In an effort to boost the response rate for an October annual giving email campaign, the UF Advancement Strategic Communications and Marketing team came up with a unique, inexpensive, tongue-in-cheek “naming” opportunity. As UF students, alumni and visitors know, the UF campus is home to 400,000+ bats who reside in three specially built bat houses. Crowds regularly gather by the houses at dusk to witness the nightly flight of the thousands of bats. UF Advancement leveraged this highly unique campus tradition and harnessed its mystique to create a fun campaign.
From the Judges
Really fun, quirky, goofy This initiative was fun and engaging with a strong ROI. This was a good way to capitalize on a school mascot in a way that could be integrated into an annual institution-wide tradition of philanthropy. The model is simple enough that many institutions could translate it in a way that is specific to their campus culture. The 115% increase in revenue growth and 442% total gifts increase YOY demonstrated the campaign’s strong results. A great campaign template for other institutions.
