Today, 18th November 2011 is a special day for many. It is the day dedicated to recognising Children in Need.
Children in Need is the BBC’s UK corporate charity. The charity aims to make a difference to the lives of children across the UK by providing grants for projects which focus on disadvantaged children and young people. They do this with the help of the UK, hosting events and raising funds, with everyone involved playing their own little part.
With an inspiring vision to ensure that every child in the UK is safe, happy, secure and has a chance to reach their potential, the Children in Need team and the people of the UK work hard to raise the money the children need to live less disadvantaged lives.
A bit of background
The BBC’s first ever appeal was a 5 minute radio broadcast on Christmas Day in 1927, followed by the first television broadcast in 1955, the ‘Children’s Hour Christmas Appeal’. The Christmas appeals continued on the radio and television until 1979.
So, for 84 years the charity has continued to help the children and young people of the UK with tremendous help from public donations.
The iconic brand
From a marketing point of view, Children in Need really have got it right. We are all familiar with the iconic Pudsey bear, making his television debut in 1985 in the form of Terry Wogan’s cuddly brown mascot. He was designed by Joanna Ball, a BBC graphic designer, born in the West Yorkshire town of Pudsey and proving so popular he was adapted to become the icon he is today – the yellow bear with a spotted bandage. They really have a recognisable identity.
From charity concerts and televised appeals to fundraising packs and a celebrity riddled song, the charity has all their materials working together, forming such a strong brand.
Despite targeting a diverse, mass audience (which is never an easy task) the charity gets their marketing absolutely ‘spot’ on. The website is easy to navigate; the process of donating is quick and simple; the fundraising pack is good quality, colourful and informative; the pack contains the added extras such as stickers and posters to promote your event; the envelopes are branded with the iconic spots; the pack is delivered quickly and efficiently; a list of ideas are provided to help get you started. Evidently, each and every part of the brand ‘sings from the same hymn sheet’, all is consistent in look and feel.
I have talked about touch points before and Children in Need really are the perfect example. A great customer experience.
Happy to help
This year Happy Creative were excited to take part. On Wednesday we initiated a fancy dress fun run to raise money for the cause. From our experience Children in Need really encouraged the fundraising and did everything in their power to ensure the whole process ran smoothly and cohered with the brand’s identity- fun, organised and certainly determined.
Happy were excited to take part and do our bit for the cause. We used the posters, we wore the stickers, we collected the donations. Did you see us on Twitter? Check it out to see the reaction from our followers and more of the newly uploaded photos, they are also on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Happy-Creative. We had a great response from the local community and our lovely clients, with some fantastic donations, and we are proud to announce that we raised nearly £200!
Thank you!
We would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who donated and helped us raise money for such a worthy cause.
Emma Dobson is a branding expert and Touch Point guru at Happy Creative, a full service marketing agency based in Blackpool, Lancashire. To learn more or contact us please go to www.happy-creative.co.uk
