Saturday, November 26, 2011

My First QR Coded Cause Marketing Campaign

Hold On! It's not a fashion or beauty brand cause marketing campaign! But it is my first cause marketing campaign that incoporates a QR Code.

Earlier this Fall, I was contacted by the Chatham-Savannah Authority for the Homeless, Inc. They were approached by Hodges Management Company who own our regional KFCs, KFC/TacoBells and DQ Grill & Chills and wanted to do something to support homelessness this Holiday in our community. To have a corporate partner reach out to help a cause is awesome. So, I stepped up to create a campaign that I am hopefull will be a success for the cause. The campaign title is:

Dishing Out Meals Campaign: Fighting to End Homelessness and Hunger in Our Community

Above is the in-store pin-up that customers can donate $1 at check-out to the cause. These are typically taped to walls or windows in the store. In addition, I incorporated a register flyer that is posted to the back of all registers for customers to read while waiting in line. On this flyer is a QR Code that can be scanned with a customer's smart phone and directs them to the Homeless Authority's website where they can learn more and make a direct donation. Here is the register flyer to the left.

We also created a value card (3x5) with the same information as the register flyer and QR Code. The value card gets put in all drive-thru bags and placed on all in-store customer trays. Since regular pin-ups are not condusive to drive-thru's, we wanted to still create customer awareness about the cause and give them the opportunity to donate using the QR code.

I am in deep gratitude to Chris Italiano of Chris Italiano Creative for his superior graphic art talent and dedication to the campaign.

About the Campaign:
Local KFCs, KFC/Taco Bells and DQ Grill & Chills have launched their “Dishing Out Meals: Fighting Homelessness and Hunger in Our Community” campaign this holiday season. Twenty-one KFCs and KFC/TacoBells, and three DQ Grill & Chills, owned by Hodges Management Company, partnered with the Chatham-Savannah Authority for the Homeless, Inc., a local nonprofit, to raise funds and awareness to help end homelessness and hunger in Savannah and surrounding communities. The campaign launched today and runs through December 31, 2011.

To help generate awareness, Savannah’s KFCs, KFC/Taco Bells and DQ Grill & Chills have taken an unprecedented step in changing the way cause marketing campaigns are done. They will not only promote the campaign with its in-store pin-ups which customers can donate $1 to the cause at check out, but the campaign incorporates a QR Code on value sheets that get tucked in all drive-thru bags and in-store store customer trays. The QR Code, when scanned with customer smart phones, takes them directly to the Homeless Authority website for more information or to make a donation. QR Codes are new to how fundraising is done. The Homeless Authority is a nonprofit organization that coordinates Savannah’s response to homelessness. Homelessness does not discriminate. Families with children, teenagers, single adults, victims of domestic violence, veterans and elderly individuals of all races and walks of life can be found struggling with the devastating effects of homeless.

Hodges Management Company is committed to this cause and to keeping fund-raising local. They have gone the extra mile as a corporate partner. All General Managers spent a Saturday learning and volunteering for the cause. This effort encourage managers to ensure their staff are motivated and dedicated to making a difference in the community and to give hope to individuals and families in need.


About KFCs, KFC/Taco Bells and DQ Grill & Chills Hodges Management Company began in 1965 when Inman and Mary Sue Hodges opened their first KFC restaurant in Statesboro, GA. Over the years, other restaurants have been added to the company in Southeast GA and South Carolina to include 21 KFCs and KFC/Taco Bells, as well as 3 Dairy Queen Grill & Chills. Today, the company is still owned and operated by the Hodges along with their son, Inman Hodges, Jr.

About Chatham-Savannah Authority for the Homeless, Inc. The Authority is a nonprofit organization that coordinates direct services for homeless families and individuals through a “continuum of care” of community services ranging from street outreach and emergency shelters to employment training and permanent housing. For more information visit http://www.homelessauthority.org/