Reinvigorating #iGiveCatholic with a digital media campaign

Written By Alicia Vial

Situation

Generosity is important every day but keenly felt and appreciated during the holidays. The Catholic Community Foundation (CCF) of the Archdioceses of New Orleans hosts the annual #iGive Catholic campaign on #GivingTesday. This annual 24-hour online giving event provides parishes, schools, ministries and nonprofits affiliated with partner archdioceses and dioceses the opportunity to connect with their current donors and establish new relationships. Individuals can scroll through a local and national database of participating organizations, click on their favorite church, school or local ministry and make a monetary gift on this global day of philanthropy.

What began as a local 24-hour online giving day to bring Catholic communities and donors together on a worldwide day of giving has grown to yield national results. Launched in 2015 by the CCF, the inaugural #iGiveCatholic Giving Day raised $1.36 million in just 24 hours, transforming Catholic giving online.

To help this day of giving continue to grow, the CCF partnered with Gambel Communications for a social media and digitial media campaign.

Strategy

Gambel Communications developed a strategic social media campaign that leveraged testimonials by local Catholic influencers, sharing why they give Catholic for organic paid social media posts focusing on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Additionally, one lucky participating organization won the right to participate in a targeted geofenced advertising campaign sponsored by the Catholic Community Foundation.

Underpinning the campaigns success was reminding Catholics and the general public why generosity is important in daily lives and during the holidays through a ‘Why I Give’ testimonial campaign that leveraged local Catholic Influencers, including New Orleans Archbishop Gregory Aymond and students of local Catholic schools.

Additionally, Gambel Communications created a geofencing campaign that targeted visitors to select Catholic schools, surrounding churches and other points of interest for two weeks leading up to #iGiveCatholic.

Results

As a direct result of Gambel Communications community and social media relations efforts as well as social media strategy, the Catholic Community Foundation’s #iGiveCatholic produced the following measured results:

  • 160% increase in social media engagement compared to the previous year

  • 42,212 geofence ads served with a click-through-rate of 22%, compared to an industry average of 10%

  • $2,089,200 raised in 24-hours by 4,975 donors for 167 different ministries

Alicia Vial

Alicia Vial is a New Orleans native with more than a decade of experience elevating client stories and leading crisis response. As the senior director of strategy, Alicia acts as a leader within the Gambel Communications team ensuring each agency team member is positioned to deliver strategic public relations services that meet the highest standards of the industry. In addition to supporting the agency’s long-term business growth and development, she coordinates day-to-day account services and oversees strategic direction while staying abreast of best practices and industry trends to provide innovative solutions to meet client’s needs.

Before joining Gambel Communications, Alicia served as the communications director for the Louisiana SPCA, the oldest and largest animal welfare organization in Louisiana that impacts more than 74,000 animals per year. During her nearly eight-year tenure, Alicia oversaw numerous crises, served on national communication taskforces, oversaw all aspects of internal and external relations and worked alongside the development department to raise critical funding. Prior to that, she worked in the fast-paced New Orleans hospitality industry focusing on digital public relations for multiple hotels.

Alicia is a member of the Public Relations Association of Louisiana (PRAL), Southern Public Relations Federation (SPRF), a board member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) New Orleans Chapter and a member of the New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute. An accredited public relations practitioner (APR), Alicia is also certified in crisis communications, organizational leadership, content marketing and social media.

A well respected and trusted public relations practitioner, Alicia has been recognized by SPRF as a ‘Senior Practitioner of the Year’. Dubbed early on in her career as one to watch, she also received the ‘Rising Star’ award by PRAL and was profiled in St. Charles Avenue Magazine as part of their Young Bloods series. Most recently, she was recognized at PRSA’s annual Fleurish Awards and received four Awards of Excellence for her work along with the ‘Plate Spinner’ award for her efforts on the board of directors for the chapter.

An LSU graduate, Alicia received a bachelor's degree in mass communications with a concentration in public relations and minors in business administration and leadership development. She is a frequent speaker and presenter on public relations topics, most recently presenting at the Jefferson Economic Development Commission and SPRF annual conference.

When Alicia is not at work, you can find her at the ballpark with her three boys or cheering on the Tigers in Death Valley.

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