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Special Olympics

Organization Background

Special Olympics Alaska helps those with intellectual disabilities train and compete in various sports year-round. and also supports local families. The nonprofit runs programs across the state, with its headquarters is in Anchorage, along with a sports, health, and wellness center. Statewide athletes come to train daily for their prospective sports at this brand-new, state-of-the-art facility.

Advertising Goals

Promoting fund-raisers has been the focus of the Special Olympics Alaska’s People Mover advertising for several years. A healthy turnout at annual events such as the Polar Plunge and the Law Enforcement Torch Run has been essential in order for the organization to meet its financial goals.

Target Audience

Campaigns are aimed towards potential donors or anyone who wants to be a part of the events. The organization welcomes anyone to participate in events and join as volunteers.

Why People Mover

Buses have proven to be effective for Special Olympics Alaska, says Jessica Bjornstad, Community Fundraising and Public Relations Manager, as they drive all over town and are seen everywhere (and since Alaska has no billboards). People Mover ads are much easier to create than TV or radio, says Bjornstad, and they’ve proven to be “very affordable, which is of the utmost importance for a nonprofit.”

Campaign

For each event, Bjornstad buys 10 AnchorRides displays for 6 weeks.

Results

Bjornstad receives volumes of positive word-of-mouth feedback due to People Mover advertising. She also sees the financial results: Special Olympics raises the most money from events advertised on the AnchorRides buses. In addition to all the mentions from the larger community, athletes who use AnchorRides also love the ads, says Bjornstad. “They get to see their ads and think it’s really cool to see their activities being promoted,” she says. “It helps benefit all our needs.”