In its 20th anniversary year, we knew we had to pull out all the stops to get Hope Against Cancer in the headlines. And with a brand new £1 million fundraising goal, things were going to have to get a little extra...
Blazing a trail
In developing the new event, the goal was simple - get Hope Against Cancer's good cause in front of as many eyes as possible. We knew by engaging the most popular hospitality destinations across Leicester, we were giving ourselves the best chance possible to ignite interest across the city in away that went much further than a single venue event. So, the idea for Trail of Hope was born, encouraging venues to get involved by putting on special deals and fundraising events.
Diving into our extensive black book of local and media contacts, we got to work sweet talking and glad-handing the key players at the cream of the Leicester restaurant and destinations scene. A few weeks later, more than 30 venues had signed up to be a part of the Trail of Hope weekend, smashing the original target of 20.
Offers and ideas came flooding in, giving the weekend a real diverse flavour. Activities and deals under the Trail of Hope banner included self-portraits with the Cosby Yarn Bomb team; Fusion Dance classes at 2Funky; a cricket challenge and competition at Sixes Indoor Cricket; beginners climbing classes at Social Climbing; free taster passes at BFT Gym; and a 20-lap walk around the Tigers' stadium – plus many more.
Spreading the good word
Getting great sign up was of course only half the job. Securing coverage is what we do best and the team set to work hitting up our tried and trusted media sources and beyond to secure a wide range of interviews, articles and radio spots to make sure there wasn't a soul in Leicestershire who didn't know exactly what was going on to raise money for Hope Against Cancer.
We secured two interviews with BBC Leicester for HAC Chief Executive Nigel Rose, putting the message out directly to the target audience.
On top of that, three press releases secured 24 pieces of PR coverage with a combined reach of a massive 3.27 million.
And we smashed it across social too, with an increase in reach of 60% on the HAC Facebook page, as well as a massive 210% increase in engagement on Instagram.
Just the start
After the success of the weekend, we followed up with press releases highlighting the big wins and to continue the call for donations. We pushed the new "20in23" challenge, encouraging people to help Hope Against Cancer to close in on that £1,000,000 goal by doing something quirky 20 times.
The charity is well on its way to the goal, but still needs support to get there. Support the phenomenal cause here: https://www.hopeagainstcancer.org.uk/donate
We can't wait for Hope Against Cancer's next great landmark event we can get to grips with. We love working with them, and they us! As this awesome bit of feedback shows. Till next time!
