CreateAthon2019: Disney-inspired marketing magic

“All you need is a little faith, trust, and pixie dust.” -Peter Pan

We’ve got ears, say cheers! Our 13th annual CreateAthon took place on October 24 and this year’s theme was inspired by the groundbreaking innovator, Walt Disney. Our office was transformed into a magical wonderland where with each turn the iconic Magic Kingdom was represented with fun and fanciful Disney decorations, Mickey-shaped food, and TRIO staff in creative costumes. Mickey, Minnie, and all their pals fully embraced the theme and helped make this the best CreateAthon to date.

Hot dog did our party planning committee deliver! “Cast Members” were fueled by a Mickey Mouse chocolate fountain, delicious food donated by Mount Pleasant restaurants and lots of coffee. We even had a surprise evening acapella live performance by The Charleston Vibes who helped inspire and recharge our team when they needed it the most. Be sure to follow them on social so you can take in one of their upcoming performances. They are toe-tapping!

Second to the right and straight on ‘til morning…

Trident Literacy Foundation
This long-standing treasure in our community had a website that no longer met the needs of the organization. TRIO built a new multi-lingual (yes, we said multilingual), WordPress site that is easy to navigate and showcases how Trident Literacy helps adults reverse the cycle and impact of illiteracy. Their mission, available programs, and events are now highlighted in a way that is easy to navigate and ready to provide lasting impact for years to come. It was a big feat taking on a brand new website, but TRIO sprinkled a little pixie dust and made it happen!

Metanoia
Metanoia isn’t just a nonprofit. It’s a movement. Faced with a bit of a messaging challenge, our team stepped in to help break things down and give Metanoia the necessary tools to show the community who they are and what they do. With an updated logo and brand guidelines that truly reflect their mission and who they are, an infographic that demonstrates their values and vision, and concise talking points to effectively communicate the movement as a whole, it was Team TRIO for the win! We can hardly believe we pulled that off in 24 hours, but like our friend, Jiminy Cricket always says…the most magical things can happen when it starts with a wish.

Louie’s Kids
Louie’s Kids has been helping treat childhood obesity in the Charleston area for many years. The team at Louie’s Kids requested a strategic plan that would align them with their new sister program Fit.Family. They recognize the need to get the word about their scholarship program for families ready to get involved. Fit.Family coaching is designed to uncover an entire family’s potential to lead their healthiest lives. We were happy to use our talents to support such a worthy cause and were able to present them with a scholarship support campaign, press release and social media images to be used to promote the available scholarships. Zip-a-dee-doo-dah!

Dress for Success Charleston County
Fairy Godmother said, “Even miracles take a little time.” That rings true for Dress for Success Charleston County! Dress for Success may be a worldwide mission to help empower women to achieve economic independence, but all local efforts are made possible thanks to a small, dedicated group of women. This passionate organization helps supply professional attire and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. Recently they found themselves without a home base to make all of this happen. TRIO stepped in to create a “Wheel Appeal” campaign to help get Dress for Success Charleston County moving with a mobile career center. Our CreateAthon efforts produced a press release, social media graphics, and a fundraising campaign concept. It was truly supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

AMOR Healing Kitchen
Oh AMOR, how we love you! AMOR Healing Kitchen is dedicated to providing healthy meals ​for people going through cancer treatment and facing serious health challenges. They applied to CreateAthon in the past and collectively we knew this was one organization that could really use our help. TRIO got to work to provide a logo refresh, a rack card to showcase their program, letterhead and a menu template. Our updated design helped highlight their delicious food and how folks can give a gift of love to those in need. “If you are what you eat, then I only want to eat the good stuff.” -Ratatouille

In addition to their individual projects, each year TRIO supplies our recipients with a CreateAthon To-Go kit. The kit features lots of helpful marketing tips and a comprehensive social media assessment to help each organization put its best foot forward online. This guide is a little extra something we hope will ensure marketing success for all our clients in the future. “To Infinity and Beyond!”, as our friend Buzz Lightyear says.

We couldn’t have gotten through this pro bono marathon without the support of these amazing organizations:

Verde
Chick-fil-A Long Point
Carrabba’s Italian Grill Mount Pleasant
Dog & Duck Belle Hall
Adrian (Taylor’s husband) – if you’re looking for a fabulous chef…he’s your guy.

And, of course, our sweet friends and family!

We’d like to give an extra special shout out to our cast members, Taylor Ion, Jeanne Everett, Sarah Kravchuk, and Stephanie Barrow, who helped transform our office into Disney magic. We would also like to send a sincere thank you to Sarah Kravchuk, Karen McLean, and Holly Fisher for donating their time and talents to this year’s CreateAthon. We couldn’t have done it without you!

And to all of our CreateAthon recipients! Thank you for trusting us with your marketing projects this year. We are looking forward to seeing our efforts used in the community for years to come!

If you know a nonprofit in the Lowcountry who could benefit from pro bono marketing, please help spread the word for CreateAthon 2020! See ya’ real soon!