NZ Blood

Motivating blood donors to keep coming back

The Brief

World Blood Donor Day (WBDB) is the NZ Blood Service’s (NZBS) biggest opportunity of the year to attract new donors, reactivate lapsed donors and raise awareness of the need for a steady supply of donated blood. The global theme for 2008 was ‘Give Blood Regularly for Many Happy Returns’. WBDD was being celebrated in the context of a steady decline in donor numbers; the challenge was to begin to reverse that trend.

Our Solution

The ‘Give Blood Regularly for Many Happy Returns’ tagline enabled us to focus on the importance of regular blood donation and celebrate as heroes those who commit to doing just that.  Key messages targeted all those who had ever donated in the past, calling on them to commit to becoming regular donors.  The campaign objectives were to encourage lapsed donors to phone in and update their details and/or make an appointment to donate, as well as drive general enquiries.

A targeted media communications strategy was at the heart of the campaign, and the results of an online poll were used for media pitching to help pinpoint some of the reasons why donor numbers were declining.  A range of angles were developed to suit different media outlets and audiences.  National weekend print media and One News were giving an exclusive opportunity to interview Shortland Street cast members as they donated blood on the set of the popular TV soap.  A blood drive at Auckland’s Glendowie College was utilised to educate and motivate younger donors through youth media streams such as Girlfriend magazine, Tearaway and Activ8.  Local media were invited to cover the celebrations at Regional Donor Centres around the country, with milestone donors invited to give blood on the day to provide a hook for community newspapers and radio.  Wherever possible, medical experts and blood recipients acted as spokespeople to put a human face to the cause.

Results

WBDD ‘08 was hugely successful, achieving media saturation across TV, radio and press with a PR value estimated at $800,000.  Significant discussion was also generated in online forums.  The key messages of this year’s campaign were also communicated throughout in 81% of all (monitored) media coverage.