When the COVID-19 crisis began to impact every aspect of our lives in late March, Sperry wanted to engage our local New England community with content that would resonate with them during a very uncertain time. We found that while there were many people in dire need of help, there were also people who wanted to help others.
OBJECTIVES
Maintain a meaningful, positive dialogue with our followers during a very sensitive time.
Encourage people nationwide to get involved in their communities during a time of crisis.
Make financial donations to local organizations in our backyard and help them raise money for charity.
Sperry worked quickly to create Everyday Heroes, a local New England campaign that would support, and spotlight Everyday Heroes – regular people who went above and beyond to help their communities and neighbors, starting their heroic activities in direct response to COVID-19, and not receiving anything in return.
MESSAGE
Everyday Heroes is Sperry’s way of celebrating those making a difference, no matter how small. We’re surrounded by heroes in our own backyard. Those who have stepped up, to go above and beyond to give back to the people in their communities hardest hit by COVID-19.
CONTENT
Spotlighted 5 Everyday Heroes (one per day for 5 days) in an Instagram stories takeover on Sperry’s social media.
Sperry donated a total of $5,000 to charities selected by each hero.
Each hero received a free pair of Sperry shoes.
Profiles on each hero were amplified on the Sperry blog.
Additional CTAs on how people can help in their communities included in each blog post.
Sperry community to nominated their own Everyday Heroes on Instagram.
Content was distributed via Sperry’s organic social channels including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, as well as email.
HEROES
We selected these Everyday Heroes in a variety of industries, supporting different areas and people. The majority of these heroes are local to our own backyard of Boston, Massachusetts. We wanted to give back to people around us in an effort to boost our local communities and employee morale. These heroes include Scituate Animal Shelter, The Front Steps Project, The Bagel Shop, a nurse, and a local mask-maker.
THE BAGEL SHOP: Bagel shop owners Hunter Tuccio and Brookes Townsend quickly devised a program that accepted donations from their customers to provide meals for healthcare workers.. Just a few days later, they were delivering hundreds of donated meals to local hospitals.
SCITUATE ANIMAL SHELTER: Scituate Animal Shelter regularly donates thousands of pounds of pet food annually—to both regional pet food pantries and local seniors. They launched Phone Pals-- matching volunteers with a designated senior, to call and check in, offering a friendly voice during times that can feel so lonely.
SASCHA FROWNIE: Sewed hundreds of masks and donated them to medical personnel and her local Y.
MAEGAN VAZ: A former nurse practitioner at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Maegan raised money and provided lunches and healthy treats to healthcare professionals on the frontline with the help of her community.
THE FRONT STEPS PROJECT: Boston photographer Cara Soulia and her friend Kristen Collins photographed their neighbors from the front steps of their homes in Needham and asked them to donate to the Needham Community Council. Front Steps Projects have raised over $25K for the Needham Community Council and the concept of #thefrontstepsproject has been voluntarily replicated by hundreds of photographers who have raised over $500K for local organizations such as food pantries and hospitals.
A highly engaging social campaign that connected with the Sperry community in a meaningful way, during a time when people were looking for ways to make a difference during a very scary time.
Donated $5,000 to select charities in honor of individuals and organizations, including New York Presbyterian Hospital, Needham Community Council, Scituate Animal Shelter, Rosie’s Place, and The Bagel Shop.
Raised thousands more from our followers via links in our content.
Over 185K organic impressions across Sperry’s social channels
After seeing Everyday Heroes activity, 34% of consumers thought Sperry was doing a better job with their COVID response vs mid-April.
Boost of internal team morale at a time when employees were working remotely and having hard time connecting.
Increased connection to New England area community and Sperry family after donating to local organizations
