Podesta Group

Challenge: To infuse new life into the brand of the world’s premier breast cancer research organization.  Our charge was to generate buzz around and motivate participation in their annual DC fundraiser – one of the most successful of its kind in the world - as well as build support for the group’s public policy agenda and expand their presence in the nation’s capital.

Strategy:  Put our minds, and in this case, our hearts to work. Utilize our public affairs expertise to coordinate its advocacy communications strategy, better define and pursue its over-arching goals in Washington, DC.  Build a steady drumbeat of coverage to promote the annual fundraiser and more effectively tell the story of the group’s vast impact on breast cancer science, funding and awareness to the audiences that matter most.

Result:  All expectations were exceeded. Media placements in major print, broadcast and online media for their annual event grew from 78 in 2008 to 147 in 2009 to 219 in 2010. The congressional outreach, platform we helped develop and implement resulted in a jump of Hill participation in their fundraiser from 32 congressional teams in 2008, 35 in 2009, and 44 in 2010 – and a congressional resolution honoring the event’s 20th anniversary. We made introductions that let relevant audiences know the organization was a player and spawned exciting new media partnerships, including with Politico, highlighted the DC community’s significant needs and told compelling stories about how the organization helps overcome them.  We painted the town pink by producing top-flight events that celebrated the cause and got people talking. We engaged past participants, the online community, breast cancer survivors, congressional offices, federal agencies and the diplomatic community to drive registration and revenue for its key fundraiser. And our work paid off: in the first year of our work, revenue jumped from $4.4 million to $4.9 million, despite the flagging economy.