles place in these influencers can move them to act and become donors and volunteers themselves. Next year will be about identifying those influencers and then building up relationships with them to create awareness.

If you’re wondering how to grab more attention for your cause, get others involved. Start with people who are passionate about the issue or your organization and build from there.

3. A community nod isn’t enough to erase bad behavior.

Uber jumped on #OneLoveManchester and tweeted the following on Sunday:

The action, though admirable, wasn’t enough to save the organization from a backlash after it was slow to turn off its surge pricing following the terrorist attack in London, nor was it enough to erase its history of reputational missteps.

PR pros would do well to remember that one good action isn’t enough, especially if that nod to a cause doesn’t fit your brand’s voice, image or message. Instead, consistent efforts and working within the community with initiatives that align with your organization is the way to go.



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