Building on the success of previous Safe Nights campaigns and eliminating the seasonality of fundraising efforts, The National Collective of Independent Women’s Refuges set to work on a campaign that would match or even exceed 2021’s winter appeal.

Cosying up for a night in

While insights revealed the previous Safe Nights campaign had been highly successful, it required substantial resources and effort to sustain, meaning the fundraising team needed to find a more manageable yet engaging approach to fundraising.

The marketing campaign aligned perfectly with the organisation’s brand strategy. The National Collective of Independent Women’s Refuges overarching aim is to create a society where all women and children live free from family violence. By adopting a positive and empowering narrative, the campaign reframed the organisation as an accommodation provider, enabling people to make a difference in the lives of others. The campaign communicated the transparency and impact of the donations, building trust and engagement with prospective donors.

The Great Night In introduced a unique concept that resonated with the public, introducing them to the Danish concept of “hygge”. This concept is all about creating a cosy atmosphere at home. This campaign drew from this by encouraging people to donate by simply staying at home and in return, donors received limited-edition $20 bundles from partnering brands, enhancing their own “hygge” experience.

With a modest media budget, the campaigns focus was on social, owned, and earned media channels. Earned media was instrumental in generating awareness, leveraging the support of partners and influencers to promote the event, while media partnerships with Discovery and other outlets provided extensive coverage and amplified the campaign’s visibility.

The Great Night In surpassed expectations, resulting in 14,678 Safe Nights and a total of $641,153 raised for the Winter Appeal. The campaign achieved an impressive ROI of $3.36, demonstrating the effectiveness of the strategic approach. 

The Great Night In campaign stands out for its ability to surpass previous fundraising records,
engage the public in a positive and meaningful way, and create a memorable and rewarding experience for donors. Through this campaign, The National Collective of Independent Women’s Refuges successfully motivated people to make a difference and contribute to the cause of eliminating family violence from the comfort of their couches.

Category:
Best-Not-For-Profit Marketing Campaign

Company:
National Collective of Independent Women’s Refuges

Marketing Initiative:
The Great Night In

Marketing Partners:
EightyOne

Judges’ Comments:
“As a jury we really admired the bravery of building on an existing brand platform to deliver something new and fresh. It was really clear to see what marketing brought to the table in this one, and how the campaign affected the tangible outcomes. We loved the simple insight of getting people to feel good about doing nothing for those who can’t. Your input was minimal, but the tangible benefits for others was clear. There were no barriers to signing up, it’s just too easy to get involved. A clear winner, and a very worthy cause.“

Finalists:
Engineering New Zealand, Netsafe New Zealand, New Zealand Red Cross, RSA, Southern Cross Health Society, The Restaurant Association of New Zealand

This article was originally published in the September/October 2023 issue of NZ Marketing. Click here to subscribe.