Rob Parker, digital content editor, Bloodwise Visit the CharityComms website to view slides from past events, see what events we have coming up and to check out what else we do: www.charitycomms.org.uk

1. Wear a Waistcoat Wednesday
How Bloodwise used the World Cup to raise brand awareness

7. The idea
• Create a campaign around Gareth Southgate's
waistcoat
• Launch if England beat Sweden on Saturday 7 July
• Semi-final to be held on Wednesday 11 July

8. What's the angle?
• No apparent link to blood cancer
• Focus on awareness rather than fundraising

9. The goal
• Increase brand awareness
• Increase reach among those affected by
blood cancer
• Only 43% prompted awareness
• Soft fundraising ask

10. Planning
• Began on Monday 2 July
• Launch: England v Sweden on Saturday 7 July

11. The concept
• Wear a Waistcoat on the day of the semi-final
vs Croatia (Wednesday 11 July)
• Take a photo and tag Bloodwise
• Make a donation to blood cancer research

12. Preparation
• Printable waistcoat

13. Preparation
• Press release
• “Every year about 40,000 people are diagnosed with blood
cancer in the UK, the equivalent of half of the Luzhniki
Stadium”

19. Response
• Bloodwise community and Ambassadors
• Celebrities including Simon Thomas, Nick Clegg
and George Rainsford

22. Corporate response
• Post Office
• Marks and Spencer
• Thomson Reuters Legal UK and Ireland

23. Press
• #WaistcoatWednesday trends on Twitter
• Twitter Moment
• 70 pieces of coverage in national press
• BBC, Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph, Huffington Post, This
Morning, Metro

25. Stick or twist?
• What's the plan if England win on Wednesday?
• Southgate Sunday?

27. Income
• Spend = £600 (£400 on paid social; £200 on print materials)
• £6,500+ in donations
• FA donated a signed England shirt

28. Reach
• Double monthly Twitter profile visits
• Fourth best day of web traffic in 2018

29. Awareness
• Prompted awareness over the previous six months was 43%
• 47% over the three subsequent months

30. Softer impacts
• Mentioned by job applicants
• Potential for corporate partnerships

31. What did we learn?
• Reach people with a fun and interactive campaign not directly
related to blood cancer
• React to news events and trends
• Take an innovative approach to products,
campaigns and corporate partnerships

32. Thank you!

33. PR moments:
using cultural trends and seasonal events
to make the news
PR Network
12 March 2019
London
#charityPR

34. Visit the CharityComms website to view
slides from past events, see what events
we have coming up and to check out
what else we do:
www.charitycomms.org.uk