• by Les Luchter , December 18, 2024

Every year between Christmas and New Year's Day, the American Red Cross experiences a 7,000-unit shortfall in blood donations, according to healthcare marketing and communications company Real Chemistry.  Now, if only everyone on Real Chemistry’s holiday card email list of around 7,000 people would give just one unit of blood….

On Monday, Real Chemistry’s list began receiving this year’s card, which solicits blood donations to the Red Cross by bringing people to a nine-question quiz titled “What’s Your Type?” The quiz determines the user’s “blood type personality” (i.e., A, B, AB, O) via tarot-type cards and then ties that in with physical blood type. For example, if the quiz-taker’s personality is A and “your physical blood type is also A,” the participant is told that “you may be positive (A+) or negative (A-)” and gives info about each of those subtypes.

But users are cautioned not to assume that their blood-type personality is their actual blood type: “If you wish to discover your actual blood type, please consult with a healthcare professional or consider donating blood where you can receive accurate information about your blood type.”

In addition to soliciting blood donations, the card also suggests donations to the American Red Cross, with Real Chemistry set to match those up to $20,000.

Gen Z is a particular campaign target, Andrea Branchini, creative director for Real Chemistry’s advertising arm 21GRAMS, tells Marketing Daily. She cites National Blood Collection and Utilization Survey statistics that the percentage of teens and young adults who have donated blood has steadily fallen since 2013.  “The earlier we can connect with someone, and they donate in high school, they typically will become lifelong donors,” according to the American Red Cross.

“So,” Branchini explains “our team wanted to create something that would help show our clients a memorable way to connect with Gen Z -- an audience many of our clients are also interested in reaching with their own communications efforts -- by tapping into two things Gen Z loves: personality tests and horoscopes… And while the idea is geared toward Gen Z, it carries with it a universal truth: the desire to learn more about ourselves.” 

Marketing Daily heard from Branchini shortly after the cards went out. She reported the first direct reply from a client: “He thought the quiz was fun and noted that he gives blood every year, and this reminded him to make an appointment over the holiday – so that’s a win!”

In addition to the 7,000 or so email recipients, Real Chemistry has encouraged its employees to share the email with their own contacts. The quiz is also being promoted on the company’s social media platforms, and pops up when visitors access the Real Chemistry website.

Don’t expect the initiative to end with New Year’s Day, either.

“While this is a holiday card, we wanted it to be evergreen and already have a plan in place to extend the campaign in 2025, to continue to find ways to end the critical blood shortage in the new year,” Branchini says.

Over the past 20 years, overall blood donations have decreased by 40%, says the American Red Cross.