Client
Year
Deliverables
Media Relations
Community Storytelling
Situation
The Salvation Army of Metro Detroit’s 2024 Red Kettle Christmas Campaign ran from Oct. 1, 2023 through Jan. 31, 2024 to help fund critical social services and community programs like food and shelter. Franco has partnered with The Salvation Army since 2004 to support the annual campaign. Our team was tasked with balancing tradition with creativity to help reach this year’s fundraising goal of $7.9 million.
While keeping traditional earned media tactics, Franco wanted to think outside the box and bring new ideas to promote the campaign. Through media relations and event management strategies, we did just that.
Approach
Since 2013, Franco has leveraged local media relationships to host The Salvation Army’s Celebrity Bell Ring Weekend, where metro Detroit media personalities use their platform to support the nonprofit by ringing the bell at an iconic red kettle or virtually via social media.
Franco coordinates the fundraising event from start to finish, working with local media to successfully secure media celebrities, generate campaign awareness and raise funds for the nonprofit. Traditionally, this event supports fostering and maintaining strong media relationships, leading to increased awareness, involvement and donations year after year.
New this year: WCSX-FM’s Big Jim’s House encouraged listeners to sign up for a special Christmas letter from the station. For every Christmas card sent, Bill Brown Ford generously gave a $10 matching donation to The Salvation Army – significantly boosting Big Jim’s Celebrity Bell Ring Weekend totals benefiting The Salvation Army’s total fundraising goal.
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The installation of the world’s tallest red kettle marks the official start of The Salvation Army’s annual Red Kettle Christmas Campaign. The 56-foot tall, 24-foot-wide red kettle that stands in the heart of Cadillac Square serves as a beacon of hope to community members through the Christmas season. Traditionally, Franco pitches local Detroit media to capture the kettle being built.
New this year: Franco collaborated with Detroit Free Press photographer, David Rodriguez Muñoz to create a “day-in-the-life” story that breathed new life into the event.
Throughout the day of the installation, David followed Kevin, a long-time construction worker who has assembled the world’s tallest red kettle for nearly 10 years. From carefully unloading each piece of the kettle to the final build, David documented the process through photos and interviews to bring the story to life. This creative earned media approach not only provided readers with a fresh perspective on a traditional event, but it also offered them a new look into the campaign that had never been shown before.
When someone donates to a red kettle placed in their community, those donated dollars will go directly to the nearest Salvation Army corps community center – and funds remain in the community. One of the programs funded by these donations is The Salvation Army’s annual toy shops, which provide Christmas assistance and gifts to families in need across southeast Michigan. Traditionally, Franco invites media to one specific Salvation Army corps to highlight this important program.
New this year: Franco invited media to the Wayne-Westland Corps Community Center Toy Drive, which has never been featured. By tapping into a new community, Franco created an opportunity to speak with new families and Salvation Army officers to educate metro Detroiters on the toy shops.
On the day of the Wayne-Westland toy shop, WDIV-TV, CBS Detroit, WXYZ-TV and the Detroit Free Press were onsite speaking to families and a Salvation Army representative and capturing the magic of Christmas in action – like a local grandmother hoping to provide Christmas gifts for her nine grandchildren.
Results
- The 2023 Celebrity Bell Ring Weekend fundraiser was record-breaking, achieving the highest number of donations and celebrity volunteers in its 11-year history. The fundraiser had more than 60 media celebrities from radio and online media outlets and raised a total of $20,942.30!
- From October 2023 through January 2024, innovative media relations and event management strategies helped Franco earn more than 470 pieces of coverage across local print, broadcast and digital outlets. This includes 107 print/online articles and 370 broadcast clips.
