Team Escalade Texas Whitepaper
How Cadillac used "The Dragonfly Effect" to bring hope to thousands Six Charities, 19 Celebrities, Four Cities…One Bold Drive to Change Lives!
When the Texas Cadillac Dealers and their parent company General Motors, created Team Escalade Texas, a challenge to support six charities, they hoped it would change lives and engage customers. Still, the resulting impact was beyond anyone's expectations.
"Team Escalade Texas was incredibly effective in raising awareness for Duchenne, a devastating and lethal muscle disease in children. Duchenne mostly affects young boys, leaving them wheelchair-bound by the age of 12 with a life expectancy in their mid-twenties," says Debra Miller, founder and CEO of CureDuchenne. "It's hard to raise the funds necessary to find a cure if no one has heard of a disease. Cadillac's help enabled us to reach millions of people and raise substantial funds for research."
The challenge:
One "Bold Drive to Change Lives," Team Escalade Texas, was a multimedia campaign created by the Texas Cadillac Dealers (Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio) to increase awareness of and support six charities: CureDuchenne, Taylor's Gift Foundation, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Special Olympics Texas, Love Hope Strength and the YMCA. The challenge was based on principles found in "The Dragonfly Effect," a book by Jennifer Aaker and Andy Smith that details how organizations and individuals can harness social media and psychological insights to drive change.
Named for the only insect that can move in any direction when all four wings are in motion, "The Dragonfly Effect" relies on four pillars that work together to produce great results:
Focus – identify a single, concrete and measurable goal
Grab attention – tell a powerful story with unexpected, visceral and visual aspects
Engage – foster personal connections to spur action
Take action – enable and empower others to accomplish something important; make the audience part of the solution
Central to the campaign was a contest between the charities to garner public support for their cause, backed by a celebrity team. Led by former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Drew Pearson, the celebrity team publicly appeared on behalf of the charities in each designated market. Texas Cadillac Dealers produced a video public service announcement for each charity and provided them with paid media support to publicize and promote the PSAs in each market.
The celebrities who joined Team Escalade Texas team captain Drew Pearson were:
CureDuchenne – Daryl Johnston, Rocket Ismail, Dan Pastorini and Reid Gettys
Taylor's Gift Foundation – Everson Walls, Danieal Manning and Mike Renfro
Love Hope Strength – Mike Modano, Brent Severyn and N.D. Kalu
Ronald McDonald House Charities – Randy White, Jay Novacek and Matt Bullard
Special Olympics Texas – Carly Patterson, Laura Wilkinson and Zina Garrison
The YMCA – Brian Cardinal, Derek Harper and Alphonso Roundtree
From Sept. 22 until Oct. 30, 2011, Cadillac customers, employees and the public were encouraged to share their favorite charity's PSA and vote for it via social media. Texas Cadillac Dealers pledged to provide additional funds for media support for each charity after the campaign, and the charity that received the most votes, shares and acts would receive the largest media support package, valued at $150,000.
The results:
During the challenge, roughly 45,000 people voted, shared and acted for their favorite charity's PSA, and more than 40,000 of those votes, shares and acts were split between CureDuchenne and Taylor's Gift Foundation. The results were close, with CureDuchenne in the lead by about 500 votes.
"Originally, we planned to give one big media package to the winner and smaller packages to the other charities, but the outpouring of support for CureDuchenne and Taylor's Gift Foundation was so incredible that we decided to award each of them with a larger media package, worth roughly $150,000 a piece," says Tom D'Angelo, Cadillac's regional marketing manager for Dallas/Fort Worth. "We wanted to do this to recognize the great work these charities do and the fantastic support of everyone involved with Team Escalade Texas."
After the challenge, Texas Cadillac Dealers also presented Special Olympics of Texas with $2,000 in cash and a web article valued at $5,000. Ronald McDonald House and Love Hope Strength each received $1,000 in cash and a web article valued at $5,000.
The goal of Team Escalade Texas was to educate fellow Texans about the six chosen charitable organizations and increase interest, volunteers and donations for those charities – a goal it quickly surpassed thanks to the interest and dedication of everyone involved.
"We gained a lot of exposure from the campaign," notes Todd Storch, co-founder and president of Taylor's Gift Foundation, a nonprofit that encourages and builds awareness for organ donation and supports those affected by it. "There was a huge spike in website traffic during that time, and we've helped register about half a million people as organ donors since then. That's an increase of more than 40% Texas-wide. We can't say it was just because of Cadillac – a lot of people and events played a part in that –but Cadillac was definitely a contributing factor."
A closer look at the winners:
CureDuchenne: No. 1
A national nonprofit in Newport Beach, CA, CureDuchenne works tirelessly to raise funds and awareness for Duchenne – a devastating and lethal form of muscular dystrophy. The disease strikes one in every 3,500 boys regardless of race, country or economic status. Duchenne is 100% lethal, and the average life expectancy for those affected is 25.
"It's a cruel disease because when your son is born, he seems normal. He can walk and run, but when the disease takes hold, it robs him of that mobility," notes Mindy Cameron, a spokesperson for Duchenne awareness. "When he was little, my son used to run and play. Now he's about to turn 12, and we just got him his first power wheelchair."
Cameron explains that more than a dozen forms of muscular dystrophy vary significantly in severity and treatment options. "It's like it is with cancer – each kind is treated differently. So making the distinction between Duchenne and other forms of muscular dystrophy was huge. Cadillac was a total game-changer. Pharmaceutical firms and researchers are looking even harder to find a cure because more people are talking about it."
In addition, Team Escalade Texas helped connect Duchenne-afflicted families with support groups, enabling them to build awareness of the disease in their communities. One such person was the mother of a little boy with Duchenne who had been searching unsuccessfully for a support group since her son's diagnosis ten months prior. She had heard about Team Escalade Texas through a post on a Cadillac dealership's Facebook page. The Cadillac dealer could give her something she had longed for: an outlet for emotional support and hope.
Since the campaign, CureDuchenne has:
Gained national awareness for Duchenne
Increased revenue by 25%*
Funded three additional Duchenne research projects
Seen an 18% increase in Texas donors*
Noticed a substantial increase in website traffic and social media chatter
Benefitted from an additional promotional video from the Dallas Cadillac Dealers Association
Enjoyed an ongoing relationship with Team Escalade Texas celebrities that has continued to provide new fundraising opportunities
"Team Escalade Texas was a fantastic opportunity for CureDuchenne. The campaign helped us raise a lot of awareness and fundraising dollars. It also led to additional fundraising events nationwide, including several organized by Rocket Ismail and other celebrities from the Cadillac challenge. We're so grateful to all of them," says Jessica Rothe, a volunteer for CureDuchenne.
Rothe's 10-year-old son, Nathan, suffers from Duchenne. During Team Escalade Texas, Nathan served as a spokesman for Duchenne awareness, a distinction Rothe says has long-reaching results. She explains that Nathan's doctor, Brenda Wong, was so impressed by his actions as a spokesperson that she invited him to travel to Washington, DC, to represent Cincinnati Children's Hospital on its family advocacy days. Nathan will testify before Congress June 19-20, 2013, about what it's like to live with Duchenne and the need for comprehensive care funding for those afflicted.
CureDuchenne serves as a catalyst for human clinical trials. It provides initial research and funding, supports preclinical studies, and partners with biotech and pharmaceutical companies to accelerate medication development. To date, seven research projects have made their way into human clinical trials with support from CureDuchenne. For more information, visit www.cureduchenne.org.
Taylor's Gift Foundation: No. 2
Todd and Tara Storch founded Taylor's Gift Foundation in 2010 after a skiing accident claimed the life of their 13-year-old daughter, Taylor. During this tragic time, her parents chose to donate Taylor's organs, giving five people and their families hope and a new outlook on life. For the Storch family, it changed the conversation from death to life and laid the foundation for the nonprofit's purpose. Created to raise awareness of the need for organ donation, Taylor's Gift strives to meet three pillars: to re-gift life, renew health and restore families.
"Organ donation is about life, not death. It's a perfect way to outlive yourself. Today, more than 100,000 are waiting for an organ transplant. In just 90 seconds, you can register online and make the ultimate difference," explains Todd Storch.
Since the campaign, Taylor's Gift Foundation:
Has seen a 41% increase in the Texas Organ Donor Registry
Experienced an 83% increase in website traffic, as well as an increase in online donations
Was named 2012 Best New Charity in the Nation by CLASSY Awards, the largest philanthropic awards ceremony in the country
Began awarding "Outlive Yourself" scholarships to graduating seniors
Was invited to close NASDAQ
Launched the "Taylor's Gift Legacy Grant Program" to help families whose lives have been touched by organ donation
In addition, Taylor's Gift partnered with OPI to create Taylor Blue limited edition nail polish, the foundation's signature color and the color of Taylor's eyes. People can purchase the nail polish at www.taylorsgift.org/taylorblue and 70% of each sale will return to the nonprofit. Todd and Tara Storch also wrote a book, "Taylor's Gift: A Courageous Story of Giving Life and Renewing Hope," published by Baker Publishing and released for sale on April 1, 2013. The book chronicles the tragic loss of Taylor and her family's struggle to create something positive from that loss. It also details the stories of four families who received Taylor's organs and provides information on organ donation and registration. For more information on Taylor's Gift Foundation or to register as an organ donor, visit www.TaylorsGift.org.
"Taylor's Gift Foundation is honored to work with companies like Cadillac. It was a true gift and a fantastic opportunity for us," notes Todd Storch. "Their involvement made a tremendous impact. We were named the Best New Charity in the Nation for 2012, and we couldn't have done it without Cadillac's support."
A closer look at Cadillac:
Synonymous with quality, Cadillac has been a leading luxury auto brand since 1902. Its parent company, General Motors Co. (NYSE:GM, TSX: GMM) produces vehicles in 30 countries and has leadership positions in the world's largest and fastest-growing automotive markets.
Team Escalade Texas was named for Cadillac's Escalade, built in Arlington, Texas. The Escalade has been dubbed the highest-performing vehicle in its class by J.D. Power and Associates for two years in a row and it is the top-selling, full-size luxury SUV nationwide.
Through Team Escalade Texas, Cadillac:
Received more than $1.5 million in PR value
Earned more than 800 media clips and $750,000 in media support
Gained 14,100+ fans on the Texas Cadillac Dealers Facebook pages
Received 170,422 friend-to-friend social impressions through the donated BestBuzz app
Reached 850,000+ people via Twitter
Participated in 47 events throughout Texas
Expanded its web presence – during the challenge, the Team Escalade Texas webpage accounted for 150,000 page views with an average of five minutes per visit
Hosted a press conference with Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, Dallas City Council Woman Pauline Medrano, Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck and Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitely. Also in attendance were State Senator Royce West and State Representatives Roberto Alonzo, Linda Harper-Brown and Bill Zedler
"Cadillac's involvement changed everything," added Cameron. "It brought a lot of hope to so many people."
About Team Escalade Texas
Team Escalade Texas was a charity challenge sponsored by Texas Cadillac Dealers to increase public awareness and support for vital Texas charities: six teams, 19 celebrities, four cities and one bold drive to save lives. The challenge ran through October 30, 2011.
About Cadillac
Cadillac has been a leading luxury auto brand since 1902. In recent years, Cadillac has engineered a historic renaissance led by artful engineering and advanced technology. More information on Cadillac can be found at https://media.cadillac.com/media/us/en/cadillac/home.html.
* Data shown encompasses the year-over-year increase from 2011 to 2012.
TrizCom Public Relations - Our mission is to create and develop innovative and groundbreaking digital communications campaigns that produce measurable results based on data-driven objectives.
Everyone has a story. Let TrizCom tell yours. Let's talk.
Click here for more information about Team Escalade
TrizCom Public Relations – www.TrizCom.com – 972-247-1369
How Cadillac used “The Dragonfly Effect” to bring hope to thousands Six Charities, 19 Celebrities, Four Cities…One Bold Drive to Change Lives!
©2012
