Volvo Cars of North America, Volvo Drive for life Days
Winner: 2005 PR Week Awards, “Cause-Related Campaign of the Year”

In 2003, Alexandra Scott, a young girl from Philadelphia with cancer, captured the attention of Volvo Cars of North America and forever galvanized the way the company approaches community service.

Volvo named Alex an outstanding hometown hero in the 2003 Volvo for life Awards. Though life had dealt her the most bitter of lemons, Alex had raised money and awareness for pediatric cancer research by conducting annual lemonade stands. Her first stand at age four raised a few hundred dollars. She continued holding stands and word of her efforts spread throughout the nation.

In June 2004, Alex, at age eight, set a goal of raising $1 million through lemonade stands across the nation by the end of the year. Sadly, she passed away Aug. 1, having raised $700,000. Before Alex passed away, Volvo promised to help Alex’s family reach her goal.

Challenge: Mobilize Grassroots Efforts with Volvo Retailers Nationwide to Reach Alex’s $1 Million Goal

Create a program to help Alex’s family achieve her goal, as well as provide more than 300 Volvo retailers a method for carrying on Alex’s spirit of community involvement and grassroots mobilization – all while supporting the Volvo brand.

Solution: 300 Lemonade Sales, Test-Drives for Local Charities

Volvo, Haberman & Associates and production partner Fitzgerald Brunetti, Inc. created Volvo Drive for life Days, a tool for realizing Alex’s goal and one of the largest-ever fund-raisers for local charities. During the program, Oct. 9 – 11, 2004, more than 300 retailers held lemonade stands. And, in honor of Alex’s giving spirit, the Volvo retailers donated at least $10 for every test drive of a 2005 Volvo model car to either Alex’s fund or a local charity.

To drive traffic to the retailers during Drive for life Days, Haberman & Associates implemented a variety of grassroots tactics, pitching stories to national and local media in the markets where Volvo retailers are located, tapping communications channels for local charities benefiting from the event, and reaching out to chambers of commerce and local citizens.

Results: $1 Million Goal Achieved, More than 100 Local Charities Supported

More than 300 of Volvo’s 350 retailers participated in the program supporting Alex’s cause and almost local 100 charities, making it the largest-ever community relations event in the company’s near 50-year U.S. history. More than 100 local TV news segments aired in markets such as Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston and Minneapolis. More than 150 print articles ran in outlets such as the New York Daily News, Chicago Sun-Times, Houston Chronicle and Baltimore Sun. More than 600 radio news stories ran on stations in markets nationwide, including all top 20 markets. The Drive for life Days Web site received approximately seven million hits and 200,000 unique visitors.

Volvo retailers sold thousands of cups of lemonade, receiving donations that surpassed Alex’s million-dollar goal. The CBS Early Show, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News and more than 60 broadcast outlets nationwide reported Volvo’s achievement. Retailers also raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for local charities, based on several thousands of test drives taken.

Feedback:

Roger Ormisher, Vice President of Public Affairs, Volvo Cars of North America: “Drive for life Days connected the dots at a local level and invigorated retailers to really get involved in their local communities. Haberman & Associates played a central role in the best integrated marketing and PR campaign that Volvo Cars of North America has ever done.”