Tags
Alzheimer, Alzheimer Association, Alzheimer's disease, Aveda, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Walk To End Alzheimer
It took a little time for me to decide what organization I wanted to blog about because there are so many examples of corporate advertising in everyday life. I chose the Alzheimer’s Association because it’s an organization that is close to my heart. I walked in the Walk To End Alzheimer’s event in September with the care facility that my husband’s Aunt lives in. She is suffering from dementia and I walked proudly on her behalf. “The Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s® is the nation’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research.” (from the website http://act.alz.org/site/PageServer?pagename=walk_chapter&scid=1752)
The Alzheimer’s Association raises funds for research and treatments for alzheimer’s and dementia while helping those who suffer from the disease and their families improve their quality of life. One way to raise funds and awareness is to host walks called “Walk to End Alzheimer’s” in different areas of the country and they do an incredible job getting people inspired to walk, raise money and sponsor the event.
The Minnesota/North Dakota Chapter had a 1-3 mile walk in September starting and ending at the Twin’s Stadium. It wasn’t just a walk, it was a party! Many teams were formed by the local memory care facilities and families of those that lost a loved one or have a loved one living with the disease. The stadium was a sea of people dressed in purple and was buzzing with loving and positive energy on that chilly Saturday morning, but the excitement started months before the morning of the walk. Walkers are encouraged to raise money for the cause and there are accomplishment incentives in place for the walkers. For example, if you raise $100.00 you earn a tee shirt. If you raise $500.00 you are a part of the Champions Club, where you can get access to the Club House in the Twins Stadium. There, you can sit in a heated bar with free snacks and get a back massage from Zen Massage. The halls were filled with sponsors from memory care facilities to Aveda and Barefoot Wine. There were appearances from the St. Paul Winter Carnival Royalty and the Star Wars Crew. Even the beloved Twins Mascot, T.C. Bear was a part of the action.
The corporate managers at the Alzheimer’s Association market the walk and it’s non-profit organization before, during and after the walk. They use social media to their advantage. They are present all over Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. They send out weekly updates and a newsletter via e-mail. They have a comprehensive website that throughly explains who they are, their mission and their goals and objectives. It’s clear they have a marketing and management team well versed in the language of social media. It’s impressive to see how literate they are in their use of social media to advertise.
Not only does the organization get into the minds and hearts of the public by doing walks and events, they have a firm grip on merchandise. From “winning” a tee shirt for raising $100.00 to the sun glasses you can purchase for $5 and the post-it stamps they hand out all over the stadium, everyone is going home with something they are going to use again, keeping the Alzheimer’s Association in plain view for all to see. After the walk, they send an e-mail out to people to pick their prize for raising money. For example, I am getting a black jacket with the Walk to End Alzheimer’s logo on the chest.
It’s an important and touching non-profit organization and everyone should be aware of them. From a marketing student’s aspect, they are a living and successful example of what to do and how to get the word out. They use all forms of marketing and they do it well. In fact, as a walker, I didn’t have to go anywhere but my computer to raise money. Once I had my page set up, I advertised it on Facebook and sent out e-mails and was able to raise over $540.00. I encourage everyone to check them out and get involved.
dmsmith007 
Nice graphics, however you don’t have approval from the source to use them do you? Please take them down because you could receive a “cease and desist” letter. You probably won’t thought because you are providing free advertising for them with your post.
In class we talked about using copyright free images and sourcing them from the Creative Commons on Flickr.
That’s awesome you have a cause you support! All of us should have something we passionately participate in. As you shared the organization is effectively showcasing their brand identity in a variety of media. All of these social media campaigns, newsletters, and updates continue to enhance their corporate identity.