Buy Happiness
Wier / Stewart partners with Goodwill and everybody's happy.
Who says you can’t buy happiness? We like to think you can at Goodwill. In fact, over the past few months, we’ve been able to work with the good folks at Goodwill to do just that.
The Challenge
Goodwill Industries has, for years, been a place where people both donated and shopped. Because of changing economic conditions, shopping trends, and competition from other resellers, Goodwill’s store sales started trending downward. We were brought on to help reverse this trend and help Goodwill increase retail sales, which contribute a large portion of the funds used for Goodwill’s many community-enriching programs. It’s a task we didn’t take lightly.
Today's Changing Retail Environment
Traditionally, Goodwill shoppers have consisted mainly of Boomers, mostly female. One of our tactics to get sales up was to get these shoppers in the store more often. Another tactic (and goal shared with the client) was to get Millennials and Gen Z’ers in the store. Our research told us that only 29% of Goodwill shoppers are millennials (*Kantar ‘State of Retail’ report done for GII), a trend we all wanted to address.
So what are we up against? In order to address both of these audiences, we had to figure out what exactly was contributing to the downward sales trend.
The rise of Social Buy/Sell/Trade Groups
Increase in number of local Resellers and Consigners
The clothing industry’s move towards fast fashion. Clothes are not what they used to be! This affects donations and the perception of quality within the stores.
Our Solve
A strategic brand-centric retail campaign with just enough direct response marketing to drive retail sales in the Augusta and Macon markets.
Campaign Goals
Clarify the Mission
The public perception of Goodwill is generally positive, though precursory. Last year, Goodwill received donations from over 440,000 individual material donors. We need the community to understand the impact Goodwill has on the lives of those it serves. Having our audience know the story, and be able to tell it, is paramount to achieving all our goals.
Back It Up
66% of people say they are willing to pay more for products and services that come from companies who are committed to social and environmental impact*. (*Kantar ‘State of Retail’ report done for GII)
Communicate the Value
Last year at Goodwill, over 200,000 hours were worked by people with disabilities. The value Goodwill offers to its shoppers is two-fold: First, they’re getting great deals. Secondly, they are making a difference LOCALLY by helping people work and find jobs when they shop at Goodwill. It’s a really big win-win.
This year, Goodwill placed over 6,000 people into jobs.
‘Fresh & Full’ Tone
The thrill of the hunt is something you get at Goodwill and nowhere else. Let’s embrace our youthful, energetic side.
Our Concept
Buying Happiness.
They say you can’t. We disagree. When you help someone break the cycle of poverty or live an abundant life by buying a little something for yourself, we think you are buying happiness - it’s just not yours. The idea of fulfillment, contentment and the greater mission of Goodwill led us to a place where, in order to reach our goals, we wanted to bring some optimism to the table. We want people buying happiness.
Campaign Elements
Brand Elements like Reflex Blue and the recognizable white box from the Goodwill logo remind shoppers whose ad they’re seeing.
Featured Finds showcase actual items purchased at Goodwill along with their brand name and retail price.
Local Talent allows us to localize ad content, while being good stewards of our client’s budget.
"Social content was a major player in this campaign. Working across multiple channels, we created an understanding of Goodwill's mission and logistics of inventory, which was a crucial step in gaining the attention and trust of non-shoppers."
Beth James / Account Executive
"Through our advanced digital campaign, we've been able to exponentially increase both the number of Goodwill website visitors and the amount of time each user spends on the site. We're also encouraged to see that millennials are particularly active within the campaign, helping to lower CPAs through strong performance."
Katie King / Media Director
"Goodwill's altruism is a complex story to tell. It was a treat to be able to showcase their positive impact on the community in a simplified way, using video as the medium. From interviewing those whose were changed for the better to working with Goodwill's staff, we were able to share the mission in a fun and effective way."
Amanda Ferguson / Content Producer
Results
After several months of getting media up and running, we’re happy to see a correlation between our campaign flight and Goodwill’s store retail sales trajectory.
And with all the good work Goodwill is doing, that makes us very happy.
"Trust is the key driver of a successful relationship between agencies and clients. Sure, there needs to be creativity, energy, passion and there are always deadlines to meet. Still, trust is the most valuable. I trust the team at W/S to provide honest feedback, carefully thought out solutions keeping our needs (and budget) in the forefront. It's not about winning an award, or getting what they want. It really is about making us more successful and helping us reach our goals. I trust them and that's a really big deal!"
Vicki Mills / Director of Marketing, Goodwill Industries of Middle Georgia and the CSRA
