A Promotion Plan
Habitat for Humanity ReStores: A Promotion Plan
Background
ReStores of Habitat for Humanity was founded in 1991 as donations in kind to help building homes accumulated. People organized themselves to get donations of previously-owned home furnishings and other materials that would support Habitat for Humanity’s activities. ReStores has served as Habitat’s drop-center and selling outlet for donated materials. Through the sales of the products, it has served as one of Habitat’s fundraising channel. The donated materials themselves were used in building homes for qualified people. The store also served as a volunteer recruitment center for Habitat, especially for volunteers who would help in store operations.
Needs and Problems
ReStores clearly need help in it communication efforts to get more donations and to get store volunteers.
Upon searching the internet for information about ReStores, some problems about the communication activities of ReStores were discovered. The existing websites and communication campaign seems to have no cohesion. Habitat for Humanity’s page for ReStore contains very little information. ReStores in different locations have their own websites that are not linked together. There is no singular source of information and existing sources of information do not provide adequate details about the program. Important information about how the program could benefit anyone is also lacking in the communication campaign.
ReStore also does not seem to have a distinct identity. While it is a project of the Habitat for Humanity, its identity gets buried with Habitat’s overall identity. Its messages get lost in the process. Its communication at best feels lukewarm.
Objectives
This promotion plan has primary and secondary objectives.
Primary Objectives
Raise awareness of the public—i.e., potential donors—about the existence of ReStores and what exactly it does;
Solicit support and donations through the purchase of ReStores products; and,
Promote the store at the lowest cost possible.
Secondary Objectives
Develop a cohesive communication program and a cohesive source of information about ReStores;
Develop a distinct identity for ReStores; and,
Provide the public with a master source of information that provide links to other sites.
Help build ReStore’s reputation as a sustainable, social service activity
Target Audiences
In operating the stores, Habitat needs to reach audience that it could tap for funding and volunteers. Secondly, it would need to reach audience to show that is legally and properly conducting its affairs and to help build its reputation.
Primary Audience
Buyers looking for low-cost or previously-owned furniture;
Prospective donors; and,
Prospective store volunteers.
Secondary Audience
Government, regulatory and monitoring bodies;
Media; and,
General public.
Key Messages
Poor and homeless families all over the world need help to build homes; Habitat for Humanity provides them with that help. In turn, Habitat for Humanity seeks assistance from individuals and organizations from more affluent countries and societies. This is the essential message which can be broken down as follows:
Help!
Donate through ReStores one’s used furniture and other essential home furnishings;
These donations may be used as is or sold to raise funds to support Habitat’s activities;
Volunteer to help in ReStore’s operations and other activities;
Help spread information and knowledge about Habitat for Humanity and ReStore; and,
Habitat for Humanity ReStores is a legitimate and trustworthy organization.
Ethical and Responsible Donation and Behavior
Additional messages need to be emphasized to guide donors on ethical behavior.
ReStores are NOT trash bins. Avoid donating overly worn out and useless materials;
For health and safety reason, avoid donating materials used by persons suffering from highly contagious diseases;
Volunteers should remain transparent at all: All donations, sales and expenses should be accounted for. This message should be communicated to the public; and,
Volunteers should observe frugality at the stores. This action is an important message in itself.
Appeals
Messages will have to be presented in an intelligent and emotional manner. They will have to appeal to a person’s generosity and sense of responsibility. At the same time, the messages will have to present the solicitation in a rational manner, explaining why it is better to channel their contributions through ReStores.
The appeals can be listed as follows:
Appeal to both emotion and intelligence;
Appeal to a person’s sense of generosity;
Appeal to a person’s sense of responsibility;
Explain the importance of helping others; and.
Explain why ReStore is one of the better channels for donation and helping others.
Communication Formats and Strategy
Several materials will have to be produced. These materials are to be produced through volunteerism. Perhaps, a PR agency can be recruited to produce these works pro bono.
News releases, feature stories and other updates;
Endorsements from high profile volunteers and supporters like former US Pres. Jimmy Carter and celebrities advocating poverty alleviation programs like Bono and Angelina Jolie;
Testimonials from donors and beneficiaries;
Video documentaries about success stories;
Printed and digital, detailed instructional and informational brochure;
Digital newsletter; and,
Stand-alone, master web-site, blogs and social media pages and accounts.
Media Strategy
The information and other communication materials will be disseminated or distributed in three ways:
Word-of-mouth and brochure distribution through volunteers;
Traditional media—print and broadcast, through news releases and press interviews
Internet and social media—the most important component.
Traditional Media
Traditional newspapers, television and radio will still be used by ReStore for the promotion campaign. They will be used mainly as a channel or outlet for the following:
Press interviews and briefings by important personalities;
Testimonial and success feature stories; and,
Documentaries about Habitat for Humanity and ReStore.
Internet
Several measures will have to be done to make sure that the internet becomes an effective and useful medium.
ReStore shall make sure that certain sites are put up on the internet and activities and sustain activities on the internet in general, aside from social media.
Stand-alone, official website. A master website to link all ReStore websites all over the world and also linked with Habitat for Humanity. All details—history, accomplishment reports, etc.—scattered all over different sites will be compiled in this site. All other sites will continue to exist and manage by different country offices.
ReStore Blog site. ReStore will have its own blog site separate from the website. The blog site will be containing comments, opinions from both ReStore and its supporters and volunteers.
Volunteer blogs. ReStore will request volunteers to post publicity and promotion materials on their websites. This would help increase traffic to ReStore’s official website and blog.
YouTube channel. ReStore will maintain its own YouTube channel. This will serve as a repository of all video materials produced by ReStore and others. Video materials would include news reports from broadcast and internet networks, testimonials, endorsements, and documentaries about ReStore and Habitat for Humanity.
Digital advertising and memes. Memes or small digital images with messages for easy copying and sharing.
Digital brochures for downloading. Accomplishment reports and volunteer manuals will be produced in print and digital form. Digital or PDF brochures and reports will be uploaded in the website and linked with the blogs and social media accounts.
Search engine optimization (SEO). ReStore will provide keywords and hashtags in all it posts that viewers can copy and paste. This will lead the search engines always to point to official ReStore sites.
Social Media
ReStore will have to maintain and manage social media accounts to help keep costs down.
Maintain master accounts, without prejudice to individual country accounts, on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and other emerging social media networks;
Link the master accounts to individual and volunteer pages via keywords and hashtags in the ‘about’ page;
Continually upload relevant and appropriate materials to the accounts;
Develop and maintain a network of interested supporters and readers; and
Provide activities—like seminars and get-togethers—to sustain interest and increase awareness.
Digital Advertising
Instead of placing ads on the net or traditional media, it will produce its own advertising and promotional materials that ReStore will upload on its website, blogs and social media accounts. Volunteers can download and use these materials freely. The following tasks will have to be undertaken.
Produce banners, covers and mastheads with identity and messages that will be uploaded on internet and social media sites for use of volunteers and supporters;
Produce memes and similar visual or advertising materials for quick viewing and easy copy and pasting by net users; and,
Provide instructional and informational digital brochures that volunteers, supporters and other users can easily download and distribute.
ReStores shall maximize the use of its internet and social media accounts by having opportunities to interact with target audiences.
Include direct response mechanism in website, blogsite, social media accounts. A customer service email or hotline should be provided that volunteers and donors can use and ask questions;
Answer all questions promptly by phone or email;
Build database by soliciting email and other personal information; and,
Send digital brochure and other promotional or informational materials through email.
References
Duff, V. (2016). How to Write a Marketing and Promotional Plan Template. Retrieved Mar 6, 2016, from Chron: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/write-marketing-promotional-plan-template-62683.html
Habitat for Humanity International. (2016). Habitat for Humanity ReStore. Retrieved Mar 5, 2016, from Habitat for Humanity: http://www.habitat.org/restores
Habitat for Humanity International. (2016). Shop for Habitat at Humanity Store. Retrieved Mar 5, 2016, from Habitat for Humanity: http://www.habitat.org/restores/shop
Habitat for Humanity Orlando. (2016). About Us: Habitat for Humanity ReStores. Retrieved Mar 6, 2016, from Habitat for Humanity Orlando: http://orlando.habitatrestores.org/about
