CASE STUDY
How the American Red Cross used location targeting to drive
action among potential blood donors
The American Red Cross is on a mission to raise awareness of the importance of blood donation. Every two seconds someone needs blood, yet only 3% of people in the U.S.donate blood within a given year. This year, the American Red Cross launched an international Missing Types campaign to encourage new blood donors, as well as donors who have not given in years, to give blood and to help ensure lifesaving blood products are available to patients in need. To support their efforts, GroundTruth used its location data and insights to drive potential donors into nearby blood banks.
Evelyn Aguilera
Associate Director, Brand Strategy
Our location solutions.
Proximity Targeting to top DMAs and cities within a five-mile radius of each blood bank allowed the American Red Cross to reach charitable individuals just a short drive away.
Audience Targeting was implemented to reach personas based on their demographics and location behavior. GroundTruth created custom audiences, which included top-performing segments based on Red Cross donor profiles. GroundTruth also used its own first-party audiences, such as Sports Enthusiasts and Fast Fashion Shoppers for the campaign.
Rich Media ads were developed by GroundTruth’s creative team to provide an engaging mobile experience for users. Users who clicked on the ad and expanded it could learn more about the Missing Types campaign, locate their nearest Red Cross blood bank, and schedule an appointment.
Products Used:
Real results.
Case Study / PetSmart Charities
Over 600 people visited a blood bank after being impressed with the ad. Just one blood donor can save up to three lives, so this campaign impacted over 1,800 people.
Mondays and Thursdays saw the highest visitation, with visits spiking from 11am to 1pm. We also saw an uptick in visits at 5pm on the weekdays.
Top performing DMAs for driving visits were Philadelphia, Columbus, Boston, and Atlanta.
Primary Engagement Rate was 12.60%– 42% above the benchmark for Rich Media within the Health vertical. This metric is of the people who expanded the ad unit.
In terms of the ad unit performance, the ‘Schedule Now’ frame comprised 40% of the overall engagements of the ad unit.
1 +
visitors driven
1 +
lives impacted due to blood donation
Building awareness of the need for new blood donors was a critical aspect of this campaign. However, the ability to directly attribute the ads to donations, is also a must-have for any not-for-profit. This was our first location based campaign and GroundTruth was an outstanding partner in leading us through the program.