Red Cross attracts $190K in pledges via Text 2HELP program

By Mickey Alam Khan

December 4, 2008

Push red at the Republican convention

Mobile subscribers pledged more than $190,000 since September to the American Red Cross through its text message program.

Revived this time to help victims of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, the recent Red Cross’ Text 2HELP effort is being claimed as the mobile industry’s most successful nonprofit text fundraiser. A major reason for its widespread acceptance is the extensive publicity that the Text 2HELP program received from politicians, social media sites and the media.

“I think the key to it is promote, promote, promote,” said Mike Campbell, senior vice president at VeriSign Inc.’s VeriSign Messaging and Mobile Media division in Boston.

The Red Cross received the $190,000 in donations through 38,091 text messages.

VeriSign Messaging and Mobile Media powers the mobile application and mobile messaging transactions and delivery in conjunction with The Wireless Foundation, a nonprofit founded by members of CTIA – The Wireless Association.

Text 2HELP donations go to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund to offer shelter, food, counseling and help to victims of the many disasters nationwide.

Subscribers of participating wireless carriers can donate $5 up to five times per month by texting the keyword GIVE to 2HELP (24357).

“The range needs to be an amount that people can feel comfortable donating on the spot when they have the inclination to donate,” Mr. Campbell said.

Charges for these donations will appear on the subscriber’s mobile phone bill each month. They can also be debited from prepaid account balances for those mobile consumers without a contract.

Standard text messaging rates may apply to those texted donations.

The participating carriers include AT&T, Alltel, Sprint, T-Mobile USA, Verizon Wireless and U.S. Cellular.

The popularity of the Text 2HELP program has convinced the Red Cross, VeriSign and the Wireless Foundation to extend its life to Dec. 31, two months past its deadline.

Another consideration for the extension was the need for donations as more disasters strike the country – tornadoes, the worst flooding in the Midwest in 15 years, early wildfires in Western states such as California and an active hurricane season with Dolly, Fay, Gustav, Hanna and Ike.

The Text 2HELP program also introduces a new class of donors into society, aside from those responding to direct mail, television, print or online appeals.

The Red Cross aims to raise $100 million this year for its Campaign for Disaster Relief. More than $65 million has been raised, as of Nov. 20.

The Text 2HELP program was first launched to help victims of Hurricane Katrina. It is initiated whenever a large-scale disaster occurs that the Red Cross determines will require considerable national assistance.

The most recent Text 2HELP effort was pushed extensively and across channels. Campaigns for presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain as well as the CMO Council, the National Football League and the Boston Red Cross promoted.

In addition, the Red Cross promoted the program on social media platforms such as Twitter and on the Red Cross blog at http://www.redcrosschat.org.

The Red Cross has also created a Text 2HELP widget for social media users to run on their Web sites.
Other charities can learn from the Red Cross’ experience with text fundraising.

“I believe that this is a very viable channel in that there are people out there who still want to donate during these tough economic times,” Mr. Campbell said.

“What the mobile channel allows charities to do is take advantage of a whole different group of people who want to donate but it should be easy for them to donate,” he said.

Editor in Chief Mickey Alam Khan covers advertising agencies, associations, research, and column submissions.

Guinness taps mobile for pint campaign

By Giselle Abramovich

December 3, 2008

Ale and hearty

Irish brewer Guinness has launched The Great Guinness Pint Contest, an interactive mobile program meant to engage consumers with the brand.

The program asks consumers at participating businesses to rate their pint of Guinness via their mobile phone. Each time consumers rate their pint they are entered into a sweepstakes in which the winner gets a trip to the Guinness Brewery in Dublin, Ireland, during the company's 250th anniversary.

“Guinness is really big on quality in terms of its beer and the way that it is served,” said John Lim, CEO of Mobile Card Cast, Tarrytown, NY. "Guinness believes that raising the quality of its product will ultimately mean more sales."

Mobile Card Cast is powering the Guinness program.

Who's tops
The top performing accounts - bars or restaurants serving Guinness - in each market will receive a celebration party.

“This is great fun for an establishment’s patrons,” said Seth Kaplan, managing partner of Mobile Real Estate ID, Tarrytown, NY.

“They get to interact with the product and service they’re receiving, give immediate feedback to the bar, and oh, yeah, they have a chance to win a trip,” he said.

Live drawings will be held on the television sets in each of the participating establishments for the trips to Dublin.

A plaque will be presented to the bar for serving one of the “Greatest Pints of Guinness in America” as voted by the consumers.

The night will culminate with a toast to the account for its accomplishment.

This program is part of a bigger mobile effort built off the pride of Guinness and its loyal consumers.

The Guinness Quality Mobile Program is the first of its kind.

This program allows consumers in a non-invasive way to tell the bar or restaurant how much they enjoyed or disliked their pint.

While the consumer rates the pint, the bar or restaurant is now measured against its peers.

Also, the program creates a competition within markets and amongst establishments that serve Guinness.

10-pint scale
Consumers are asked to rate their pint on a scale from one to 10 via text message. They are asked to text "GREAT" to the short code 88500 for a chance to win the trip to Dublin.

Table tents, coasters and posters within participating bars and restaurants will promote the program.

Additionally, a tip card will be available to patrons, which will give them tips on how to rate a pint of Guinness.

“I think Guinness chose mobile because, No. 1, it is the most popular form of communication these days, especially SMS,” Mr. Kaplan said.

“It is pretty much guaranteed that everyone who walks into a participating bar or restaurant has a cell phone and can interact with the program, without ever having to fill anything out," he said.

Associate Editor Giselle Abramovich covers ad networks, advertising, content, email, media, messaging, legal/privacy, search, social networks, television and video.