By the time the Washington Animal Rescue League (WARL) wagged its tail about turning 85 years old in October, the organization was looking to be viewed as a forward-thinking agency well positioned to run with the big dogs of the 21st century.
Its annual fundraiser, which played up the interactive theme, "Y2K-9 Compatibility and Silicon Alley Cats," fetched the desired effect-to celebrate the organization's seasoned history while embracing progressive outreach opportunities.
A promotional campaign leading up to WARL's fundraising event relied on several in-kind donations and services. It also helped to expand the organization's support base from young professionals to a broader target audience that included the political community and corporate backers.
WARL also harnessed the expansive reach of the Web by offering virtual pet adoptions, hot links and electronic invitations online. Though the event netted a profit of only $35,000-a drop in the bucket compared to other large metropolitan fundraisers-this number was seven times more than what the organization generated in 1998.
And, perhaps more importantly than the financial rewards, the event laid the groundwork for WARL to pursue a broader range of potential donors, volunteers and corporate partners.
License to Have Fun
The Y2K-9 theme was, of course, timely. It also scored points by evoking fun and humor - two key traits of pets and pet owners, says Anne Nicholson, VP for fun and games at Cohn & Wolfe in Washington, D.C. Cohn & Wolfe provided pro bono strategic event development and management for WARL's annual fundraiser.
One of the most imaginative aspects of the campaign was the virtual adoption program, which gave DC locals a chance to "sponsor" an animal without necessarily taking the leap into pet ownership.
For $15, a donor could provide "room and board" expenses for a pet at the shelter. This program not only raised the visibility of the animals at the shelter, it created a link to sponsors who might one day decide to adopt pets for real.
The virtual adoption program was pre-promoted through press releases, on WARL's Web site and through hot links on partner Web sites. The virtual adoptions, however, didn't go live until the fundraising event on Oct. 15, where the first 85 people who participated in the program via on-site computers were given invisible leashes with a collar on the end of it simulating a pet.
Other promotional hooks included:
- A creative four-color invitation that functioned as a self-contained mailer. The invitation promoted the honorary committee, corporate supporters that were divided into four categories (Big Dogs, Silicon Alley Cats, Megabytes and Kilobytes) and silent auction highlights. The invitation also promoted a contest that asked pet owners to explain in 85 words or less why their dog or cat should be named the "Y2K-9" or "Silicon Alley Cat of Washington, D.C." Two winners received a Web page for their pets.
- Electronic invitations were also developed for campaign supporters to distribute via personal email lists. The e-invitations featured clever animation that barked and meowed. They also promoted a hot link to the WARL Web site where people could charge their tickets to the event online.
Elevated Visibility
The goofy aspects of the campaign distinguished WARL's fundraiser from other Washington, D.C., black-tie events by creating a shindig that people wanted to participate in - as opposed to feeling obligated to attend, says Nicholson. But it wasn't just fun and games.
The humorous tactics also boosted awareness of the league and offered a convenient, interactive means of supporting rescued animals. This latter result is what has Marion Smith, WARL's director of development, singing Cohn & Wolfe's praises.
The fundraising event that attracted more than 400 attendees also increased WARL's visibility among politicos, local media and a wide range of high-profile Washingtonians.
As the only animal shelter on the East Coast that also features a full-service medical center (which provides affordable care to low-income pet owners) WARL needed to elevate its image to a broader audience, says Smith. The campaign has expanded WARL's visibility by:
- landing extensive press coverage in The Washington Post, Washington Life and The Hill and the local NBC affiliate, which also provided a link to WARL's Web site;
- attracting major corporate support from companies like UPN, two local radio stations, Netcast, PetSmart and AOL; and
- encouraging well-known political figures like the Rev. Jesse Jackson, DC Council Member Charlene Drew Jarvis and HHS Secretary Donna Shalala to sit on the honorary committee.
WARL continues to look to the Web to build momentum in the community, and plans to expand the virtual adoption program. Currently, the site generates 18,000 hits per week. The organization's adoption rate of 700 in 1999 increased by at least 20 animals that were adopted in "real time."
(Cohn & Wolfe, Anne Nicholson, 202/530-4573; WARL, Marion Smith, 202/882-2702)
Cohn & Wolfe Washington
Parent company: Young & Rubicam
Founded: Spring 1996
Staff: 20
Staff Who Own Pets: 15
Clients: Purina, U.S. Postal Service, British Aerospace North America, Northrop Grumman Forest & Paper Assoc.