BACKGROUND

For the past 16 years, Rebuilding Together, the largest home repair organization in the U.S., has hosted an NFL-sanctioned charity event every year during the Super Bowl city to revitalize communities in need.  In February 2011, Rebuilding Together Inc. (RTI) and Rebuilding Together Greater Dallas (RTGD) brought this event to a street in Arlington, TX near Cowboys Stadium, rebuilding and landscaping 27 homes. The Kickoff to Rebuild 2011 event combined efforts from national and local corporate and community partners encompassing over 1,000 volunteers. Rebuilding Together Greater Dallas engaged Brooks & Associates Public Relations to provide media relations support for the event in order to raise visibility for the organization and its local sponsors, as well as the organization’s national efforts to preserve affordable housing especially in today’s chaotic housing market.

STRATEGY

Weeks before Super Bowl XLV would convene at Cowboys Stadium, homes on nearby Drummond Drive were getting a much-needed facelift. The Brooks & Associates team targeted three key dates during the rebuild that would draw the greatest media interest. The month-long campaign targeted print, broadcast and online media in Dallas, Fort Worth and Arlington. Coordinating with national Rebuilding Together staff, the team organized a local media kickoff day that included a tour of the homes before work began and presentations from several homeowners, sponsors and organization executive staff. Reporters were then invited back several weeks later to see the work in action as local sponsors Allstate and Atmos Energy as well as students from Dallas Lutheran School volunteered their time painting exterior siding, installing weatherization and central heating, and removing rubbish.

Throughout the campaign, Brooks & Associates kept Rebuilding Together Greater Dallas’ growing online followers updated with progress of the renovations using video, tweets, photos and Facebook updates. Local sponsors were also encouraged to build excitement in the event with employees and customers through their own social media channels.

The Kickoff to Rebuild event culminated in a national media day in early February as final touches on the homes were complete.

RESULTS

The campaign – combining traditional and social media – successfully built awareness for Rebuilding Together’s Dallas affiliate, its mission and the positive influence it has on local communities. NBC, CBS and FOX affiliates and reporters from Fort Worth Star-Telegram and The Dallas Morning News covered the ongoing work and an MLK Day ceremony that included former Dallas Cowboys player Tony Dorsett, Super Bowl Host Committee members and the Rebuilding Together Greater Dallas staff and board of directors. As a result of carefully-crafted messaging and spokesperson support, news coverage described Rebuilding Together as nonprofit beyond the annual Super Bowl event that helps low-income neighborhoods throughout the year, asking readers and viewers to step up and help where they could.