Objectives

For over thirty years, iHeartMedia has been a long standing partner of St. Jude Children Research Hospital. The corporate partnership in between the two companies is leveraged and executed at a community level.

Treatment and research discovered and implemented at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20 percent to more than 80 percent since the hospital opened more than 50 years ago. St. Jude is working to improve the overall survival rate for childhood cancer to 90 percent in the next decade. St. Jude doesn't bill any family for the treatment they receive, which makes fundraising such an important part of their mission.

Campaign objectives:

• -Raise funds for St. Jude Children Research Hospital using our iHeartMedia's massive reach in the Country music demographic. Encourage fans and listeners to become Partners in Hope for the organizations by committing to make $20 monthly donations to St. Jude.
• -Activate the community to donate by leveraging nationally syndicated personality Bobby Bones

• -Motivate and engage fans to tune in to the radiothon by leveraging iHeartMedia's close relationships with the biggest stars in the Country music world. Use the power of celebrities for the greater good.

• -Establish and reinforce iHeartMedia's status in the corporate social responsibility space. iHeartMedia is dedicated to inform, inspire and support the communities in which it broadcasts.

Strategy and Execution

For the past 30 years, iHeartMedia has partnered with St. Jude through various programs, and most recently through the Country Cares for St. Jude Radiothon to raise funds for life saving treatment.

Fundraising

Over the course of two days, December 7 and 8, 2017, iHeartMedia's syndicated nationally syndicated The Bobby Bones Show aired live the Country Cares for St. Jude Radiothon. Among stories from patients and their families, the radiothon also featured a stellar lineup of country superstars using the power of country music to encourage donations from their fans and iHeartMedia listeners.

Bobby Bones – on-air personality

Bobby Bones is a nationally syndicated personality for iHeartMedia and the youngest-ever inductee in the National Radio Hall of Fame. Bobby is not only loved for his humor, passion for Country and candidness, but also for his affinity to helping other people. Among the many charities he supports, Bobby has been a long standing partner for St. Jude raising over $8 million for them since 2014. In addition to being a driving force behind iHeartMedia fundraising efforts, Bobby takes time to visit the hospital in Memphis, TN where he brings joy to the patients and their families by performing with his comedy band, The Raging Idiots.

Power of Celebrity

During the Country Cares for St. Jude Radiothon, Bobby Bones invited dozens of Country singers to perform covers and original songs to encourage listeners to make a contribution to St. Jude. Among the superstar guests were Dustin Lynch, Kip Moore, Dan + Shay, Lauren Alaina, Chris Janson, Nikita Karmen, Tucker Beathard, Danielle Bradbery, Cole Swindell, Kelsea Ballerini, Lindsay Ell, Charlie Worsham, Luke Combs, Jimmie Allen and many more. Last year's record of $1.3 million was easily surpassed to $1.7 million during the 2017 radiothon.

In addition more than 80 country artists supported the St. Jude 'This Shirt Saves Lives' campaign in addition to the radiothon. The social media push and on-air promotion through Country Cares radio partner stations attracted thousands of new Partners in Hope and sustaining donors in support of the life-saving research and treatment being done at St. Jude. Artist and donor social posts can be viewed at https://www.stjude.org/thisshirt .

iHeartMedia – Corporate Social Responsibility

iHeartMedia is a powerhouse in the Country music space. iHeartCountry has more than 150 Country broadcast radio stations across the U.S. reaching more than 110 million Country music listeners per month, making it the largest Country broadcast radio group in America. The Country Cares for St Jude Radiothon was supported by thousands of public service announcements aired nationally, social media and digital support.

Results

• -The Bobby Bones show generated over $1.7 million in 2017 with the help of several artists including Lauren Alaina, Kelsea Ballerini and Cole Swindell, surpassing last year's record by $400,000
• -iHeartMedia mobilized 26 radio stations across the nation and collectively raised more than $5.6 million in 2017 during the annual Country Cares for St. Jude Kids national radiothon.
• -For the past five years, iHeartMedia has raised over $47 million to benefit St. Jude.

Media