In a nutshell

Two runners were attempting the near impossible – running the entire 190km coastline of Malta and Gozo in a single, 35 hour marathon, braving the July heat as they did so. They were making this incredible personal sacrifice for a cause: that of promoting equal education opportunities for all.

Where we came in

Claudio and Patrick, the runners, asked us to help them attract attention to the event. The runners needed time and mental space to prepare physically and emotionally for what would be a gruelling performance so they needed a partner that would take the entire communication responsibility off their minds while making sure they achieved their financial target – collecting €15,000 for the Education Support Fund administered by Kopin and JRS.

What we did

We had just over two weeks between receiving the brief and the event itself. With not a second to waste, we set about creating a strategy for a low-cost, high-impact campaign and planned the two weeks with meticulous attention to detail, allowing for flexibility that would help us react quickly to the unexpected. We produced content around the runners and the beneficiaries and crafted the story in a way that would cause maximal engagement amongst our intended audiences.
Using a combination of social media marketing, influencer management, and even working with a PR partner, we made sure the message spread far and wide. What mattered most was that every asset funneled attention to the donation site, giving a very simple and clear path to action.
During the weekend of the run we kept the social media strategy going, employing hijack tactics to make it into the news feeds of as wide an audience as possible. It meant having the Switch team covering the event for a solid 48 hours, taking turns to keep the stream of content flowing.

Immediate results

By the time Patrick and Claudio crossed the finish line, the total sum collected was just over €40K, with €24K having been collected from the campaign alone, with the rest coming directly from event sponsors. Another outcome was the sheer number of people who engaged with the content and were alerted to the cause, getting in touch to ask how they could contribute beyond the act of donating.

The numbers so far:

• engaged users: 21,942
• total reach: 400,009
• viral reach: 202,707
• total impressions: 673,354
• total video views: 53,668
• total spend: €164.66
• amount raised: €23,615

Long lasting value

Collecting funds was our immediate goal. Shaping the narrative and building a groundswell of support was the outcome we were hoping for to ensure continued support of those seeking an education. As the campaign reaches its natural end, we are making sure that the audiences we built during the donation drive will remain and turn into ambassadors for the cause, encouraging those around them to give time, funds, or any resources they can afford to ensure education for all is attainable.