STIR Not-For-Profit Creative Case Samples

The following creative campaigns were successfully developed and run for not-for-profit organizations in the state of Wisconsin.

Not only do these campaigns reflect our creativity in messaging, but they also display social media and ad buying prowess and tremendous public relations results. In each case, a light budget has been parleyed into game-changing success.

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American Cancer Society

STIR has worked with the American Cancer Society of Wisconsin for the past several years, generating earned media for the organization. Over the last year, we have coordinated paid social media campaigns for Kohl’s Healthy Families, a joint partnership between ACS and Kohl’s to support families throughout Southeast Wisconsin – namely Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Washington, and Waukesha Counties.

Our focus has been on reaching populations that are experiencing great health disparities to promote cancer prevention, screenings, and community event participation. We work with a diverse group of audiences throughout the state, including Black, Hispanic, and Native American residents. Our work has reached all media, including TV, radio, print (i.e., magazines, blogs), and online/digital. We have continually exceeded our media relations goals for the past three years. This past year, we also exceeded our social media goals.

Relevant coverage: (Click images to view.)

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Eras Senior Network

STIR worked with Eras Senior Network throughout 2020 to develop and execute a fully integrated public awareness strategy for the Drive. Give. Serve. campaign. The goal was to increase the organization’s volunteer driver base, thereby providing escorted transportation for elderly and disabled adults in Southeastern Wisconsin.

We collaborated with the Eras team over a 12-month period on a campaign that included radio and billboard advertising, creative updates to the campaign landing page, organic and paid social advertising, as well as public relations – all of which were designed to build awareness and encourage the local community to inquire about volunteer opportunities at Eras. The campaign was considered a success with a 30% increase in volunteers and more than 25 local TV, radio, print and, online stories.

Relevant coverage: (Click images to view.)

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Fostering Futures

Our work for Fostering Futures, a nonprofit foster care and adoption agency, follows a close parallel to what will be needed for CANPB. STIR partnered with Fostering Futures to build awareness around Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Trauma-Informed Care. The Children’s Trust Fund was an active participant in this process, providing much of the content related to ACEs and helping to underwrite the development of the website.

Through an extensive process of education and collaboration, STIR worked with the Fostering Futures Board of Directors to develop a messaging platform that transformed language that was highly scientific and clinical to develop poignant, simple communications that speaks to all audiences – the most pivotal of which were highly diverse, impoverished, and often uneducated.

STIR went into the community to generate a consensus around a better way to describe and refer to the clinical causes of toxic stress and to develop our arresting apex creative expression – the “Meter Boy” poster series. The series visualizes a diverse group of children with a “harm/heal” meter embedded onto their foreheads.

STIR developed the organization’s website, plus an infographic, brochures, and other promotional materials that were used as powerful visual learning aides. An awareness advertising plan was developed but never funded.

Poster series creative:

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Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin

Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin (DFW) is a nonprofit organization that helps drive the demand for all things dairy. STIR provides integrated marketing support for DFW’s communications team through an annual National Dairy Month (June) media buy.

Each year, STIR works with media outlets across Wisconsin to develop a paid advertising schedule for June. This includes editorial news coverage tied to telling stories of 30 dairy farmers across the state. The buy also extends into regional contests and social media promotions. The program generates over 15 million impressions annually and provides an ad value of nearly $500,000.

Based on the success of this annual program, STIR’s PR team has established an ongoing media relations program to tell dairy product-related stories throughout the year. The earned media program generates over 300 placements and over 1 billion impressions annually.

Relevant coverage: (Click images to view.)

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Versiti

The STIR PR team worked for Versiti Blood Centers of Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan from 2018-2020. Over this time, we built awareness around the organization’s rebranding campaign and developed an ongoing media relations program that revolved around promoting blood drives, events, patient stories, and new research findings.

STIR worked with Versiti’s communications team to build an editorial calendar, pitch various media, coordinate interviews, monitor media, and manage reporting. As part of our efforts, we also worked with blood donors, volunteers, and Versiti staff across the state to pitch local media opportunities for TV, radio, print, and online outlets. Each year, we achieved more than 50 placements with over 20 million impressions.

Relevant coverage: (Click images to view.)