A ‘Gold’ Star
“Rock’s Amazing Race,” a collaborative fund-raising campaign and video production created by the Marketing and Communication Office and the Ohio Wesleyan Fund staff, received a Pride of CASE V Gold Award in the category of “Best Program in Engaging an Institution’s CEO in Fundraising.”
“Rock’s Amazing Race,” loosely based on The Amazing Race TV series, featured eight OWU students in four two-person teams, competing against each other in various races and contests across the campus. On four successive Mondays, staffers released a new challenge video online; each week, viewers were invited to vote for their favorite team by “liking” the team on Facebook and to consider making a gift to the fund.
The race generated an increase in online giving and a boost in social media engagement through Facebook, resulting in more than a quarter-million impressions, meaning many viewers were sharing information about it with friends.
“I am so grateful to the Ohio Wesleyan Fund staff and the creative minds in Marketing and Communication, as well as our great student race volunteers who worked so hard on the project,” said Jayn Chaney, director of the Ohio Wesleyan Fund. “We especially want to thank all of the viewers of the series who engaged with the campaign online and supported it with their gifts.”
The campaign’s use of a variety of social media platforms magnified its impact in the eyes of the CASE V judges.
“We integrated several social media elements, including Facebook, YouTube, a themed website, and targeted emails,” said Cheri Theisen, associate director of Marketing and Communication. “The social media mix created anticipation and a ‘what’s next?’ type of buzz for the project, generating an energy among students, alumni, and donors that caused our online engagement to jump significantly in just two months.”
In conjunction with other University Relations efforts, the eight-week campaign helped raise more than $675,000 for the Ohio Wesleyan Fund, which supports core functions of the University and educational experiences for students.
The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) is an international association for education advancement professionals in alumni relations, fund raising, and communications. The Pride of CASE V Awards Program honors institutions that demonstrate outstanding achievement in the concept and execution of advancement programs and communications. CASE District V includes more than 400 educational institutions from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin.