Situation:

In 2009, Long Island-based attorney Rick Collins of Collins, McDonald & Gann, P.C. (one of the nation's most well-known figures in the bodybuilding, health, fitness and nutrition communities) had the idea to raise money in the fight against cancer in a unique way: by creating the first-ever "Leap for Life" fundraiser -- skydiving for the very first time in his life to raise money for cancer research. He came to SmartMarketing Communications to help generate publicity for this cause and increase donations for his “Leap for Life” event. After SMG successfully publicized this first-ever skydiving fundraiser event in 2009 (helping to raise more than $15,000 for the American Cancer Society), Rick approached SmartMarketing Communications to help him take his idea to the next level … and orchestrate/publicize a "global skydiving fundraiser" to get people throughout the world “skydiving for a cause” with him in the unprecedented 2010 Global Leap for Life to raise money for LiveSTRONG/the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

Smart Solution:

• SmartMarketing Communications helped to create, execute, market and publicize this unique event through a number of targeted activities and tactics, including:
• Identifying, securing and working closely with selected cancer charity – serving as a liaison with LiveSTRONG/the Lance Armstrong Foundation and securing publicity in LiveSTRONG materials to increase awareness of event
• Creating and designing all collateral materials to effectively brand and promote the event, including a 2010 Global Leap for Life logo, flyers, posters, t-shirts, donor logs and all other visual elements
• Creating and designing an easy-to-navigate website to secure both participants/skydivers as well as to secure donations to the cause – and driving people to the website through social media and traditional press outreach
• Generating both national/local pre-event publicity to encourage skydivers to participate in the event, with articles appearing both online (www.tonic.com, www.besteveryou.com and numerous blogs/website postings) as well as local press in cities across the country, including Newsday, The Westbury Times, WLNY-TV, ON Magazine (Dallas) and other local print outlets nationwide
• Securing celebrity participation to increase media coverage and add further excitement (and donations) to the cause – partnering with LA-based celebrity radio personality JoJo Wright to further extend the reach of the Leap for Life message in entertainment and national media (including ET online, KTLA-TV and numerous other national/entertainment-based media)
• Securing on-site publicity for day-of event, resulting in significant media coverage, including major features on FiOS 1-TV, Newsday, LI Pulse, Long Island Press , Westbury Times, Long Island Business News and other local media throughout the country.

Results

The 2010 Global Leap for Life was a tremendous success both locally and nationally – through this comprehensive campaign, we were able to secure nearly 100 skydivers from across the world and help raise $37,337.00 for LiveSTRONG during this one weekend event . In addition to raising a significant amount of money for an important cause, our publicity efforts helped to further increase awareness of the opportunity for people to get involved in the fight against cancer – and helped touch countless lives both through media messages and this important and unique fundraising initiative.