Indiana Blood Center – Be the Match Sponsorship Activation

Indianapolis, IN

Business Challenge:
Create brand awareness and recognition within the Indianapolis community for the Indiana Be The Match Bone Marrow Registry. Secondarily, we were charged to establish awareness for the relationship between Be The Match and the Indiana Blood Center.

Willow Marketing Solution:
The Indiana Blood Center, the strategic partner for Be The Match, has been a long-time sponsor of the 500 Festival and Mini Marathon.

We developed a strategic marketing plan for the sponsorship, involving project and sponsorship coordination, social media, graphic design and production of event signage, media relations, and on-site staff assistance.

The grass roots campaign was centered around the “Find Your Match” theme. The concept was to pass out stickers to Mini Marathon race participants the day before the event and ask them to wear their Be The Match branded sticker on their back during the race. Each sticker had a number. 50 numbered matches were planted. If someone found their match, they were instructed to find the Be The Match booth in the Family Reunion area after the race and claim their prize. The sticker campaign was promoted at the Expo the day before the event, on signage throughout the race course, via email blasts to the Indiana Blood Center email list, email blasts from the official 500 Festival and email communications to local Mini Marathon training groups. Strategic partners of the Indiana Blood Center, including Simon Property Group, Kindred Hospital and Allison Transmission, participated in the campaign, placing signage on their facilities along the race course.

Overall, the campaign was a huge success for Be The Match and the Indiana Blood Center. Over 5,000 stickers were produced for Mini Marathon participants and the viral campaign created a large amount of “buzz.” Additional plans are being made for sponsorship activation in 2011.