Direct mail campaign earns recognition
Hillside Family of Agencies, one of New
York's oldest and most trusted family and youth services organizations,
has been selected the Rochester Chapter of the American Marketing
Association's 2007 Non-Profit Marketer of the Year. Hillside Family of
Agencies received the award for launching a direct-mail campaign to
recruit foster parents.
"Having Hillside selected as the
non-profit marketer of the year was a very exciting surprise. The
competition was impressive and our project was very specialized," said
Jennifer Bacci, Hillside Family of Agencies Director of Marketing.
The award was also significant for Bacci
in another way.
"Personally, as a marketer, it is most
fulfilling to be able to apply your skills and talents towards a cause
that brings about positive social change and then be singled out as an
example to others in the field," said Bacci.
Although not widely used as a recruitment
tool, targeting prospective foster parents with direct mail provided
positive return on Hillside's investment.
"In the past, very traditional methods of
print, television, and radio advertising and 'word of mouth' marketing
have been utilized with limited success. Direct mail is by far the
most cost effective method we have ever initiated," said Bacci.
The campaign, created in partnership with
The Verdi Group, Inc., was supplemented by an Internet component that
allowed Hillside to provide additional information to direct mail
respondents. Also integral to the success of the campaign was the work
of Hillside's Therapeutic Foster Care staff members who took calls
from people interested in learning more about becoming foster parents.
"The successful conversion of mail
responders into actual training participants was a direct result of
their efforts," said Bacci, noting that the campaign's "real reward"
was providing new foster homes to youth in Hillside's care.
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RAMA
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The Verdi Group, Inc.
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