CASE STUDY. Pets for Life Campaign THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES (HSUS)

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1 CASE STUDY THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES (HSUS) Pets for Life Campaign BACKGROUND: The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is the nation s largest and most effective animal protection organization, backed by 11 million Americans. The HSUS works to reduce suffering and to create meaningful social change for animals. In the US, an estimated 4 million pets are euthanized due to overpopulation each year. The percentages of homeless pets and those either living or being euthanized in shelters is much greater in urban communities. The shelters near these communities cannot keep up with the rate of intake from neighborhoods where spaying and neutering pets is not a cultural norm. As a result, thousands of pets are being surrendered monthly to shelters across the county. Additionally, pet owners in underserved communities lack the resources and information needed to humanely care for their pets. Traditionally, animal welfare advocates have associated this lack of humane care with a lack of care in general a myth recently proven to be just the opposite. SOLUTION: Through an outreach effort within underserved communities, we learned that just as there are classes of people, there are classes of pets. Through careful observation and conversations, we also revealed that while people in these communities love their pets as much and sometimes more than middle class pet owners, they often make decisions pertaining to limited income, where basic needs like food, shelter and healthcare are prioritized over pet needs. We also uncovered that animal welfare advocates, particularly those from rescue groups, approach people in underserved communities with severe judgement. They assume people living in poverty don t care about their pets, or should not be able to own them if they cannot take care of them. illume worked closely with The HSUS and PetSmart Charities to establish a community outreach program, Pets for Life (PFL), and developed a toolkit to provide animal welfare advocates step-by-step training on how to implement a PFL program in their own communities. The 13 chapter, 44,000 word toolkit includes chapters on working with underserved communities which range from how to talk to people, overcome barriers, and funding and tracking a successful program. illume participated in mentoring 10 recipients of the Pets for Life grant issued by PetSmart Charities, and 4 full Pets for Life markets funded by The Humane Society of the United States. The program model focuses on meeting people where they are in underserved neighborhoods, and developing trust within communities lacking resources and genuine or productive messaging for most pet and/or people wellness issues. illume also developed a custom, comprehensive database to track program activities and success for 14 markets. RESULT: Over a 12-month period, Pets for Life has connected with 12,953 people and their 21,664 pets (cats and dogs) in 14 markets across the United States. A total of 60% of the pets have been provided with free spay or neuter surgeries and 16,962 pets have received free vaccinations for rabies or parvo/distemper. illume S ROLE: Research, messaging strategy and copy development, program design, toolkit design and production, database development and maintenance, and mentoring/training of the PFL approach.

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3 CASE STUDY THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES [HSUS] Gulf Spay/Neuter Campaign BACKGROUND: The Humane Society of the United States is the nation s largest and most effective animal protection organization, backed by 11 million Americans. HSUS works to reduce suffering and to create meaningful social change for animals. In the United States, 4 million pets are euthanized due to overpopulation. The percentage is much greater in rural areas within the South, particularly Louisiana and Mississippi. SOLUTION: illume conducted research with individuals from the target market. During the research, illume and HSUS uncovered several barriers to spay/neuter among the demographic a much needed endeavor, as the key to reducing euthanasia is the reduction of unwanted pets. After this painstaking research study, which included creative testing, HSUS and illume deployed the campaign over two states for nearly three years. All messages developed for the campaign were designed to address barriers identified by research participants. illume developed a campaign which included television, radio, billboards, posters, and postcards. Aside from deploying traditional marketing tactics, illume also coordinated street teams. The teams held and participated in popular public events, and canvassed neighborhoods. Since March 2010, The team has traveled to 11 markets in different regions of the U.S. and held 16 community outreach events with local partners, serving over 4,000 people and their 5,377 pets. RESULT: Since the launch of the campaign, there has been a significant reduction in shelter intake from 2007 to 2010 in Mississippi and Louisiana by 12% and 9% respectively, and most incredibly, a reduction in euthanasia by 6% and 20% for over 60,000 dogs and cats. The campaign is now being syndicated nationally in 22 states. Additional results include the attraction of over 4,000 people and 5,771 pets attending free rabies shot clinics, where an average of 85% of the attendees were owners of unaltered pets the core target audience. illume was responsible for planning, promoting, executing and tracking the results from these events. As a result of the gulf campaign success, illume has become instrumental in developing a new program, Pets for Life, launched in 2012 and funded by HSUS and PetSmart Charities. Not unlike the Gulf campaign, increasing companion animal Spay/Neuter among under-served populations is a core goal of Pets for Life. illume S ROLE: Research, strategy, branding, graphic design, guerrilla marketing, radio, television commercials, outdoor advertising, event planning and training.

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5 CASE STUDY THERAPEUTIC FOSTER CARE AT KENNEDY KRIEGER INSTITUTE Foster A Hero Campaign BACKGROUND: Kennedy Krieger Institute is an internationally recognized institution dedicated to improving the lives of individuals with developmental disorders of the brain, spinal cord, and musculoskeletal system through patient care, research and professional training, special education, and outreach in the community. Kennedy Krieger s Therapeutic Foster Care Program is one of the many services offered by the institute. The primary mission of the program is to support children with special needs who require temporary or permanent out-of-home placement. Drawing on the expertise of an interdisciplinary team, Kennedy Krieger s Therapeutic Foster Care Program trains and supports foster, respite, and adoptive families of children with special needs. Families participating in the program receive specialized training and general support, including group meetings, social work services, and respite care. Prior to this campaign, KKI found it difficult to maintain a sufficient number of families willing to foster children with special needs. Research conducted by KKI and others showed that eligible foster families were not enrolling in the program because they believed themselves ill-equipped to foster these children. illume was asked to develop a creative strategy to inform potential foster parents that they, in fact, were equipped, and should there be a situation where they needed training or support, KKI would assist them every step of the way. SOLUTION: illume viewed the many challenges the children faced from physical limitations, diseases, environmental and mental illnesses as equivalent to leaping over buildings in a single bound! Viewing the children from this perspective made them heroes. With the children playing the role of hero, the potential foster family takes a supportive role likened to Batman & Robin (Robin being the foster family). This approach both celebrates the child and takes some pressure off the potential foster parent to be perfect. The tagline, You don t have to be a hero to help one, was created. In essence, the foster parents didn t have to be superheroes in order to take care of a foster child with disabilities. RESULT: The campaign media buy included several publications and billboards. Within 3 years, there was a 75% increase in the the number of families signing up to become foster parents. illume S ROLE: Photography, copywriting, strategy and branding.

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7 CASE STUDY MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Housing Campaign BACKGROUND: As a result of the worst recession since the Great Depression, 2008 was marked by a foreclosure crisis affecting the entire country. The Federal Government bailed out banks, some were closed, and interest rates on home loans escalated causing many to foreclose on their homes. In order to provide assistance and alleviate the number of foreclosures, the State of Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development s Emergency Mortgage Assistance program (EMA) sought an advertising campaign to attract struggling homeowners to utilize their foreclosure prevention services. Research showed that homeowners did not know where to turn to obtain assistance; in some cases they were ignoring calls and mail from financial institutions warning of impending eviction. To prevent rampant foreclosures and abandonment of homes, DHCD and illume began development on an arresting campaign that assured home owners that hope was available to them. SOLUTION: In a coordinated effort with our media buying partner, Media Works, illume was tasked with developing print and outdoor advertisements, and producing TV and radio spots designed to provide awareness to the affected demographic. The primary goal of the campaign was to inspire those struggling with their mortgages to seek help via DHCD, before things got worse. RESULT: DHCD s goal was to assist 1200 Maryland homeowners with funding provided by the Federal Government. Within an extremely short campaign period of 12 weeks, illume and Media Works were able to help DHCD exceed its goals. By the campaign s end, over 1220 homeowners sought and were provided with assistance. Since the campaign, DHCD and the state of Maryland have received national recognition for their foreclosure prevention efforts, including the EMA campaign. illume S ROLE: Campaign design and strategy, print, TV, outdoor advertising, and marketing analysis.

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9 CASE STUDY BALTIMORE CITY DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING New Baltimore City Draft Zoning Microsite and Marketing BACKGROUND: In order to move Baltimore forward into a more efficient urban city, the Baltimore City Department of Planning needed to change the outdated zoning codes, which were over 40 years old. Prior to changing the codes, the Department of Planning wanted to ensure all vested parties (residents, developers, architects, etc.) had an opportunity to share their ideas, concerns, and visions for what Baltimore s new and improved zoning code would look like. Regardless of a small marketing budget, it was important to DOP that as many Baltimoreans as possible be aware of the new code and understand how they got to play a role in shaping the code. SOLUTION: There are few marketing tactics that compete well with the return on investment of . After the webpage was designed, became the primary form of communication, as a considerable portion of the audience (particularly developers and property owners) were already within the DOP s database. We also used direct mail to get the word out, piggy-backing collateral inside city water bills. Posters and postcards were also sent to key influencers and municipal buildings. The collateral message was clear and direct, warning of major changes and inviting civic participation. RESULT: The Department of Planning received thousands of visits to the zoning microsite, and hundreds attended informational events; so many, that extra events had to be scheduled. While some constituents complained about specific details of the proposed code, the department received few complaints regarding lack of awareness of the new zone code. illume S ROLE: Online marketing strategy, web design, print design, and copy development.

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11 CASE STUDY MOVEABLE FEAST Dining Out for Life BACKGROUND: Moveable Feast is a nonprofit organization that provides nutritious foods and other services in order to preserve quality of life for people with HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening conditions. Each year, Moveable Feast sponsors an event named Dining Out for Life. Area restaurants work in collaboration with the organization to encourage local residents to dine out in support of home-bound patients. On event day, participating restaurants donate a portion of their sales to Moveable Feast; therefore, the more patrons dining in the restaurants, the more donations. Moveable Feast, after developing a theme in house [Uncle Sam Wants You to Dine Out for Life], engaged illume to market all aspects of the event, including soliciting restaurants to participate. SOLUTION: illume believed Moveable Feast s mission to be universal and easy to translate to others. Moreover, the event asked little of participants, who by large, dine out regularly. Asking restaurants to participate was somewhat of a challenge, but the added PR surrounding the event convinced many to join in. illume believed it was imperative to give a face to a home-bound recipient. We chose a child, believing this would be more compelling than an adult. A promotional video was produced, and illume requested that local theaters show the spot before the start of major motion pictures; several theaters complied. Aside from the spot running in two large theaters weeks before the event, illume organized canvassing efforts, distributing posters and flyers throughout the Baltimore region. For added emphases and attention, Uncle Sam canvassed as well on event day, bringing even more attention to the cause. Painstaking detail was paid to the make-up and wardrobe of Uncle Sam to ensure a unified campaign message was achieved. RESULT: Record-breaking donations and awareness of event. illume S ROLE: Print design, marketing strategy, production, and guerrilla marketing. Video production by: Projector7. Special thanks to the Charles and Senator Theaters.

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13 CASE STUDY BALTIMORE CITY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Red Line Website Marketing BACKGROUND: The Baltimore City Department of Transportation is required to provide awareness within Baltimore City regarding the proposed Red Line a 14.1-mile, east-west transit line connecting the areas of Woodlawn, Edmondson Village, West Baltimore, downtown Baltimore, Inner Harbor East, Fells Point, Canton and the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center Campus. The Red Line will be the largest infrastructure project implemented in Baltimore since the late 1970 s, and because of its potential to positively impact the area s economy, the Obama administration has fast-tracked the project. A project this size will certainly affect a large number of residents and commuters. Communicating the benefits and complexities of the project to an entire city (over 500,000 people) with a small budget is challenging. SOLUTION: Considering the project s footprint, and the countless residences and businesses affected by the scope, illume s first priority was to design a more pragmatic and functional website a site which fully explained every aspect of the project. With the website being the default repository for information, marketing was naturally the next tactic deployed. Other marketing efforts include deployment of street teams throughout the Baltimore area. These teams attend only the most popular events, hand out promotional materials, and sign countless residents up for the Red Line list. RESULT: The Red Line website receives well over 3,000 unique visits per month, with an average visit time of 4.5 minutes. Since being awarded the account, illume has helped to grow the Red Line list by more than 50%. illume s street teams have logged over 600 hours of door-to-door canvassing [in low internet-use neighborhoods] and one-on-one conversations at events. illume S ROLE: Development of a strategic marketing plan, guerrilla marketing, website, collateral, and copy development.

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15 CASE STUDY KENNEDY KRIEGER INSTITUTE Trauma Campaign BACKGROUND: Kennedy Krieger Institute is an internationally recognized institution dedicated to improving the lives of individuals with developmental disorders of the brain, spinal cord, and musculoskeletal system through patient care, research and professional training, special education and outreach in the community. The Kennedy Krieger Family Center (KKFC) is a program of KKI, a Johns Hopkins University-affiliated specialty hospital internationally recognized for improving the lives of children and adolescents with developmental disabilities. The program provides a continuum of family-based services to children and adolescents with special needs who have a history of, or are at risk for, institutional placements. Emphasis is placed on the relationship between parent and child. Foster parents are highly trained to meet the emotional and physical needs of each child. The Kennedy Krieger Institute Family Center planned to launch a public awareness campaign, Healing From Trauma, in Baltimore, Maryland. The initiative was designed to address the potential outcomes of untreated psychological trauma resulting from abuse, neglect and exposure to domestic or community violence. The first step, however, was to identify the children in need and make their caregivers (parents, grandparents, aunts/uncles, etc.) aware of services available for treatment. Messaging developed to reach the target audience needed to consider cultural norms, sensitivities, and possible barriers. The call to action in this case was not singularly directed at caregivers, but also directed at the teens and young children as well. One of the primary goals of the campaign was for those experiencing stress-related trauma to know their own symptoms and then seek assistance. SOLUTION: illume conducted research wherein participants were asked how they felt when they were stressed due to trauma, and what they saw in others suffering from the same condition. As a result, we developed compelling copy and imagery based on our research findings. The campaign creative, which focused on symptoms, was developed as much by illume as it was by research participants. The campaign heightened awareness of the impact of trauma on children, family, and the community. The campaign also reminded individuals that they were not alone and could seek support from KKFC. Because of budget challenges, guerrilla marketing was the only viable solution to get the message to the targeted neighborhoods. An illume street team was assembled to hand-deliver thousands of postcards and posters to specific addresses and individuals within several Baltimore zip codes. RESULT: A 300% increase in calls compared to the calendar year 2005 (before illume managed and developed the creative). illume S ROLE: Research, print, copy, outdoor, and guerrilla.

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