telecom

U.S. Cellular Promotes Good

’Tis the season for some giving, apparently. Similar to TD Bank’s ongoing effort to give money to help people make community improvements, campaign, regional telecom U.S. Cellular is heading into several of its local markets to give money to people dedicated to doing good. 

“What first brought the idea was this crazy holiday season and how to break through,” Peter Sternberg, director of field marketing for U.S. Cellular, tells Marketing Daily. “We were also thinking about how important our communities are.”

The “30 Days of Good” campaign, which is being tracked on U.S. Cellular’s microsite, shows a small field team from U.S. Cellular, traveling to four markets (Knoxville, Tenn., Milwaukee, Des Moines and Tulsa) to give out $100,000 in $500 increments. Among the recipients are a “Football Granny,” who cheers on local little league football teams whatever the weather (and the team’s coach, for some badly needed equipment), and a man who brings pets to disabled veterans. 

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“We really relied on tips, insights and information from our local branches,” Sternberg says, of finding the recipients. Some, however, were found while the teams were in the field. “We found one when we were buying bagels and [got to] talking to another customer.”

The campaign, which began on Nov. 25, will end on Christmas Day. The stories of the gift recipients are being shared on the company’s Tumblr page, and the company is encouraging people to follow the initiative through the hashtag, #30daysofgood.

The effort is meant to depict the regional wireless carrier as a more involved member of its markets than its larger competitors, Sternberg says. “For us, it's a lot about who we are and about supporting our communities,” Sternberg says. “It was another way for us to get out there and show what we're all about.”

In addition, the company is employing social, search, display and digital video advertising to promote the campaign, which has racked up more than two million total impressions to date.

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