1. The American Red Cross Youth Movement:
Encouraging blood donation among individuals ages 16-
24…by empowering a generation!
December 21, 2011
IMRockstar:
Integrated Marketers
Laura Parkinson.12348 AvenidaConsentido, CA 92128; 858-521-8953
lgparkinson@IMRockstar.com

2. TABLE OF CONTENTS
Opening Letter 3
Executive Summary 4
About IMRockstar 5
Background 6
Target Market 10
SWOT Analysis 16
Brand Positioning, Personality, Perception 20
Integrated Marketing Communications Statement 28
Creative Brief 29
Media Plan 30
Campaign Budget 34
Integrated Touchpoints 35
Public Relations + Social Media 42
Internal Communications Plan 47
Integrated Communications Flowchart 48
Evaluation Plan 49
Conclusion 50
Appendix 51
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3. December 21, 2011
Peggy Dyer, Chief Marketing Officer
Chief Marketing Officer, AMERICAN RED CROSS
2025 E St. NW
Washington D.C, 20006
Dear Ms. Dyer,
Inspired!This one word describes the heartfelt feeling that we have after immersing ourselves in the
world of the American Red Cross. Your mission has inspired us to take up your cause…to volunteer as
blood donators and to recruit our teenagers into a Red Cross club. For that we thank you for giving us this
awakening. We hope that the integrated marketing campaign that we’ve created will show our passion
and sincere desire to be your partner and continue your work.
We realize that you will be able to choose amongst many qualified firms. But we know that we stand out
because of our personal depth of experience with your target group. We’ve given birth to them. We’ve
raised them from childhood into young adults. We’ve backpacked through Europe with them. We’ve
been their friends on Facebook. We’ve listened to their thoughts and dreams…helped guide them
through high school, into college and on to their first jobs.
You see….theyare our children; our sons and daughters, nieces and nephews, and while their generation is
uniquely different from ours, we know them intimately.
We’ve been motivating them for years….to do their homework, to clean their rooms, to volunteer.
We used to hold the most influential role in their hearts. But, as they’ve grown up we realize that their
friends have come to take over a large portion of that role.
Our objective within this integrated marketing campaign is to carry on your work and inspire young adults
16-24 to donate blood and develop a lifelong relationship with the American Red Cross.
Of course, no matter how well we may personally know them, as marketers we couldn’t help going thru the
steps of studying them just like any other target group. We researched, surveyedand talked to them in focus
groups. We also studied your brand, your industry and your current efforts to reach this target. In the end
we’ve created a campaign that will empower and encourage Millennials to unleash their passions and become
a part of the American Red Cross mission and to spread your work.
Again, thank you for allowing us to step inside your mission and share our ideas. We will contact you on
Tuesday, December 27th to make sure that you’ve received our proposal. We look forward to setting up a
meeting that will allow us to convince you in person.
With enthusiasm and sincerest regards,
Laura Parkinson
IMRockstar, President + Chief Integration Officer
12348 AvenidaConsentido; San Diego, CA 92128
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4. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The formula is simple:
WELCOME + ACTIVATE + PASSION + EMPOWER + EXPRESSION + INSPIRE = ARC DONORS 16-24
We will WELCOME Gen-Y’s to our cause…ACTIVATE their PASSIONS…and EMPOWER them to EXPRESS
their feelings and INSPIRE their generation to become American Red Cross blood donors and volunteers
for life!
Y=70 million strong. The greatest opportunity for the American Red Cross lies in challenging,
mobilizing and harnessing the enthusiasm of Generation Y. IMRockstar learned when developing the
award-winning youth strategy for Red Bull that “influencers” are the key to the equation when dealing
with this generation.
We’ve identified the influencers…. the brands, the celebrities, the mentors…. and we’ll use them to help
inspire our target into self-expression. Because in the end, the single most powerful voice to activate this
generation istheir own. We will start the dialogue…but we want them to join in and add their spirit,
creativity and empathy to the message and then share and multiply it by broadcasting it within their social
media world.
We’re going to take advantage of trends that show that volunteerism and cause support has significantly
increased with Generation Y. And while we plan to increase blood donations 15% by the end of the
campaign, our key strategy is to lay the groundwork to create a GEN-Y for the American Red Cross
Movement that they will support for years to come. Blood donation will be the exclusive topic during this
launch year yet eventually all service areas of the Red Cross will be folded into the movement.
IMRockstar brings to the table their solid relationship with one of the most recognizable and credible
brands to this generation…MTV. They will help us voiceour pleaand team up with one of their core
sponsors to challenge Gen-Y’s to use their passions to create user-generated content surrounding our
blood drive mission to influence their friends to join in doing something truly worthwhile!
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5. ABOUT IMRockstar
While we are not a firm with a NY stock exchange symbol or the most offices or the greatest number of
employees… what we are is a group of professionals who have exactly the right backgrounds and
experience to carry your torch to the young adults of America.
IMRockstar is a network of senior professionals who have been in the agency business for a combined 111
years. While we’ve all worked at the Who’s Who of global advertising agencies, we knew that it was time
to stop performing for shareholders and to stop sacrificing our standards just to increase the stock price a
few pennies. We knew that we wanted to do more than market widgets and distribute coupons…. We
had to lose the chains that came with the stylish offices, lavish expense accounts and cappuccino bars.
In order to follow our hearts and our passion and in order to create work that doesn’t compromise the
time and effort that it takes to be brilliant in exchange for strict agency billable hours, we had to get out of
the big system and build an agency that we believed in… an agency that has purpose… integrity…standards
and that allows us to fulfill our mission of only working with clients who recognize our need to do great
work.
We love this industry and we joined it when media was traditional and communication was one-way. We
grew with it as it expanded into cable and 100+ channels… and exploded with the Internet and soared on
the wings of mobile and social media. New media has rejuvenated us! We embrace the challenge to
merge the best of traditional media with the most innovative new media.
We have a depth of experience in all the major advertising categories but what really developed us into
brand marketers who specialize in youth marketing was when we took on a little known beveragecalled
Red Bull. Red Bullinvented the energy drink category and was first entering the U.S. market when we
partnered with the Austrianclient. IMRockstar reinvented marketing to the younger generation when we
developed and launched an award-winning integrated strategic campaign from coast to coast…throughout
college campuses, small towns and large cities across the country.The results are legendary as the Harvard
Business Review named Red Bull ‘Marketer of the Year’ in the year 2000.
The secret to our specialty is PASSION. We focus on tapping into consumers’ passions and using them to
develop a “love of brand” feeling that they can have with your brand.
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6. AMERICAN RED CROSS BACKGROUND
Their mission statement simply states that the American Red Cross is a humanitarian organization led by
volunteers and guided by its Congressional Charter and the Fundamental Principles of the International
Red Cross Movement. Its seven fundamental principles are: humanity, impartiality, neutrality,
independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality. Its mission guides the organization to provide
relief to victims of disasters and to help people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies.
The American Red Cross is a non- profit organization which does not receive federal funding. The main
source of human support comes predominately from volunteers and financial support is provided from
the donations of many philanthropic organizations, people and corporations. Ninety-one cents from every
dollar donated goes to humanitarian services and programs. Branches are located across the U.S. and
internationally that provide relief to people suffering from the aftermath of disasters and war.
“Today, in addition to domestic disaster relief, the American Red Cross offers compassionate services in
five other areas: community services that help the needy; support and comfort for military members and
their families; the collection, processing and distribution of lifesaving blood and blood products;
educational programs that promote health and safety; and international relief and development
programs.” (www.redcross.org)
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7. American Red Cross History-
Clara Barton founded the American Association of the Red Cross in 1881 to aid the injured during the Civil
War. Though the organization is modeled after the International Red Cross, Barton established it to serve
America in peace as well as war, particularly in times of natural disaster and national tragedy. “In 1904,
Clara Barton commented on the role of the Red Cross in American life: ‘It is not in its past glories that the
benefits of the Red Cross lie, but in the possibilities it has created for the future’” (Gilbo p. 45). In some
way, the American Red Cross has touched the lives of countless citizens of the United States. It is a critical
agency that has made it much easier to handle emergency situations in peacetime and during war.
The organization is important to the United States and the world. It offers food and aid to foreign
countries and also ranks as a leader in the nursing, health and safety fields. It provides medical services as
well as morale boosting services to the American armed forces. It also serves an important function as the
nation’s foremost blood collection agency. In fact, it obtains nearly half of all blood donated in America
today.(www.redcross.org)
Throughout its history, the American Red Crosshas provided relief to victims of disasters. Millions of relief
workers aid victims of house fires, earthquakes, floods, bombings, and hurricanes. The 1990s brought a
record-breaking number of hurricanes to our shores, including Hurricane Andrew for which the Red Cross
spent close to $84 million and provided almost 15,000 volunteers in Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi.
During the 1990s, the American Red Cross was named one of the 10 best-managed charities in the
country by Money magazine.
The services it provides help those in need at all economic and socio-economic levels. The Red Cross does
not look at politics, race and social status; it only looks at human need. It also promotes mutual
understanding, friendship, cooperation, and lasting peace among all people.
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8. The Biomedical Services Category-
According to HAEMONETICS-The Blood Management Companyupto 60 million blood collection
procedures are performed throughout the world every year to obtain blood's three major components:
red cells, platelets, and plasma. These blood components are transfused to patients or used to make
drugs.
Within the U.S. there are several national organizations which support the blood collection industry
including ADRP (Association of Donor Recruitment Professionals). Information from www.adrp.org states
that in the U.S., all blood components intended for transfusion to patients must be collected from
volunteer donors – that is, donors cannot be paid. Seventy percent of these donations occur at mobile
blood drives. All of the U.S. blood collection industry is not-for-profit.
This not-for-profit industry includes the American Red Cross system, which collects almost half the blood
in the U.S., as well as community blood centers. A much smaller percentage of blood collections are
donations at hospital blood banks.
Trends in the Industry-
There are numerous trends in today’s transfusion industry according to the America’s Blood Center
website:
Regulatory Scrutiny: Regulatory agencies that monitor the manufacture of blood components by
collectors have become extremely cautious.
Increased Donor Restrictions: Fewer people are eligible to donate blood each year because of
new regulatory restrictions.
Cost Pressure: There is a continuing cost pressure felt by the industry as it adjusts to the costs of
blood safety. Automated collection yields efficiency gains and assists in alleviating supply
problems, and also provides an economic benefit to the blood collection community.
Blood Safety: There is a continuing demand for safer, higher quality blood products, including the
removal of potentially harmful white blood cells.
Widespread Blood Shortages: Shortages were wide spread and frequent prior to September 11,
2001, and while donations increased dramatically after the attack, over the years they are again
becoming a problem.
Blood Filtration: Within the blood collection industry is a move toward filtration of blood.
The Competitive Landscape-
According to the National Blood Donation Center, of the 15.6 million donations collected in 2010, blood
centers were responsible for 95.1% and hospitals 4.9%. Direct blood center competitors of the Red Cross
include United Blood Services and America’s Blood Center as well as a variety of regional blood donation
centers. These organizations are similar to the Red Cross in that they supply blood and blood services to
local hospitals as well as work with national and international redistribution organizations. United Blood
Services does have a slight advantage over the Red Cross in that their barriers to donation participation
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9. are slightly more relaxed, however, the Red Cross is still perceived as more trustworthy and is a universal
household name.
Since the American Red Cross is a non-profit organization, its competition for monetary donations goes
beyond direct competitors to include all ethical organizations created to benefit mankind. “The US
nonprofit institutions industry includes more than 1.4 million organizations with combined annual revenue
of more than $1 trillion. The industry is highly concentrated: nonprofits that make more than $100 million
account for less than 1 percent of all firms but earn more than 60 percent of industry revenue.” (Hoovers,
2011).The American Red Cross also faces an equally competitive field when it appeals for a volunteer’s
donation of their valuable time.
Challenges and Opportunities-
Across the globe, blood center CEO’s, recruitment supervisors, marketing managers as well as front line
recruitment and collections staff are dealing with a changing industry. “Blood collection as we knew it has
changed and the likelihood that this market will continue to transform and evolve is inevitable,” explains
Kelly High, 2010-11 ADRP President. (www.adrp.org)
The world continues to see an increasing number of blood shortages. Although the U.S. saw a record
number of blood donors in response to the 9/11 tragedy, by January of 2002, U.S. blood collectors were
already experiencing critical blood shortages. Weekly, there are reports around the globe of blood
collectors making urgent "pleas" to donors. A 2000 survey of the U.S. blood supply noted that 7% of
hospitals had postponed surgeries because of lack of available blood at some point during the year.
Surgeries requiring more transfusions, especially solid organ transplants, are increasing. Also,
chemotherapy treatments are becoming more common. Both compromise a patient's ability to generate
healthy blood cells so these patients require frequent transfusions of both platelets and red cells.
The population is aging, and so not only are these people who used to be frequent blood donors no longer
able to give blood, but they are also starting to use blood. The next generation of potential blood donors
has not adopted blood donation as part of their "culture" as past generations have.
While the American Red Cross faces what may seem like an insurmountable list of challenges for a non-
profit organization, they realize that their greatest opportunity for the future lies in challenging, mobilizing
and harnessing the enthusiasm of the millennial generation. Gail McGovern, President and CEO of the
American Red Cross, clearly recognizes the importance as she points out that, “Adults who volunteered as
youths are twice as likely to volunteer and donate as adults.” Gail and the ARC also realize that in order
to develop this generation they must reach out to them with an integrated program that communicates to
them using the traditional and new media that they regularly consume.
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10. TARGET MARKET
Our key objective is to recruit new blood donors ages 16-24 with the intention of keeping them within the
American Red Cross family for life. “The most important market segment for blood donation are
Millennials,” according to Gail-Anne Nothard from the South African National Blood Service. “They are
our future donors, and they represent the largest segment of the population, so it is critical to spend
resources on them.” Nothard should know. She has written a paperabout it: “Market Segmentation as a
Means of Improving Recruitment/Retention of Donors and Brand Perception.” In the paper she details her
organization’s success in reaching its new target market of young people aged 16-26. The efforts earned
an increase of nearly 33,000 donors (28 percent) in just two years, 2007-2009.
Demographics-
Millennials, also known interchangeably as Gen Y’s, are the fourth generation to be titled with a specific
name. Generally they have been born between the years 1980-2005. “Since the Millennial generation is
larger than the Baby Boomers and three times bigger than Generation X, marketers’ understanding of
Millennials’ needs, tastes and behaviors will clearly shape current and future business decisions,” said Jeff
Fromm, senior vice president, Barkley. Research shows that Millennials comprise nearly a quarter of the
U.S. population and are evenly split between males and females. They come from a wide variety of
educational, income and ethnically diverse backgrounds across the country.
Demographic identifiers would best be used to determine the manner in which individual blood centers
should target and interact with potential donors. However, when developing an over-arching national
strategy to reach such a diverse group it is more important to recognize what this generation has in
common: the major influences, values, feelings, beliefs and attitudes.
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11. Psychographics-
Christian Scholz made many key observations in his research paper, “Generation Y and Blood Donation:
The Impact of Altruistic Help in a Darwiportunistic Scenario.”He believes that Generation Y(interchanged
for the Millennial Generation) is characterized by an optimistic view of life and overall philosophy, but is at
the same time realistic and to some degree egocentric. He remarks that, “they seek to explore
boundaries, push limits, and experiment in the name of self-awareness, independence and self-
expression.”
Scholz describes the characteristics of Generation Y as:
collectivism balance
positivity passion
moralism learning
confidence security
civic-mindedness willingness to work
His research also identifies and ranksthe value system of this generation: (1) determination to succeed,
(2) personal goals, (3) good pay, (4) self-development, (5) opportunities for training and development.
While Scholz looked at the broad age demographic of the Millennial generation (1981-2005), it is
important to segment down to our 16-24 targeted age group. In the 2009 research and insight from
“Adshel’s Essential Guide to Gen Y”six focus groups sessions, split by age, were held in Sydney and
Melbourne Australia in order to explore the world of Gen Y. A snapshot of the Adshelfindings show:
-Quality and reliability are fundamental
-New brands are generally ‘discovered’via several key sources
-Word of mouth is key to discovery while advertising and the Internet also play an important role
-Recognition of a brand’s longevity and its reputation over time encourages trust
-They feel comfortable with brands that have a clear andacceptable brand image
The Adshelstudy also identifiedwhat it considered essentials of engaging Gen Y’s:
-Acknowledge their journey. Be part of the life-changing landmarks they are going through.
-Give them confidence to fit in. Help minimize the risk of them standing out from the crowd.
-Tap into the power of social networks. Find ways to become part of the dialogue between groups.
-Help them to discover and satisfy their curiosity to uncover new experiences.
-Allow them to express themselves and give them the tools to demonstrate their emerging individuality.
-Encourage them to spread their wings and explore their world
-Tap into new technology since it is a natural extension of their lives
-Reinforce brand recognition and credibility
Barkley, one of the largest independent marketing agencies in the U.S conducted a groundbreaking study
of Millennials, “American Millennials: Deciphering the Enigma Generation.”Based on a survey of more
than 5,000 respondents and 3.9 million data points, the study provides new information on a range of
digital and social media habits of American Millennials as well as their attitudes in the areas of cause
marketing.
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12. Referencing the study, Brad Hanna, senior vice president and group account leader at Barkleyreported
that “It’s harder to put the Millennials into one distinct profile. They’re very healthy, but they’re very
adventuresome, and that really means that brands have opportunities to capture that part of Millennials
when they’re in those mindsets. I think that’s very different than how we market today. We tend to really
look at our consumers today as a single mindset. We’re going to have to understand the different
mindsets that Millennials transition in and out of in their daily lives.”
Highlights from the ‘Enigma’ Study-
Cause Marketing:Millennials report a significantly greater awareness of cause-marketing programs in
general than older generations. They prefer to participate and even lead events to raise money for causes,
but are much less likely to directly contribute money. They are passionate about spreading the word
about causes they believe in. And, they report greater exposure to campaigns through social media (40%
versus 22%) and online news (28% versus 22%), while Non-Millennials rely on newspaper and direct mail.
Millennials Seek Peer Affirmation & Advice: 70% of Millennials reported feeling more excited when their
friends agreed with them about where to shop, eat and play. Additionally, Millennials gather information
on products and services from more channels
Millennials are the first generation of “digital natives”: Millennials are 2.5 times more likely to be an early
adopter of technology than older generations. 56% of Millennials report that they are among the first to
try a new technology while 60% produce, upload online content, including photos, videos, wiki entries,
blog posts, micro-blog posts and product/service reviews (as compared to 29% of non-Millennials).
Millennials participate in social marketing at a higher rate than non-Millennials. They are significantly
more likely to explore brands in social networks (53% vs.37%). And when it comes to making purchases,
Millennials are far more likely to favor brands that have Facebook pages and mobile websites (33% vs.
17%).
Media Usage. Millennials appear to have substituted television and print media for the increased online
activity and media consumption. Millennials watch significantly less TV than Non-Millennials; fewer
Millennials report watching 20-plus hours/week (26 percent versus 49 percent). When they are not
watching live TV, Millennials are much more likely to watch shows mainly on their laptops (42 percent
versus 18 percent),with DVR (40% vs. 36%), or On-Demand (26 percent versus 18 percent).
The Barclayexecutive Brad Hanna stresses the importance of keeping technology in mind when marketing
to Millennials. “Brands are capitalizing on this fact and creating digital connections with their consumers
versus marketing to them. Marketers can create a conversation through quick response (QR) codes,
interactive websites and social media.”
Ty Law, U.S. research analyst at Euromonitor International remarks that,“Social media is basically the new
word-of-mouth advertising. Millennials are very social media driven. If they like something, everybody will
know about it. If they don’t like something, that news too will travel fast over social media. People say it’s
the best way to advertise because it’s highly trustworthy. It’s not necessarily an ad telling you, but it’s
somebody you know telling you something positive or negative about a product.” Law also believes that
Millennials are more influenced by cause-focused marketing campaigns and events than they are by direct
marketing.
Millennials + Volunteering
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13. A review of trends since 1974 by The Corporation for National and Community Service indicates that
young people are initiating a renewal in civic and political participation that have developed into an
increased rate of volunteering. At the same time, schools are offering service and service-learning
opportunities in record numbers. While today’s teens may engage in volunteering patterns that differ
somewhat from their parents and grandparents, the fact that the rate of volunteering among young
people has doubled since 1989 suggests a major shift in the perception of volunteering among America’s
youth.
Volunteering among teenagers (ages 16 to 19) has dramatically increased since 1989.While volunteer
rates among teenagers declined between 1974 and 1989 (20.9% and 13.4%, respectively), the percentage
of teenagers who volunteer more than doubled between 1989 and 2005 (from 13.4% to 28.4%).
While the teenage volunteering rate has increased significantly over the last 30 years, teenagers continue
to be primarily interested in episodic volunteering (contributing 99 or fewer hours a year). Today, 67.9
percent of teenagers are episodic volunteers.
Teenage volunteers are significantly more likely to serve with educational or youth service organizations
today (34.7% in 2005 vs. 26.8% in 1989). In fact, volunteering with a religious organization (30.3% in 2005
vs. 34.4% in 1989) was the most common place that teenagers volunteered in 1989 but it is now the
second most popular place for teenager volunteering, behind educational organizations. More teenage
volunteers are also serving with social and community service organizations today.
What exactly is driving young people’s increased enthusiasm for volunteering? One factor seems to be the
growth of school-based service and servicelearning. There has been a growing trend to include community
service and service-learning in America’s schools as educators and school administrators realize the value
of service for youth academic and personal development.
Older Millennials (ages 20-24) appear to have been motivated by the events of September 11, 2001.
After the attack on our country young people expressed a significant increased desire to serve their
community. According to The Corporation for National and Community Service, two out of three(66.3%)
students entering college in 2005 believed it to be very important to help others who are in difficulty,the
highest percentage reported by entering college students in the last 25 years.
The government agency, Volunteering in America, provides statistics that detail (based on single year
2010) 8.3 million Adults (ages 16-24) dedicated 844 million hours of service to communities across the
country. Between 2008 and 2010, the average national volunteer rate among this group was 21.9% per
year. Additionally, the average Young Adult volunteer rates for states ranged from 13.7% to 39.9%. Utah
(39.9%), Wisconsin (32.8%) and Iowa (32.5%) ranked at the top of the chart.
During the same timeframe, average young Adult volunteer rates for large cities ranged from 14.7% to
32.5%. The highest volunteer rates registered in Salt Lake City (32.5%), Seattle (32%), Portland (30%),
Kansas City (30.7%) and Minneapolis-St. Paul (30.6%)
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14. Millennials + Blood Donation
American Red Cross statistics reveal that almost 20 percent of the millions of donations made each year
come from high school and college blood drives. This shows that Millennials have heard the call for help.
A study by the Australian Red Cross Blood Service helps us understand our target’s feelings about blood
donation. The group performed research with 68 young people, aged 18-25 from Brisbane and
Melbourne. The groups were divided into 3 focus groups; new, experienced and lapsed donors.
Dr. David Irving, the Blood Service’s Executive Director, revealed that “Gen Y is a very different group from
our older donors who will give blood mainly for altruistic reasons. The younger generation thinks
“someone else will help” and doesn’t feel any sense of urgency or immediacy.” He also shared
conclusions that “we can get ‘Gen Y’ to donate-that’s not the problem. The problem is getting them to
come back.”
The research prompted further to find out what’s stopping young people from returning to give blood and
how that can be changed. Dr. Irving reported that, “our current Blood Service processes are not very ‘Gen
Y” friendly; they don’t want to have to make appointments –they want blood donating to be convenient,
and want to turn up when it fits their schedule.” Changes in lifestyle, a lack of control in the process,
getting a tattoo and traveling are some of the additional reasons that the research revealed to explain the
reluctance of Gen Y blood donators.
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15. Millennials + Media Usage Habits
Now that we’ve defined our target…..how do we reach them? Frankly, we need to be where they spend
their time. It’s not a surprise that the Internetis in the forefront of the age group’s media habits and
usage. From shopping to socializing to watching TV, they do it all online.
A Harris Interactive study on the Internet habits of youth found that eight in ten 8-to-12-year-olds (79%)
and nine in ten 13-to-24-year-olds (88% of 13-to-17-year-olds, 90% of 18-to-24-year-olds) spend an hour
or more online on a typical day.
The average number of hours spent online daily increases with age, rising from 1.9 hours among 8-to-12-
year-olds to 3.5 hours among 13-to-17-year-olds, topping at 4.5 hours among 18-to-24-year-olds.
In fact, virtually all members of this age group are online, and nearly as many are social network users.
Millennials are ahead of the curve by almost any digital metric: online video viewing, mobile internet
usage, mobile commerce, and location-based services.
Their presence on such a wide variety of digital media offers marketers a wealth of opportunities to target
them, but Millennials are typically unenthusiastic about advertising and prefer to avoid marketing
messages that seem insincere according to eMarketer analyst and author, Jared Jenks. “What appeals to
them is authenticity,” said Jenks. “They are not opposed to connecting with brands, but do so only when
there is an exchange of value and, of course, when it is on their terms.”
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16. SWOT ANALYSIS
The American Red Cross has a strong foundation of brand strengths. Their brand equity is born out of a
rich humanitarian history that is well-known and well-respected throughout our country. In order to have
a strong foundation you also must have depth. There are over 700 locally supported American Red Cross
chapters from coast to coast which perform over 200,000 blood drives annually making them the single
largest blood supplier in the U.S. Their depth is also identified by the wide network of human and
financial resources that they have at their disposal.Another key area of strength lies in the fact that they
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17. have a youth marketing program in effect that provides 169,312 volunteers, nearly 29% of their total
support.
However, the organization’s depth and structure can also be considered a weakness when the hierarchy
becomes difficult and nimble to activate. Over the past decade the American Red Cross has received
some criticism for decisions it made and for how it handled its money which led the public to question the
organization’s motives. This has also led to turnover within the executive levels. The September 11
controversy included two key issues. The Red Cross asked for blood donations but in the end some
overage was destroyed. And, it was discovered that only 30% of the $547 millionLiberty Fund was spent as
the standard disaster relief guidelines for meeting victims’ needs.Hurricane Katrina relief also brought
controversy as fraud and theft by volunteers and contractors were uncovered within the American Red
Cross effort.
While on the one hand we consider the American Red Cross presence in youth marketing to be a positive
strength. Compared to other humanitarian organizations the American Red Cross is definitely ahead of
the marketing curve in their use of interactive mediums. However, on the other hand, a close inspection
finds that the branding identity within their youth efforts is stiff, uncreative and communications don’t
speak in a millennial tone of voice. Additionally, there isn’t a depth of content that would keep
encouraging consumers to connect with the brand on a regular basis.
It is a prime opportunity that new communication channels have been exploding. After all, Millennials
surround themselves with technology and they love to keep in touch and express themselves. It is up to
the American Red Cross to combine the opportunity that technology provides with a challenge that sparks
the competitive and creative spirit of young adults.
There are three groups of influencers that provide potential opportunities that the American Red Cross
should explore. Credible celebrities can help ignite young adults into action. High schools and colleges
are in a position to support and encourage programs and Corporate America has both deep pockets and
the desire to get in touch with students.
Of course the American Red Cross must operate while facing daily threats that include legal liabilities,
regulatory compliance, competition, controversial policies, natural disasters and man-made wars.
However, while these threats can be overwhelming, the American Red Cross must not let them get in the
way of their focus on the future of the blood donation program.
Our SWOT analysis of the American Red Cross leads us to recommend that in order to increase donations
from 16-24 year olds the IMC campaign must 1) re-brand and personalize the Red Cross youth identity
portrayed to this targeted group 2) incorporate influencer groups and 3) provide the challenge that will
ignite their passion.
IMRockstar: 17

18. ONLINE SURVEY
To this point we had examined our target and the American Red Cross in depth using secondary research.
We drew our conclusions in a SWOT analysis. But we wouldn’t be done until we directly questioned
Millennials.
In November 2011 we drew up a list of ten questions and by using the tool Survey Monkey we developed
our survey. The survey was distributed on college and high school Facebook pages, on church websites,
and on targeted LinkedIn message boards. We received a total of 14 replies from respondents aged 16-24,
79% were females and 21% were males. Only 7% of the respondents didn’t have any unaided awareness
of the services provided by The American Red Cross. 14% were ‘Very Aware’, 43% were ‘Aware’ and 36%
acknowledged that they were ‘Slightly Aware.’
Of the six primary services that the American Red Cross lists as their mission, there was 100% awareness
for ‘Aids victims of natural disaster’ and ‘Provides the collection, processing and distribution of lifesaving
blood and blood products.’ 92% of the respondents cited awareness of ARC’s relief efforts, while 62%
acknowledged their efforts in both providing educational health and safety programs and military comfort.
We probed the respondents on their feelings about blood donation. 23% volunteered that they would like
to donate. Another 23% would like to donate but don’t think that they can. And, 39% said that they want
to donate, but admitted that it just wasn’t a current priority. While 15% agreed that blood donation is
worthwhile, they frankly just don’t want to do it. There weren’t any respondents who replied that it just
isn’t their responsibilityto donate for others. The implication tells us that our campaign content should
include educational and motivational messaging.
When asked what prevents them from participating, the largest number of respondents (46%) said that
they’ve been advised against giving blood. 27% admitted that they are ‘afraid of needles’ and 18% said
that they ‘didn’t know where to participate.’Having a ‘lack of time’ was checked by 9%.
IMRockstar: 18

19. It was encouraging to see that 92% of those questioned felt either ‘Strongly’ or ‘Very Strongly’ about
charitable giving, while only 8% admitted to being ‘Indifferent.’ No one said that they did not feeling
strongly about charitable giving at all.
Our next question investigated the likelihood of the group becoming future donors. 46% indicated that
they were ‘Extremely’ or ‘Very’ likely to donate. Another 30% seemed unsure about the possibility as they
answered ‘Moderately’ or ‘Slightly’ likely. And 23% are ‘Not likely’ at all to donate. This information
indicates that we can reach nearly half of our target if we put the right message at the right place at the
right time while another third of our target will need stronger messaging.
In the end we sought open-ended responses to the question, ‘What are your thoughts and feelings about
the American Red Cross?’ We didn’t receive any negative thoughts and several of the respondents
described the organization as ‘worthy,’ ‘helpful’, ‘great’ and ‘wonderful.’
In conclusion, we found that the American Red Cross has a very positive image and good general
awareness with this slice of our target group. The implication is that we don’t need to spend our efforts
building the brand within the minds of Millennials from the ground up. Likewise, we don’t need to correct
misconceptions. Our research showed that slightly half of the group showed strong intent towards future
blood donation. Therefore the IMC campaign must provide education, information and motivation in
order to seal their intent and move the others to action.
IMRockstar: 19

20. AMERICAN RED CROSS BRAND POSITIONING
Over the years the American Red Cross has created a unique position for itself in the minds of its volunteers,
donors and the public…
Be a part of a life-changing experience. When emergencies strike, lives can suddenly take a
different path.When you rise to meet the challenge, everyone’s life begins changing for the better—
includingyourown.
They are letting us know that no matter how prepared we are…EVERYONE can be affected by an
emergency. And when an emergency or disaster happens, your life may no longer follow the careful plans
that you intended. It is only when people join together and face these challenges that everyone’s life will
begin to improve.While the functional attributes of theAmerican Red Crossaddress the disaster relief
services that they offer, the emotional comfort that they provide is as equally important.
However, most American Millennials have never experienced a major disaster. And, since they tend to
have strong feelings of invincibility, the current ARC positioning may not seem in close touch with their
lives. Personalizing the positioning may resonate more effectively with our target group.
An emergency can strike any of us at any time. We only have each other to depend on. Helping
others will help us all.You can save a life.
IMRockstar: 20

21. AMERICAN RED CROSS + BRAND PERSONALITY
The American Red Cross believes that their personality traits are deeply rooted in their fundamental
principles. There are four powerful words that they use to describe their voice and tone….
PASSIONATE
HUMAN
GENUINE
TRUSTWORTHY
These personality traits can still apply to the Millennials; however they can be expanded to better suit this
generation.
WE ARE PASSIONATE.
We want them to know that the American Red Crossis passionate, deeply cares about the mission at hand
and is motivated to help those in need no matter where they live, no matter who they are and no matter
what their backgrounds. The American Red Crossshould appeal to this generation’s strong inner spirit and
strength by showing them that we face our challenges with great enthusiasm.
WE ARE FRIENDLY.
Millennials like to spend their time hanging out with their friends. The American Red Cross should not
come across as a big stuffy organization full of administrators in ties and suits. The Red Cross should be
portrayed as being an organization filled with laid-back people who are their friends as well as adults who
are accessible and fun to be around, just like a favorite teacher, youth pastor or young boss.
WE ARE INSPIRING.
Volunteering and donating are not mandatory. The American Red Cross wants to inspire Generation Y to
become involved and do something worthwhile.
WE ARE EMPOWERING.
The American Red Cross shouldn’t be portrayed as a government agency or a contractor who rolls in to
take care of our society’s needs. Let young adults know that the American Red Cross faces and solves
challenges because they empower people to change the world and change lives for the better.
IMRockstar: 21

22. AMERICAN RED CROSS+ BRAND PERCEPTION
In order to engage our target in a two-way conversation about the American Red Cross we held a focus
group session on a patio outside a Starbucks location in San Diego on the second weekend in November
2011. Our group comprised of 6 young adults ages 16-24. Four were female and 2 were male. We had 1
high school teen (age 16), 3 college students (age 22) and 2 college-graduate working adults (ages 23 and
24). Half of the group had previously donated blood and half were non-donors.
We began the focus group by exploring everyone’s perception about the American Red Cross and
everyone believed that the brand has a favorable reputation. In fact, only 1 person had heard any
negative press and this concerned ARC’s refusal to take donated blood from gay men.
When probed about their knowledge of American Red Cross services, blood donation was mentioned by 4
of the 5 participants. Disaster relief was the second most mentioned service.
The group didn’t have a strong feeling of comparison between the Red Cross and other humanitarian
organizations. Two participants were not sure of any comparisons, yet their responses seemed to come
from a lack of knowledge about the Red Cross and competitors.The other participants answered that the
Red Cross was more visible, more recognized, more effective, more productive about getting the word out
about blood drives and they have more volunteers and receive more donations. A female participant also
felt that the American Red Cross is usually the first to help in emergencies. A young male questioned if
the Red Crossis a medical version of the Peace Corps.
We then asked the group for what words came to mind to describe the American Red Cross. The words
they cited included: charity, disaster relief, blood donation, emergency, donate, needles, good cause,
helpful, caring, relief. Since only two of the words mentioned were personality characteristics this implies
that our campaign must help bring out personality attributes.
Similarly it was telling when we asked what type of personality the Red Cross has and half of the group
wasn’t sure. This continues to make us believe that the Red Cross isn’t coming across with personality
characteristics. Two other participants used the words serious and they mentioned the words motivated,
dedicated, helpful and caring. Even though the subject of blood donation is serious it would help to
engage this target if a concept of “fun” was incorporated into the campaign. This could be done with
visuals within the creative and by the Red Cross putting on events that were not only beneficial but fun to
attend.
The Red Cross should stress blood donation education within their communications to Millennials. When
questioned about their experience, only 2 confidently admitted to receiving blood donation education,
while 3 expressed that they were ‘somewhat’ educated. The youngest participant, who is in high school,
hadn’t received any education.
Of the 3 participants who had previously donated blood 2 expressed that the experience was generally
favorable and they would also be willing to donate again. However despite the third participant voicing
non-favorable experiences including not being able to look at the needle or blood, she’d donate
reluctantly again for a good cause.
IMRockstar: 22

23. 2 of the non-donors cited reasons of fear of passing out and fear of needles to explain why they had never
donated. The third non-donor had attempted to donate at a college blood draw but was turned down due
to weight requirements. In order to battle those who have fear issues we suggest incorporating first-hand
positive and reassuring experiences from young adult donors within the youth communication content
channels.
We can draw creative and strategic insight from the responses we received when asking the group about
what would be the biggest influence in getting them to donate. Half of the group mentioned that a friend
or family member in need would be the biggest influence and everyone agreed that they would donate if
personally asked to donate for a friend or family member. Other influences included ‘donation site near-
by’, ‘a fun event’ and ‘school peer pressure.’ However, the most telling influence came from a young
college student who said that he wanted to feel like he was doing something worthwhile. The group
soundly agreed which suggests that this concept should be within the forefront of our campaign
messaging.
We specifically asked the group which media would be the most effective in influencing them to donate.
Our Millennials listed TV, Social Media and Event Marketing the most often. Radio and e-Mail also
received single mentions. This insight should drive our campaign media selections. When asked how
they’d like to receive information about the Red Cross the answers mirrored those given as the
influencers. Additional respondents mentioned that they’d like to receive information via e-mail. It could
be telling that no one wanted to receive information via mobile, telephone or texting.
Our final question explored what tone our participants felt would be most effective in influencing them to
donate. A ‘factual’ tone was the overwhelming response and two added ‘light-hearted’ to this thought. A
‘sympathetic’ tone was mentioned by 2 participants while ‘guilt’ and ‘shock’ only received individual
mentions. This gives us a clear indication that this audience needs to hear honest facts.
The information that we learned from conducting this focus group was very telling. Millennials have a
positive perception of the American Red Cross; however the implication shows that warm personality
characteristics need to be drawn out.
The focus group learning shows that our campaign should include an educational focus and programs
should be instituted within high schools. Social media is a necessary channel and since Millennials would
be most influenced by a personal request for a donation from a friend or family member, our campaign
needs to encourage young adult donors to make this request and it must provide the communication
opportunity.
It is clear from our extensive secondary research as well as information that we learned first-hand from
our survey and focus group that Millennials firmly connect the Red Cross with blood donation. We
conclude, in order for theAmerican Red Cross to become more to Millennials…to command more of their
time, effort and passion…the organization must offer more back to young adults. Our campaign must
challenge Millennials and offer them a creative outlet to express themselves as they support the American
Red Cross mission.
IMRockstar: 23

24. AMERICAN RED CROSS + YOUTH MARKETING
The American Red Cross currently participates in youth marketing. In fact the main American Red Cross
website has a section branded as redcrossyouth.org. This effort is a great start, however the image is stiff
and it feels as though it’s written by adult marketers. Additionally, the young adults pictured on the Home
Page look friendly but they aren’t dressed in a “cool” fashion. Their clothing more resembles prison wear.
Image is very important to Millennials!
A local Florida chapter doesn’t use the redcrossyouth.org branded name. Instead they branded their
young adult club as Youth Corps. The main problem is that there isn’t a consistency from the parent
organization down through to the local chapters.
The name Youth Corps has promise since it conjures up a cool version of the Peace Corps. Additionally,
we award higher style points to this southern Florida chapter for expressing their accessibility on various
IMRockstar: 24

25. social media channels and for having the subjects photographed in a real life situation in somewhat more
“youth-cool” t-shirts.
Another social media execution comes on a Facebook page for the American Red Cross National Youth
Council. The creative execution is clean but this third example of the term “youth” makes us question
whether the word will equally resonate with older Millennials. We recommend that formal naming
research be conducted and all options be reviewed and considered.
A Florida West Coast Region chapter sponsors the American Red Cross Club at the University of South
Florida (ARCUSF). Their website shows a good use of cross promotion with Facebook as well as an
integrated video player with YouTube American Red Crosscontent. Moving forward, however, naming
continuity should spread through all universities.
The American Red Crosshas its own “channel” on YouTube. We recommend expanding this concept to
include a branded channel dedicated entirely with young adult video content.
IMRockstar: 25

26. The National Youth Council of the American Red Cross hosts a professional looking execution on Twitter.
However, the only problem is that the conversation is entirely one-way.
Another Twitter execution from this group is also one-way which leads us to believe that the younger end
of our target group has yet to embrace Twitter. However, it does show an interesting strategy and use of
celebrity support by auctioning personal items from the closet of singer Katy Perry on eBay.
IMRockstar: 26

27. The American Red Cross is also active on the social network Meet-Up. This is a great channel for reaching
the young professionals within our target group. However, “Club Red” is another example of the lack of
naming continuity.
IMRockstar: 27

28. INTEGRATED COMMUNICATION STRATEGY STATEMENT
In order to develop a unifying integrated communication strategy statement for our campaign we’ve
broken down the rational benefits that the American Red Cross provides with the emotional benefits that
our target will feel when becoming involved.
The culmination of all our research helps us identify overlapping factors that driveour IC strategy
statement into a powerful insight….
Joining the American Red Cross Movement inspires and empowers me to do
something worthwhile!
In order to meet our objective of increasing on-going blood donation and volunteerism within the
millennial generation, we need to create a “movement” that our Gen Y’s can connect with. This
“movement” will provide all the benefits that the Gen Y’s seek and it translates into a “cause” that they
can support.
IMRockstar: 28

29. CREATIVE BRIEF
American Red Cross Youth Initiative
Why are we advertising?
To encourage blood donation among eligible individuals over a 12-month period
Whom are we talking to?
Millennials ages 16-24 (high school and college students, young professionals)
What do they currently think?
The American Red Cross is a caring organization responsible for blood donations and disaster relief.
What would we like them to think?
I can be a part of a Red Cross youth movement with my friends and support a great cause by using my
creativity and enthusiasm
What is the single most persuasive idea we can convey?
Joining the American Red Cross Movement inspires and empowers me to do something worthwhile!
Why should they believe it?
The American Red Cross is trusted organization that is supported by my friends, family, teachers, and
influencers. Joining will help me earn their respect.
Are there any creative guidelines?
Television, video executions, Internet (website/micro-site, banners, e-mail),social media (Facebook, blogs),
posters. Consideration for branded name
IMRockstar: 29

30. MEDIA PLAN
MARKETING OBJECTIVE:
Encourage blood donation among eligible individuals ages 16-24 over a 12-month period
MEDIA OBJECTIVE:
Reach 85% of 16-24 year olds in the U.S. over a 12-month period in an integrated and interactive
campaign and encourage them to share the messaging with friends
STRATEGIES:
Segment the target into 3 demographic life stage categories: high school, college, young
professional
Use advertising mediums most influential and highly consumed by target group
Leverage majority of media budget with 1 key integrated media partner in a 360 degree
program in order to maximize impact and efficiencies
Leverage relationships of integrated media partner in order to sign a corporate sponsor and
endorsement talent
Launch the campaign with high share-of-voice, impactful buys. Lower SOV after launch to
sustaining continuity levels, increase media weight leading up to key events
Spike media weight around key donor periods: January- National Blood Month, June 14- World
Blood Donation Day
Use mediums with capability of sharing in order to increase reach
Incorporate user-generated Corporate Challenge to develop deeper engagement, credibility and
consumer activation
Target influencers (educators/administrators) in an effort to drive awareness and program
support for GEN-Y+ programs and clubs within their schools
Develop a database of influencers and connect with them throughout the campaign using multiple
communications
MEDIA MIX:
Digital 47%
Television 35%
Event Marketing 15%
Direct Mail/E-Mail 03%
IMRockstar: 30

31. TACTICS & RATIONALE
The GEN-Y+ Movement will be launched with the partnership of MTV 360 Integrated Marketing.90% of
our working media budget will help leverage a comprehensive program that provides media, events, campus
blood tours, music endorsements and creative production.
Undeniably an institution, MTV is viewed in over 500 million households in 140 countries, on 63 channels and in 17
languages.The MTV brand is valued at $80,000,000 and is frequently mentioned as the most valuable brand
for young people. MTV sets trends and popular youth culture, and is a leader in creativity and innovation.
MTV has established relationships that will allow The American Red Cross to launch the GEN-Y+ Movement with
maximum impact.
MTV 360 MEDIA COMPONENTS:
Television/Video Rationale:
10 MTV cable networks
with 65% reach P15-34
yrs will segment our
target into unique
audiences and ethnic
groups
Digital Rationale:
MTVN Digital reaches
25% of our target using
the websites,
newsletters and blogs of
the MTV properties and
their Ditigal Tribe
Network
IMRockstar: 31

32. Digital Rationale:
MTVN Digital reaches
25% of our target using
the websites,
newsletters and blogs of
MTV 360 MEDIA COMPONENTS: the MTV properties and
their Ditigal Tribe
Network
Mobile Rationale:
MTV Mobile is the
widest distributed
mobile network in the
world. MTVN channels
reach 30% of our target
with over 800 hours of
programming
Social Media Rationale:
MTV will promote the
GEN-Y+ Movement and
blood drive program
across all their MTV
branded social media
channels
Events
Rationale:
MTV will produce
concerts, an award show
and a college campus
blood drive tour
IMRockstar: 32

33. ADDITIONAL MEDIA COMPONENTS:
Digital/Video Rationale:
With 167MM unique visitors per month, or
78% of the Internet audience, ValueClick is
the 3rd largest digital ad network in the
U.S. 50% of the schedule will run on HULU
in order to reach Gen Y's who watch
television online.
E-Mail/Direct Mail
Tactic:
The GEN-Y+ Challenge will target educators
and art schools.
Sample lists to be purchased include:
National Association of State Boards of
Education
Association of Teaching Artists
National Press Photographers Association-
collegiate chapters
Rationale:
In order to reach this target, the American
Red Cross needs to use a medium that
allows direct contact, personalization and
the ability to convey detailed materials. E-
mail and direct mail will additionally allow
the Red Cross to build a data list from those
who have interest and develop a long-term
relationship.
IMRockstar: 33

34. CAMPAIGN BUDGET
WORKING MEDIA ………. $10,000,000
PUBLIC RELATIONS / SOCIAL MEDIA ………. $5,000,000
CREATIVE PRODUCTION ………. $1,900,000
INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS ………. $500,000
RESEARCH / EVALUATION ………. $300,000
AGENCY FEE ………. $1,800,000
LEGAL/TRAVEL /OUT-OF-POCKET ………. $400,000
CONTINGENCY ………. $100,000
TOTAL EXPENDITURE ………. $20,000,000
IMRockstar: 34

35. INTEGRATED TOUCHPOINTS
The Marketing Campaign Concept
The American Red Cross’ objective is to increase blood donations from young adults in a 12-month period.
To be honest….our true objective runs much deeper than that. In order to increase blood donations we
see the need to develop a deep sense of loyalty and passion amongst Generation Y so that they become
lifelong members of the American Red Cross mission and blood drive program.
Our strategy is to help inspire the Generation Y for the American Red Cross Movement. We will supply
the platforms which empower young adults to build the cause into their own so they can do something
truly worthwhile!
The Integration Process:
Create a unifying identity
Create awareness for our problem using influencers
Launch GEN-Y+ Movement in all communication channels
Empower and challenge Gen-Y's to join the conversation
Use events and MTV Award Show as national platform to increase blood donations
Incorporate content & creators into campaign and communication channels
IMRockstar: 35

36. TOUCHPOINT CONCEPT 1: Logo Development for GEN-Y + Movement
Objective: Brand the overarching “movement” to activate Generation Y into service for the American
Red Cross
Strategy: Create a movement called Gen-Y for the American Red Cross that visually incorporates design
elements of the Red Cross brand. The logo will be used on all marketing projects related to the movement
and all young adult programs that the American Red Cross provides, both regionally and nationally.
Rationale: A “movement” creates an identity that the consumer can join, support and relate to. The
movement web address is incorporated into the logo to provide the source for more information, to serve
as an invitation to “join” the movement and to provide the main benefit of the movement…“save”which
ties back to GEN-Y’s need to “do something worthwhile.”
This brand replaces the current redcrossyouth.org identity which alienates older Gen-Y’s who feel too
adult to be considered a “youth.”
TIMING: Launch Sept 1 and run throughout the campaign and beyond
IMRockstar: 36

37. TOUCHPOINT CONCEPT2: Website Re-design
Objective: Develop a modern and edgy look that Generation Y can connect to andreplace
www.redcrossyouth.org. The content must
Strategy: Redesign using more appealing graphics, photos, typography and colors
Rationale: The new “cool” site must be a destination that young adults want to hang out at. On August 1st
the site will re-launch under the direction of the newly created Gen-Y+ Press Corps so the voice of the
website comes from the consumers.
The takeaway should be that “this is our site that provides a platform for our cause and empowers us to
express our creative passion and share with our friends.
TIMING:New website to launch Sept 1…site will be “live” through entire campaign
IMRockstar: 37

38. TOUCHPOINT CONCEPT 3:30-Second Television Campaign
Objective: Inspire and inviteyoung adults to join in the GEN-Y for the American Red Cross Movement,
donate blood and “do something worthwhile”
Strategy: 3 phases will run during the 12-month period: PHASE 1 – Awareness, PHASE 2 – Competition,
PHASE 3 – Winners. 3 spots will run within each phase using celebrities to inspire and personally invite
Generation Y viewers to join them.
Rationale: Celebrities are identifiable and are influencers. The implication is that the consumer can
become their friendand join their team while doing something worthwhile
Exact celebrities can’t be confirmed until campaign is approved. MTV 360 Integrated Marketing will
negotiate and manage relationships, appearances and event performances.
SAMPLE SCRIPT(Phase 1)………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
Spokesperson 1: We are Generation Y. We are the most ethnically diverse, educated and talented
generation EVER and we are proud of that!
Spokesperson 2: Generation Y is all about change and progress. And while we’re concerned about
global climate change and world hunger we want to see change that we can
affect.
Spokesperson 1: Did you know that by donating just one pint of blood you can save up to 3 lives?
Think about it…in just one year, in under 5 hours, one person can save 15 lives.
Spokesperson 2: Just imagine the power we have if we connect! We can save the world…one life at
a time. So gather your friendsand join us in the GEN-Y for the American Red
Cross Movement!
TIMING: PHASE 1: Sep-Dec; PHASE 2: Jan-Jun 14; PHASE 3: Jun 15-Aug
IMRockstar: 38

39. TOUCHPOINT CONCEPT 4: Rich Media Online Banner Campaign
Objective: Inspire and inform target to join the GEN-Y+ Movement and donate blood
Strategy: Use a series of rich media Internet banners to communicate messaging
Rationale:Rich media banners will capture attention with production design and allow a multitude of
short messages and facts to be conveyed with frequency
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
...............................................................................................................................................................
(There will be multiple banner variations of the above with copy fading in and out a frame at a time)
Frame 1: healthyor sick.
Frame 2: LIFEor death.
Frame 3: What a difference a pint makes!
Frame 4: GEN-Y
JOIN2SAVE.org
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Frame 1: We can SAVE the world… ONE life at a time!
Frame 2:
Frame 3: GEN-Y
JOIN2SAVE.org
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
TIMING: A variety of banners will run throughout the 12-month campaign.
IMRockstar: 39

40. TOUCHPOINT CONCEPT5: Corporate Challenge Identity/Poster
Objective: Create an identity for the Corporate Challenge whichincludes all 3 partners
Strategy: Visually combine the Red Cross symbol with the GEN-Y+ logo and partner identities while
incorporating the individual challenge disciplines
Rationale: An identity will maintain a consistent visual image of the challenge on all communication
visuals. The takeaway is that consumers will be inspired by the competition disciplines and partners
TIMING: The logo will be used at the beginning of the educator influencer campaign. The corporate
partner logo won’t be incorporated until after sponsor is confirmed. The completed identity will be used
through the competition and after the award show when the winners are posted in an online gallery on
the GEN-Y+ and MTV websites.
IMRockstar: 40

41. PUBLIC RELATIONS + SOCIAL MEDIA
Objectives:
-Develop 50% awareness for the GEN-Y+ Movement among 16-24 year olds over a 12-month
period.
In conjunction with other integrated efforts, increase blood donations from Gen-Y’s by 15% within
12 months
-Increase website visitors and social media participation by 300%in a 12-month period. Website
visitors to increase to 921,000 as site transitions from www.redcrossyouth.org to
www.join2save.org
Strategies:
-Partner with a major corporation and media company to host a creative challenge in order to
build a deeper connection between the target group and the GEN-Y+ Movement and to drive
blood donor recruitment
-Develop GEN-Y+ specific blog, Facebook Page, Twitter and Linked-In accounts to be managed by
GEN-Y’s. Blood donation will be the exclusive topic for a 12-month period.
-Host 3 major events during the year that will include national blood drives and major press
opportunities
-Promote MTV collegiate campus blood drive program
IMRockstar: 41

42. TOUCHPOINT CONCEPT 6 / PR: The GEN-Y+ Corporate Challenge
DESCRIPTION: The GEN-Y+ Movement must belong to its participants and in order to build their passion
for the movement we must empower them to use their creative talents in Art, Music, Digital and Fashion
to express the cause. At the same time the creative participants will be developing a wealth of user-
generated content to “share” and be used to inspire other Gen-Y’sto join, to donate and to “do something
worthwhile”
OBJECTIVE: Secure a corporate sponsor over the course of first 2 months to support GEN-Y+ Art, Fashion,
Music and Digital Challenges
STRATEGY:Develop and pitch corporate sponsorship proposal in conjunction with MTV directly to
marketing directors at top 10 Generation-Y advertisers.The Sony Corporation is the initial target.
……………………………
OBJECTIVE + TIMING:Conduct outreach program to school (high school, college and trade school)
educators/ administrators and students to develop awareness for GEN-Y+ Movement opportunities
andMTV/ Corporate Challenges.
Phase 1: Awareness(Sep/Oct/Nov/Dec).
Phase 2: School Registration (Dec). Promote the branded Corporate Sponsor Challenge and encourage
educators and students to form GEN-Y+clubs and register schools for challenges.
Phase 3: Competition (Jan-Feb-Mar-Apr). Promote active competition and last minute entries to
educators and students.
Phase 4: Judging/Finalist Announcement, Event promotion (May)
Phase 5: Event& MTV Award Show (June)
STRATEGY: Use social media outlets and endemic press toreach educators and administrators. (The PR
efforts will be reinforced with a paid direct mail and e-mail advertising program).Use social media,
consumer magazine, websites and radio to reach consumer target 16-24.Run promotional campaign on all
MTV media properties (media partner responsibility).
IMRockstar: 42

43. TOUCHPOINT CONCEPT7 / PR: The GEN-Y+ Corporate Challenge Event& MTV Award Show
DESCRIPTION: The Corporate Challenge will culminate in New York ina daylong exhibit of finalists and a
major blood drive. The evening event will include a dinner and a televised concert and award show on
MTV that features finalist creative from the Art, Music and Digital challenges along with a Victoria Secret
type of fashion show from the finalists in the Fashionchallenge. Musical performances from GEN-
Y+celebrity spokespeople will be mixed throughout the show.Across the country, local GEN-Y+ clubs will
host corresponding blood drives and a live stream of the MTVConcert/Award Show
OBJECTIVE: Generate national awareness and encourage recruitment for the GEN-Y+ Movement and its
efforts to increase blood donations 15% among those ages 16-24.
Phase 1: Corporate Challenge Event + MTVConcert Award Show
Phase 2: Corporate Challenge winner announcement and creative display promotion
Strategy: IMRockStar will plan, promote and execute the event with a dedicated PR and event team.
Communication channels will include social media outlets, consumer magazine, websites, radio and
campus print to reach consumer target 16-24.
MTV will produce and promote the Concert/Award Show across all integrated MTV properties. The
Concert/Award Show will be taped live and will air on MTV, MTV2 and MTVU.MTV will host the winner
showcase on their websites for a period of 1 year.
The corporate partner will provide funding for the event and prizesand will receive audio and visual
recognition within all paid, promotional and public relations and social media efforts.
TIMING: June 14
IMRockstar: 43

44. TOUCHPOINT CONCEPT8: Social Media
Objective: Empower consumers to become part of the GEN-Y+ media campaign, self-expressand share
with friends
Strategy: Open up GEN-Y+ social media platforms by allowing consumers to use campaign elements to
build and share their version of communication messages with their friends.
Rationale: Allowing consumers to use their own self-expression by writing copy, incorporating photos of
their GEN-Y+ clubs and posting videos to the GEN-Y+ YouTube Channel and MTVU Channel will create
engagement and a sense of “ownership” of the campaign as they add their voice to the discussion.
Consumers will also be able to post their creative GEN-Y+ Corporate Challenge submissions on the
Facebook Page to inspire a dialogue and solicit votes.
TIMING: The entire 12-month campaign
IMRockstar: 44

45. Touchpoint Concept 9 / PR: Press Release
CONTACT: John Gallina
IMRockstar
jpgallina@imrockstar.com
858-521-1234
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Gen-Y to Unleash Talents in the Sony Challenge for the American Red Cross
September 1, 2012
San Diego, CA—The Sony Corporation hasissued a creative challenge in support of the GEN-Y for the
American Red Cross Movementand its efforts to increase youth blood donations by 20% in 2013.The
Sony/GEN-Y+ Challenge will consist of 4 major creative competitions in art, music, digital and fashion that
will be promoted by the MTV Networks. Members of Gen-Y are being asked to express their passion for
joining and supporting the American Red Cross mission and its blood drive efforts.
Sony spokesperson, Bob Cange, said that the corporation is donating $1,000,000 to help underwrite the
competition and related blood drive efforts. High schools, trade schools and colleges are also being
invited to support the program by sponsoring and running the challenge within their curriculum.
GEN-Y+ winners within each competition category will receive a $50,000 scholarship to the school of their
choice and a $10,000 award to their GEN-Y+ club. If a student from a school sponsored program wins, the
school will also win a $50,000 educational grant.
The registration phase of the competition runs from December 1- 31, 2012 while the competition kicks off
on January 1st. Finalists will be announced on May 1st and invited to New York City on June 14, 2013 to
attend the Sony/GEN-Y+ Challenge Awards presented by MTV Networks.
For more information on the Sony/GEN-Y+ Challenge or the GEN-Y+ Movement please contact John
Gallinaat jpgallina@IMRockstar.com or go to www.join2save.org.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies nearly half of the nation's
blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red
Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American
public to perform its mission. For more information on the Gen-Y+ Movement, please visit www.join2save.org.
About Sony Corporation
Sony Corporation is a leading manufacturer of audio, video, game, communications, key device and information technology
products for the consumer and professional markets. With its music, pictures, computer entertainment and on-line businesses,
Sony is uniquely positioned to be the leading electronics and entertainment company in the world. Sony Global Web Site:
http://www.sony.net/
TIMING:Press releases will be sent the entire 12-month campaign. This example would be issued in
October.
IMRockstar: 45

46. TOUCHPOINT CONCEPT 10: PR/Internal Communications TV/Video PSA Campaign
Description: A series of five video PSA’s will be produced withdifferent celebrity spokes teams. The
campaign will be distributed among commercial and social media channels to reach consumers and on the
American Red Cross intranet to reach employees and volunteers.
(VISUAL)
SPOKESPERSON 1: It’s been said that Generation Yis the most civic-minded generation to date…
that’s because we believe that we can make a difference in the world.
SPOKESPERSON 2: Now think about this…..4.5 million Americans will die each year without a blood
transfusion.
SPOKESPERSON 1: GEN-Y for the American Red Cross. Now’s the time to JOIN-2-SAVE.
SPOKESPERSON 2: Please, bring your friends.
(VISUAL)
GEN-Y
JOIN2SAVE.org
(insert facts for PSA #2-5):
Now think about this...more than 38,000 blood donations are needed each day to keep Americans alive.
Now think about this…every 2 seconds someone in this country needs blood.
Now think about this…spending just one hour of your day could save 3 lives.
Now think about this…every minute of every day, someone needs blood.
TIMING: Phase 1 with celebrities will run Sep-June; Phase 2 with user-generated content June 15-Aug
IMRockstar: 46

47. INTERNAL COMMUNICATION PLAN
OBJECTIVE: Develop a program to reach and continually inform internal stakeholders within the
American Red Crossover a 12 month period about the GEN-Y+ Movement, blood drive progress and
advertising campaign
STRATEGIES
Phase 1: Pre-Campaign Launch
2 months prior to advertising campaign launch a series of presentations will take place starting at the most
senior levels of the ARC organization:
-Agency and ARC Marketing Department campaign presentation to board of directors and executive team
-ARC Marketing Department presentation at department directors’ meeting
-ARC Marketing Department presentation at key donor luncheon
1 month prior to launch:
-Department directors will share the campaign with their managers and the communication process will
continue on down the organization hierarchy until all corporate and chapter members are reached
-Memo from the ARC CEO goes to ARC members and volunteers
-Campaign article is featured and updated on the home page of the ARC intranet with a countdown to launch
-GEN-Y+ Movement brand guide is issued
Phase 2: Campaign Launch
-A campaign launch party + blood drive will be hosted at the American Red Cross headquarters on the day
the campaign media goes live. ARC employees, major donors and the press will be invited.
-Individual chapters will host regional launch parties + blood drives.
Phase 3: Communication Updates
-Status e-mailsand activity reports to be issued on a weekly basis internally
-Intranet to feature column on campaign updates to include execution reports from the field
-Regional chapter campaign feedback to be regularly sent in by the field
RATIONALE
-It is crucial to get buy-in from the top before the campaign is released through the organization. Personal
presentations will allow a two-way conversation with these key members.
-Everyone within the organization must be educated as campaign ambassadors
-Launch parties will generate excitement and connect employees, key donors and volunteersto the
campaign
-Using all internal communication channels and regular updates will keep the campaign top-of-mind
TIMING: The Internal Communication program must begin shortly after the agency selection and
campaign completion. Recommended start is March 2012.
IMRockstar: 47

48. INTEGRATED COMMUNICATIONS FLOWCHART
Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug
2012-2013 FLIGHT 2012 2013
Natl blood donor month/World blood donor day 1-31 6/14
Phase 1-Gen-Y Kickoff & Awareness
Phase 2-Gen-Y Challenge registration
Phase 3-Gen-Y Challenge competition
Phase 4-Gen-Y Challenge event/award show
Phase 5-Gen-Y User-Generated-Content
WORKING MEDIA
Television (paid and promotional) launch
Digital campaign launch
E-mail/Direct Mail launch
PR & SOCIAL MEDIA
GEN-Y Website launch & sustain launch
GEN-Y Facebook launch & sustain launch
GEN-Y Twitter launch and sustain launch
GEN-Y Linked-In launch & sustain launch
EVENTS
GEN-Y+ Movement Kickoff event
GEN-Y+ / MTV Collegiate Campus Blood Tour
GEN-Y+ Corporate Challenge Kickoff
GEN-Y+ Event & MTV Award Show 6/14
MAR INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS AUG
(Runs Mar 2012-Aug 2013)
IMRockstar: 48

49. EVALUATION PLAN
OBJECTIVE: Develop a comprehensive plan to accurately identify the consumer target, gage current
employee youth knowledge, set baselines, test messaging and measure response through the 12- month
campaign.
METHODS: The evaluation plan will take place in three stages:
Exploratory Research
-Conduct statistically accurate consumer survey research to establish behavior and attitude baselines
-Conduct an internal IMC Audit of Red Cross youth managers in order to fully understand the current state
of the program and to identify barriers and gaps in integrated marketing efforts
Diagnostic Measures
Use focus groups to sequentially test the campaign positioning statement, the marketing concept, the
copy and creative elements
Evaluation& Measurement
Use web tracking studies on a periodic basis and at campaign completion to measure growth of
GEN-Y+ brand awareness
Use internal tracking reports to measure success by
-increase in blood donations from 16-24 year olds
-increase in website visitors from target group
-number of GEN-Y+ Facebook friends
-number of visits to GEN-Y+ Challenge Winner’s Gallery
-% of increase in youth clubs generated into GEN-Y+ clubs
-% of increase in young adult volunteers
RATIONALE: A formal pre and post evaluation plan is necessary in order to reduce the risk of the financial
investment, to maintain consistency of the IMC message,and to measure the IMC campaign contributions.
BUDGET: $300,000
IMRockstar: 49

50. CONCLUSION:
The true solution to the American Red Cross problem is integrated marketing communication. When we
take our formula…
WELCOME + ACTIVATE + PASSION + EMPOWER + EXPRESSION + INSPIRE = ARC DONORS 16-24
…. we will multiply the results when all the marketing efforts are working together as a unified force.
At the end of the GEN-Y+ Challenge we will have identified the young adults who will be our voice to this
generation. We will invite them in to be our editors and content providers on our website, social media
channels andadvertising campaigns in order to inspire others to donate blood and do something truly
worthwhile.
The American Red Cross needs to not only increase blood donations….but to mobilize the power of a
generation. IMRockstar has basically rewritten the books on youth marketing and is poised to lead the
charge because this is our PASSION!
IMRockstar: 50

51. APPENDIX: GENERAL SURVEY
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FR95NYM
1. What is your gender?
-Female
-Male
2. What is your age group?
-16-17, -18-24, -25-34, 35-44, -54-65, -65+
3. Are you aware of the American Red Cross?
-Yes
-No
4. Choose the services that the American Red Cross provides: (choose as many as needed)
-Aiding victims of natural disasters
-Community services for the needy
-Support and comfort for military members and their families
-the collection, processing and distribution of lifesaving blood and blood products
-educational programs that promote health and safety
-international relief and development programs
5. How do you feel about donating blood?
-I would like to donate blood
-I would like to donate blood but I don’t think I can
-Donating blood is important, but it’s not a priority for me right now
-Donating blood is worthwhile but I don’t want to do it
-It’s not my responsibility to donate blood for strangers
6. If you believe that donating blood is worthwhile what prevents you from participating?
-I’m afraid of needles
-I don’t know how or where to participate (lack of information, time, access to location)
-As an athlete, I’ve been advised against donating blood
-I have a medical condition that would prevent me from donating blood
7. How strongly do you feel about charitable giving?
-Very strongly
-strongly
- Indifferent
- Not strongly at all
8. If you believe charitable giving is important, what would you choose first to donate:
-Volunteer time
-Money
-Physical resources (blood, bone marrow, organ donation….etc.)
9. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being “very likely” and 1 being “not likely at all”) how likely are you to donate
blood?
10. What are your thoughts and feelings about the American Red Cross?
IMRockstar: 51

52. APPENDIX 2: FOCUS GROUP MODERATOR GUIDE
Red Cross Perceptions
What words come to mind to describe the American Red Cross?
Name some services that they provide?
What do you think is the reputation of the American Red Cross? (prompt: favorable/non-favorable)
Have you ever heard anything negative about the American Red Cross?
How does the American Red Cross compare to other humanitarian organizations?
What type of personality does the American Red Cross have?
Blood Donation
Have you been educated about blood donation?
Have you ever donated blood?
Describe your experience as favorable or non-favorable. Would you donate again?
If you haven’t donated, why?
What would be the biggest influence in getting you to donate?
Would you be more willing to donate if a friend or family member asked you?
Advertising/Media
(if necessary prompt: TV, Radio, Magazine, Newspaper, Billboard, Direct Mail, Poster, Event,Banner ad,
Video ad, Text, Social Media, e-Mail, Text, Mobile Application)
What form of communications have you seen or heard from the Red Cross?
What type of media would be the most effective to encourage you to donate?
How would you prefer to receive information about the American Red Cross and blood drives?
What 3 media do you use most?
What famous personality would help encourage you to donate?
What tone of advertising would be most effective to get you to donate? (prompt: sympathetic,
humorous, guilt, shock, factual, other)
IMRockstar: 52

53. APPENDIX 3: ADDITIONAL CREATIVE EXECUTIONS
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Every second counts!
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
1 hour= 3 lives.
Change a life …
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
The need = constant. The gratification = instant.
IMRockstar: 53

54. REFERENCES:
RedCross.org, 2011.About Us. Retrieved 10/31/2011 from http://www.redcross.org/aboutus
RedCrossBlood.org, 2011. Blood Facts & Statistics. Retrieved 11/5/11 fromhttp://www.redcrossblood.org/learn-about-
blood/blood-facts-and-statistics
RedCrossBlood.org, 2011. Retrieved 11/6/11 from http://www.redcrossblood.org/students
Hoovers, 2011.Non-Profit Institutions. Retrieved 11/4/11 from
http://subscriber.hoovers.com.www.libproxy.wvu.edu/H/industry360/overview.html?industryId=1084
RedCrossBlood.org, 2011. Why is your blood needed? Retrieved 11/4/11 from http://www.redcrossblood.org/
The Essential Guide to Gen Y 16-24, Research & Insights 2009 | Australia. Retrieved 11/1/11 from
http://www.adshel.com.au/how/insights
AdAge.com, The Edelman Study. Retrieved 11/1/11 from http://adage.com/article/adagestat/key-millennial-trends-a-edelman-
study/146644/
“The 8095 Exchange: Millennials,their Actions Surrounding Brands, and the Dynamics of Reverberation”. Retrieved 10/31/11 from
http://www.edelman.com/insights/special/8095/8095whitepaper.pdf
The Digital World of Millennials: MAY 11, 2011. Retrieved 10/31/11 from
http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?id=1008382&R=1008382
http://www.thefabc.org/
2008 American Red Cross Brand Standards Manual. Retrieved 11/1/11 from
http://www.rockriver.redcross.org/media/Brand_Standards.pdf
Australian Red Cross Blood Service website. Retrieved 11/9/11 from http://www.donateblood.com.au/media-centre/latest-
national-news/gen-y%E2%80%99-wants-to-rule-when-donating-blood
http://www.volunteeringinamerica.gov
Volunteer Growth in America: A Review of Trends since 1974. Retrieved 11/11/11 from
http://www.volunteeringinamerica.gov/special/Young-Adults-(age-16-24)
http://www.nationalservice.gov/pdf/06_1203_volunteer_growth.pdf
http://www.haemonetics.com/site/content/bloodsupply/about_industry.asp
http://blog.aflcio.org/2010/11/10/iwj-issues-red-cross-blood-drive-guide-with-focus-on-safety-workers-rights/print/
Marketing Through the Generations. Retrieved 11/9/11 from http://www.bevindustry.com/articles/print/85020
http://www.templeadlib.com/2011/05/02/millennials-a-generation-of-change/
Give the Gift of Life. Retrieved 11/1311 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYJEK6bv8Ys&NR=1
How to Save a Life: Support Blood Drives. Retrieved 11/21/11 from http://youtu.be/PC9VnzICA54, http://youtu.be/yYJEK6bv8Ys
IMRockstar: 54