The COVID-19 global pandemic has turned the world as we know it entirely upside down. As a result, 2020 has seen struggle and uncertainty socially, financially, and physically. Yet, in the midst of it, we have seen great strides by both people and companies to utilize this time to reach out and support those struggling – community outreach strides are helping to renew hope for a return to normal life after the pandemic.
Businesses have used their resources to help others hit by the COVID-19 economic setback. Recently, news has tended to drain all of us in business. So it is nice to hear about the community outreach and campaigns working to give back.
Local Billboard Advertising as Community Outreach
In one of our recent blog posts, we detailed the many benefits of utilizing outdoor advertising as a valuable medium for your business. The efficiency of outdoor advertising explains why you see so many billboard messages everywhere along our roadways, interstates, and other high-traffic locations. A billboard’s message space is a highly effective and cost-efficient means of reaching larger audiences.
In June, one of our local outdoor vendors in a medium-size DMA (Designated Market Area) approached us. They wanted to provide a “Now Open” campaign for local businesses once the government relaxed the COVID-19 stay-at-home order. This campaign was free of charge for participating businesses and utilized digital billboard advertising to post the business’s logo and the simple message that they were “Now Open.” The billboards played the businesses’ banners on a rotating loop.
The banners were displayed across ten digital panels city-wide and were seen by thousands of people over a month. The average cost for a campaign of this size would typically run over $4,300 – with high-demand locations averaging around $6,000.
So, what were the results? First, the community outreach campaign averaged around 225,000 impressions. This means that 45% of adults in the city saw those billboard messages 3.5 times. Not bad for a free campaign! Plus, it was a win-win for both the city as a whole and our local businesses.
This was an excellent chance for an outdoor vendor from a large conglomerate advertising company to give back. In addition, the campaign helped local businesses back to their feet following the COVID-19 shutdown. Finally, it provided a perfect opportunity for local businesses to announce to the community that they were open and ready to serve the public after months of closure.
A City Working Together
Our hometown of Louisville, like many other cities, experienced a particularly tumultuous 2020. Between the rippling effects of COVID-19 and the social unrest felt throughout the summer, businesses in the downtown area have struggled. Media Venue wanted to help. So we joined forces with the Louisville Downtown Partnership, local public relations firm Tandem, and Design Web Louisville to create a media program to reignite the area.
This program, called Downtown Strong, involved producing a thirty-second video spot to be run through local media outlets. A graphic was also created for billboards in the area. Tandem handled the creative components, while Media Venue coordinated the media schedule. Our media partners generously donated all of the advertising space for this program. The campaign will run in early 2023 and aims to remind the people of Louisville that downtown is open and ready to welcome them. Media Venue was proud to be part of this collaborative project.
National Marketing Support as Community Outreach
Community outreach has not only been happening at the local level. HubSpot has offered various support options for people and businesses that have struggled through the last few months.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, HubSpot has started community outreach campaigns and internal campaigns to support its employees. Employee support includes an entirely remote workforce and suspended employee company travel.
For community outreach, HubSpot suspended marketing email spend limits and increased limits on calling in the Sales and Service hub. These service changes have allowed their clients access to communication tools during this constant change.
In addition, HubSpot has reduced the first-year cost of its starter suite to support businesses that need to market during this economic setback. As added marketing support and to allow companies to adapt to the changing business structure easily, HubSpot made many of their paid free through August 30, 2020.
Though these initiatives show HubSpot’s priority for the health and safety of their employees and the customers they serve, HubSpot took it a step further and made a monetary donation on behalf of their global partner community to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for WHO.
Want to Learn More?
These are just a few examples of businesses using this trying time to give back. If you are interested in starting your own marketing initiatives but don’t know where to begin, contact Weaks McKinney-Smith at weaks@mediavenue.com for more information about the traditional and digital marketing options that Media Venue can help you execute. Enhance your marketing investment with Media Venue!
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About Our Blogger
As the president and CEO of Media Venue, Weaks McKinney-Smith knows marketing. He brings the means, imagination, and strategies to help clients cultivate successful marketing plans that grow their businesses. In addition, Weaks has over 25 years of experience in the advertising industry. This comprehensive background makes him an invaluable resource for Media Venue and our clients.
