The Challenge

The Sam Houston Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America had experienced a decline in membership over the last several years. Although the organization had a strong mission, "to build men of character", its message was lost due to its inability to remain culturally and socially relevant.

BrandExtract's (then, at the time ParkerHayden) first marketing objective was to determine who the Council's true target market was, and then find a way to not only appeal to their interests, but also their parents. In addition, BrandExtract needed to gain the support of local leaders and secure the financial backing necessary for the Council to sustain its mission through the Houston area. .

The BrandExtract Solution

BrandExtract's research showed that the organization's largest audience was boys ages six through ten. Further research determined that one of the best opportunities for growth was with the Hispanic community who had in past years, embraced the organization's ideals, which were cohesive with their strong religious viewpoints and family ties.

BrandExtract needed to effectively communicate to both English and Spanish speaking prospective Cub Scouts and their parents the character-building activities, life leadership skills, and fun and exciting adventures Cub Scouting provides.

After securing donations from numerous media outlets for the non-profit, BrandExtract launched a multimedia campaign to help the organization regain its momentum. Initiatives included English and Spanish TV and radio spots with actual Scouts giving unscripted testimonials of their experience, and the expansion of the Council's websites, which served as the campaign's information headquarters.

The Results

The campaign generated a surge in recruits and awareness, and an overall interest in the mission and values of the Sam Houston Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Results included:

• A record-breaking $6.8 million raised during the development campaign
• More than 15% of calls were from Spanish-speaking individuals 
• The revamping of the organization's websites produced a 322% increase in online recruiting, and a 341% leap in unique visitors over the previous year.

Deliverables

• English and Spanish websites
• TV campaign (3 television spots)
• Radio campaign (3 radio spots)
• English and Spanish outdoor advertising
• School posters
• Marketing flyers
• T-shirts
• Coffee mugs
• Yard signs
• Direct mail

“Wow, BrandExtract helped us redefine our recruiting message and better understand our target audience. They were willing to spend as much time as needed to get to know our organization (and the non-profit industry) and sculpt a campaign that would help us attract more families to our program. Ultimately, our campaign helped us set records in terms of web traffic and phone calls, and achieve our overall goal of recruiting more Scouts.”

— Jason Volz
Field Director - North Division
Boy Scouts of America - Sam Houston Area Council

BrandExtract produced 3 television spots for the Boyscouts:

• Tre shares what he loves about being a Cub Scout and what it has taught him.
• Nicole explains how the Boy Scouts has impacted her son's life and helped her family grow closer.
• Hosea discusses how the Boy Scouts helped shape his life, and the importance of sharing that with his son.

Three AAF Addys,  Two AMA Crystal Awards and Two National Tellys

The Boy Scouts of America campaign fulfilled its intended marketing objectives of increasing awareness, interest and financial backing for the Sam Houston Area Council, earning it two AMA Crystal Awards. In addition, the campaign won two AAF Gold Addy Awards, one AAF Silver Addy Award and two national Telly Awards.