Marketing Reach for the Rainbow

Earlier this year, EnCourse Strategic Marketing and Communications was hired to provide marketing consultation for Reach for the Rainbow, a not-for-profit organization that offers programs and environments of inclusion for disabled children and youth. Working with their partners, Reach for the Rainbow (“RFTR”) focuses on providing these children and their families with the chance to grow together and create memories. This summer, RFTR is teaming up with the National Post, Air Canada Kids’ Horizons and Canwest for the “Every Child Belongs” campaign to drive donations.

Marketing “Every Child Belongs”: “Every Child Belongs” is a collaborative effort involving the National Post, Reach for the Rainbow, Canwest, Air Canada’s Kids’ Horizons and EnCourse. They say it takes a village to raise a child and our mutual efforts are blended to drive donations that ensure the continuing efforts of Reach for the Rainbow.

Today, there are many charities reaching out to children in need and presenting them with opportunities. What makes “Every Child Belongs” different from the rest? All of Reach for the Rainbow’s efforts focus solely on children with physical and development disabilities through inclusionary environments.

If you would like to support this cause, donations are fully tax deductible or partially if you choose to enter a draw to win one of three trips offered by Air Canada’s Kids’ Horizon. While we hope that this will provide a bit of incentive to the general public to donate to “Every Child Belongs”, it is important to remind you that these children, aside from their disabilities are just as loving and joyful as any other child.

Marketing for a not-for-profit organization is not easy. It is a very competitive market, at the best of times, and the larger charities often get the wealthiest share of the available funds and volunteers. Reach for the Rainbow is a smaller not-for-profit organization that does not receive any government assistance. Partnerships like those with the National Post, Air Canada Kids’ Horizon and Canwest are an important part of generating awareness. Reach for the Rainbow is also active with other fundraising initiatives throughout the year such as the 23rd Annual Crystal Ball happening in November, the BMW Ultimate Golf Challenge and more.

At EnCourse, we strongly believe in giving back and are excited to continue our work with Reach for the Rainbow to ensure that they accomplish their ultimate goal of helping disabled children.

Final Thoughts:
Children are one of the world’s most precious gifts and to give them the chance to grow in a loving and caring environment is something we are proud to be a part of. Donna Trella, Executive Director, founded Reach for the Rainbow 25 years ago because of her own daughter, Dove. She believed then, as she does now, that every child belongs. The opportunity for them to attend one of Ontario’s most popular camps is life changing for them and their families. EnCourse is ensuring that their message reaches the widest audience possible and is excited for the success of this campaign.

Brand Relevance

Introduction:
Brand relevance is about your brand being and staying significant in the minds of your consumers. It is about being able to deliver an outward promise to your customer that goes beyond your mere product and service. Being relevant means that your brand connects and resonates with the consumers, educates them, and provides them with a deeper meaning to their life.

Brand Relevance:
Achieving brand relevance, today, is much harder than perceived since traditional marketing strategies are no longer effective enough. Brand relevance includes a much more thorough understanding of your consumer, your market, and your brand. After reviewing these analyses, a company’s response and strategy to obtain brand relevance is a fundamental success factor.

Gaining awareness in itself is a challenging task, in that your brand must be exposed through the increasingly popular channels today, including all media and social marketing outlets. The message you deliver through these marketing channels will begin your path to achieving brand relevance.

Your company’s message is your company’s promise. Brand relevance means that your promise is authentic and differentiated; your consumers will overlook the price and the competitors to remain loyal to your brand, in the short and long term and throughout all stages of the economic cycle.

Also contributing to brand relevance is the meaning behind your brand: what it stands for and how committed and consistent it is in conveying that meaning to the general public. These days, consumers look past brands that only market for short- term profits; those brands become irrelevant, very quickly. Instead, they are attracted to brands that strive for that consumer connection by expressing themselves through diverse means, while maintaining their roots. Brands that are constantly re-inventing themselves and challenging their consumers, while being consistent in delivering their promise are the ones that become relevant in their respective product categories.

Final Thoughts:
Brand relevance is often an overlooked objective in marketing plans. Many companies are quick to assume that strategies being recycled year after year have already established themselves as being relevant in the market. Unfortunately, with an ever evolving society, including new technologies and fresher marketing channels, old- fashioned marketing tactics are becoming weaker and weaker.

More than ever, today’s aggressive market poses the urgent need for brand relevance. Companies must look beyond their comfort zones and learn to take risks to be differentiated and unique. As well, the brand relevance objective and initial promise must be consistently revisited and pursued diligently.