2. Start Something
About Big Brothers Big Sisters
• Our Mission is to provide children facing adversity
with strong and enduring, professionally supported 1-
to-1 relationships that change their lives for the
better, forever.
• Our Vision is that all children achieve success in life.
3. Start Something
About Big Brothers Big Sisters
• Service Area
Chippewa, Dunn, Eau Claire, Pierce, & St. Croix counties
• 1 on 1 Mentoring = Friendship
• The children we serve
• Longer & Stronger
4. Start Something
Our Target Market
• Primary Markets: • Tertiary Market
25-35 – “Young Professional” 35-50 – “Area Professional”
50+ - “Empty Nester” and Working full time or part-
“Retired Professional” time job
Full-time job / good job or May have a family (kids are
retired from a professional usually a little older)
job Single adults
Stable career & personal life Couples without children
Usually targeted for the
• Secondary Market:
19-24 – “College Student” “Lunch Buddy” program in
Attending a 4 year or 2 year Eau Claire, Hudson, & River
Falls
college
Sophomore or Junior in
school (have 2 – 3 years of
school remaining)
5. Start Something
Our Brand
• Start Something / Start Something BIG
• Children “facing adversity”
• Focus on impact – not ‘cute stories’
o Showing improvement, change, positive influences
o Not focusing on activities, fun
• Photos
o Show matches together
o Active, doing something
• Colors – Grey & 1 color (usually purple), simple and professional
• For volunteer recruitment – focus on the children & what they
want in a ‘Big’
7. Start Something
Creative Concept: Start Something
Developed by Publicis Modem
• What if every child fulfills their potential?
• What if every child is put on the right path today?
• What if every child in America graduated high school, went to college,
and gives back to their communities?
• What will that start?
• It will be the start of something big.
• Every time you donate time or money to Big Brothers Big Sisters,
you help a child reach their potential. You start something.
• What If PSA
8. Start Something
Marketing Challenges
• Connecting the children to
the potential volunteers &
donors – still maintain child
safety
• Need for men!
• Community awareness in
outlying areas (Chippewa
Falls, New Richmond,
Menomonie, etc)
• Getting people to ACT
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Non-Profit Challenges
• Limited / No Budget
$3,000 annual budget for all 5
counties!
• Limited staff / no marketing
department
Fund Development & Marketing Director
3 Interns
• Keeping a consistent message – especially with
multiple locations and a large service area
• Most volunteers come in at beginning or end of year,
lull from April through August
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Annual Marketing Plan
• Marketing Committee
• Currently working on 2013 plan
• Identify goals for what we want to achieve & create the plan to
address the challenges
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Our Methodology
• PSA’s (tv & radio)
o Man Up for Mentoring - Radio
o 90 Bigs in 90 Days – TV & Radio
• Press Releases
• Community calendars – Information Sessions & Events
• Media relations!!!!
• Find sponsors to cover the cost of marketing
• Look for free community events
• Build marketing into other budget categories
o Promotional Products come from Bowl for Kids’ Sake
• Social Media – Facebook, Twitter, You Tube, Pinterest
o Videos
12. Start Something
2013 Plans
• Tuesday’s Child – bring it back
o Local media outlet (tv)
• Find men in the program to be ‘role models’ or ‘spokesmen’
Encourage other men to get involved
• More parades in outlying communities (Chippewa Falls,
Augusta)
• Community Events / Booths
1 on 1 works best
• National Mentoring Month
Big marketing event / volunteer recruitment
Try to get more volunteers early in the year
13. Start Something
Keeping a consistent message
• 1 person creates and/or proofs all marketing materials for brand
consistency
• Training for staff, volunteers, and Board of Directors
o On-going training & reminders
• Consistently use correct branding and correct those not using
correct branding
• Be picky
14. Start Something
Event Marketing
• Still needs to fit the brand, but needs to focus on the event too
• Featuring our kids – kids sell
o 2010 Bowl for Kids’ Sake
o 2011 Bowl for Kids’ Sake
o 2012 Bowl for Kids’ Sake
15. Start Something
Non-Profit Marketing
• Always need to think about what we can get for ‘free’
• Larger focus on PR, media relations, and getting stories out into
the community
MEDIA RELATIONS IS KEY!
• All ‘ads’ are done in PSA format, so less control over them
• All of this is done with 1 person spending about 20% of their time
on marketing, volunteers, staff, and the marketing committee