BC SPCA Election 2024 Campaign
Driving Acquisition and Advocacy for Political Change
Objective: Design and implement a comprehensive, multi-phase marketing strategy for the BC SPCA’s election campaign, aimed at elevating animal welfare issues within the election cycle and positioning the organization as a leader in advocacy. The campaign sought to educate the public on candidates' positions regarding animal welfare, encourage voter engagement and drive action through strategic communication channels.
Strategic Approach: To maximize visibility and influence, I recommended extending the campaign over several weeks, mirroring the approach of political campaigns. This strategy not only promoted voting but also focused on empowering the public to research candidates’ stances on animal welfare and make informed decisions. The extended campaign timeline allowed us to maintain consistent, impactful messaging on critical issues.
Key Campaign Components:
Six Core Priorities: The campaign focused on six key animal welfare issues, each receiving at least two weeks of dedicated promotion. This allowed for in-depth engagement on each topic and helped sustain interest over time.
Multi-channel Engagement Strategy: We used a combination of organic social media, media releases, educational content and targeted paid advertising to maximize reach and engagement across diverse platforms.
Community Engagement: A heavy emphasis was placed on active community management. The social team and Science and Policy team responded to comments, answered questions and interacted directly with supporters on both organic posts and paid ads. This helped build trust with the community and fostered a sense of involvement and connection.
Interactive Feedback Mechanism: Surveys invited participants to rank their top three animal welfare priorities, providing valuable insights into public concerns and ensuring that the campaign was responsive to voter interests.
Key Outcomes
Increased Email Subscriptions: One of the primary goals was to grow the BC SPCA’s email list. By aligning the campaign with a timely national issue, we successfully engaged new supporters, significantly increasing sign-ups and boosting community engagement.
Positioning BC SPCA as a Leader in Animal Welfare: The campaign solidified the BC SPCA’s reputation as a thought leader in the animal welfare space, holding political candidates and government officials accountable for their positions on animal rights.
Broad Public Engagement: Over 16,000 participants engaged with the campaign (55% increase), ranking their animal welfare priorities and 4,250 emails were sent to election candidates, urging them to take action for animal welfare.
Political Impact: The campaign influenced political platforms, with one major party including our call for more pet-friendly housing in their platform and several independent candidates committing to support animal welfare if elected.
Public Discourse Contribution: The campaign successfully integrated animal welfare into public discourse during the election cycle, ensuring that it was recognized as a key issue for voters and politicians alike.
Community Building & Trust: By actively participating in conversations and responding to questions and comments, we built stronger relationships with the BC SPCA’s audience, showing that the organization values and listens to its supporters. This level of engagement not only enhanced the campaign’s credibility but also deepened public investment in the cause.