Stories
- Stories
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Challenge
Help CARE promote substantive, groundbreaking research to policymakers who are bombarded with information on an hourly basis–and raise awareness about a unique strategy that helps women in developing countries lift their communities out of poverty
Solution
Crafted an accessible and aspirational message about the research to appeal to non-experts, and executed an integrated communications plan to vastly extend the reach of the report beyond the relatively small circle of international development policy experts
Results
Ads on social networks, search engines and blogs for political influencers and women generated 12 million impressions of CARE's message
More than 3,000 people visited a landing page where they could download the report and donate to CARE
A Capitol Hill panel promoted CARE’s unique approach to key policymakers
Congressional Toolkits with pre-written materials helped House and Senate staffers spread the word
Development blogs covered the report in depth, reaching thousands of influentials in government, philanthropy and academia
Reaching Busy Policymakers With Groundbreaking Research
Defeating Poverty with a Handful of Pennies
CARE, one of the world's largest humanitarian organizations, spent years developing and studying an innovative approach to fighting poverty through entrepreneurial investment: Village Savings and Loan Associations, in which women pool their pennies to start small businesses and work their way out of poverty.
The results were encouraging. Village S&Ls were reaching the poorest of the poor, who had been left behind by traditional microfinance institutions. And women were not only earning more income—they were gaining a voice in their communities and earning new respect.
CARE wanted to ensure that the good news reached beyond development experts and would inform policymaking in the U.S. Congress. The organization sought to educate Congressional champions, thought leaders and grassroots supporters, in order to advance passage of the GROWTH Act and bring Village Savings and Loans to more women.
CARE enlisted Hattaway Communications to create a message that conveyed the multi-faceted impact of the model, while making the subject accessible to those not familiar with microlending. Distilling a nearly 200-page report into a four-page message, CARE was able to accurately and convincingly convey why this approach was the most promising for reaching Africa’s poorest people.
To help spread the word on Capitol Hill—and to help overburdened House and Senate staff prepare written materials on the subject—the Hattaway team produced a Congressional Toolkit containing pre-drafted speeches, opeds, newsletter articles, web content and other materials that Congressional offices could use to communicate with colleagues and constituents.
To reach thought leaders and grasstops advocates, we executed an online ad campaign that reached more than 12 million impressions of CARE's message and drove more than 3,000 supporters directly to CARE’s report on a specially designed landing page. The ads targeted users according to their interests in women and development, demographics and geography (for crucial Congressional districts).
To raise visibility on Capitol Hill around a panel discussion with microfinance experts, we designed a series of posters that put a human face on the topic—and highlighted the impact of Village Savings and Loans Associations on the women they serve.
Services
- Message development
- Audience targeting
- Communications strategy
- Online advertising
- Media relations
- Creative design
“Congressional staffers are bombarded with demands on their time and attention—this campaign helped an important report break through the noise." – JoDee Winterhof, CARE Vice President, Policy & Advocacy
“Too many reports filled with great information end up in the trash. CARE made sure this groundbreaking report would break through to a busy audience—and inform the dialogue in Congress." – Mike Lenihan, Hattaway Communications