Client:
Established in 1971, St Ann’s Hospice is a remarkable charity that provides care for individuals affected by life-limiting illnesses. The hospice supports patients, their families, caregivers, and friends during incredibly challenging times.
Originally a children’s home, the hospice building in Heald Green was over 100 years old when it was converted into a hospice in 1971. There is a clear and urgent need for a new, state-of-the-art St Ann’s Hospice.
Campaign:
After a very successful initial phase of fundraising, during which the ‘build’ appeal received its own branding and style, we were tasked with creating fundraising mail packs for the second and third phases of the campaign.
Challenge:
It was essential to keep donors motivated and engaged by demonstrating how their contributions were making a difference through real-time progress updates. However, this proved challenging due to significant setbacks caused by Covid and various supply chain and planning permission issues. As a result, there was little tangible progress on the ground that we could highlight to showcase the impact of their donations.
Strategic Approach:
We addressed these challenges by moving away from the traditional approach in fundraising direct mail, which typically emphasises the ‘need,’ and instead focusing on the ‘hope’ for a better future. By adopting an intersectional approach, we acknowledged the achievements that had already been made and highlighted the potential impact of further efforts. While local people recognised the significant need, what they truly required was inspiration to envision what they could help create.
A combination of CGI renderings of the new hospice and its grounds, along with emotive and insightful stories from patients, families, nurses, and key project workers, was compiled to create a compelling narrative for donors. This approach emphasised the invisible progress being made behind the scenes.
In Phase 3, we implemented a deeper level of segmentation to highlight various ways in which donors could have their generosity honoured in the new hospice. This allowed us to provide each segment with a more tailored expression of appreciation based on the type of support they had given to St. Ann’s. The results demonstrate that the thoughtfulness of this approach was well received by the audience.
Creative Approach:
We put significant effort into moving away from the traditional formats and approaches used in the Phase 1 direct mail packs. This shift was crucial in fostering a sense of renewed urgency for donations while also ensuring that our previous donors did not feel alienated by repetition.
Phase 2 packs incorporated a combination of insightful anecdotes along with CGI-rendered images of the new hospice. New photography from a photoshoot we directed at the Hospice featured their cheerful celebrity ambassador. This blend of uplifting imagery helped compensate for the lack of visible progress on the ground.
Phase 3 introduced a different design, creating a sense of renewed urgency and motivation for the campaign. We developed two formats: one for warm leads and another for cold leads, both featuring a magazine-like visual style. This approach allowed us to convey multiple impactful perspectives simultaneously, enhancing our messaging.