How Soles4Souls is Using Meta, OOH, and Social Media to Drive Donations With Its First Campaign

Soles4Souls is a non-profit based in Nashville, Tennessee that collects shoes and clothes from individuals and local charities. The company launched its campaign last week which is a first for the brand.

Its campaign will be split into two phases and will seek to build awareness and drive donations among different audiences through a full-funnel approach. With a mix of marketing spend on channels like Meta, OOH, social, and digital, Phase 1 went live on July 24th as the second Phase will start in the fall. American singer and songwriter Ashley Cooke has joined the brand as an ambassador to encourage people to support and donate to the cause. 

Engagement Across Multiple Touchpoints

Rod Arnold, Chief Marketing Officer at Soles4Souls, emphasized the urgency of their mission, stating that over a million children in the US experience homelessness each year. Soles4Souls goal is to provide new sneakers to each of these children annually, as data shows it significantly improves school attendance, participation in sports, and their sense of confidence and belonging. Arnold stressed that these kids need help now, and they cannot afford to wait.

“Our hope is that this campaign not only makes more people aware of our brand, but also leads to them taking action, even if it’s something as simple as a donation of $20 to serve a child in need,” said Arnold.

With this campaign, the brand enlisted FUSE Create to assist. As an awareness and donation campaign, it aims to cultivate a loyal and willing audience. FUSE Create designed the communication plan to stand out among a multitude of charities and non-profit organizations appealing to consumers. The plan was tailored to the audience’s media habits to achieve Soles4Souls’ goals. It ensures engagement at multiple touchpoints, boosting frequency and impact through a balanced, cross-channel presence.

As parents prepare for the school year and think about the future of their children, the campaign was launched during the back-to-school period. Due to supply chain issues during the pandemic, brands began advertising around this season as early as July in 2022 to not only start ahead of time, but also to avoid any potential supply chain problems. On the OOH portion, the QR code leads to the company’s website.

Rod Arnold explained the decision to have Ashley Cooke join as an ambassador: They sought someone well-known in one of their key markets, particularly Nashville where they are based, and someone who aligned with their mission. The financial agreement between the parties was not disclosed. 

“Ashley is very intertwined in the Nashville community, and she is just such a sweet person,” said Arnold. “We love her ideas and enthusiasm already and the partnership is just getting started.”

Phase 2 Campaign Timing

For the next two months, the focus will be on a back-to-school message. Arnold said Phase 2 of Soles4Souls’ campaign will ramp up in November and December, maintaining the same creative and strategic approach but adapting the messaging to align with Giving Tuesday, possibly calling it “Giving ShoesDay,” and the holiday season. Since the end of the year is when people are typically most generous with their donations to nonprofits, there will be a heavier investment in bottom-of-funnel tactics to drive donations.

“The second phase of the campaign will go live during holiday which is a time when giving is top of mind, and we want S4S to be a top choice. We will also still have Ashley Cooke as our ambassador during this time,” said Jacquie Kostuk, Director, Creative Strategy at FUSE Create.