GT Athletics Development Innovates Digital Donor Engagement

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GT Athletics Development Innovates Digital Donor Engagement

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ATLANTA, GA., September 31st, 2020 -- During the pandemic, development teams have had to double down on digital, when they can’t be face to face. Georgia Tech Athletics Development realized they needed a way to stay connected with strategic donors and premium season ticket holders and in the middle of a global pandemic.


With an empty stadium and a first game away against renowned Florida State University, how should they engage their strategic donors?


Georgia Tech Athletics determined a goal of the kick-off campaign to create a sense of community and provide a delightful exclusive experience with innovative digital activation.


How to Connect in a Personalized Way?


Stats show that people are spending more time than ever on their mobile devices. Georgia Tech Athletics chose iFOLIO to deliver their exclusive digital campaigns, because iFOLIO combines the beauty of private portfolios with the power of push technology via text messages and email.


iFOLIO campaigns are delivered directly to mobile with a) rich text messages and b) private links.


How to Engage Virtual Donors Effectively?


The portfolio started with a personal video from Coach Collins:


“Thank you to our GT Football Season Ticket members. We're excited to kick-off the season as the Jackets take on Florida State, and we can't wait to host our fans in Bobby Dodd next weekend! Thank you for all of your support. Go Jackets!”


Inside the portfolio:


• Live embeds to watch the game or listen on the radio.


• Gameday wallpaper downloads for their phone


• Team booklet


• Links to the team’s sports merchandise


• The new mobile app


• The team and coach’s twitter updated live for a real-time feel and more.


Results/Analytics:


The kick-off campaign stats were astonishing:


• Delivered = 100% (this is significant for lists in the thousands)


• 98% of text messages were read within 10 minutes


• Only 3 opt-outs


• The iFOLIO link = 71.3% open rate, compared to a 3% industry average for automated emails


• 1 min 40 seconds average engagement in the portfolio.


iFOLIO’s analytics show exactly where the flexible platform generates impressions and more active mindshare within the donor base. Heat Map Analytics help Georgia Tech Athletics understand which content fans engage with most, block-by-block. CTR analytics measure pass-throughs to other digital content.


• Viewers of the campaign spanned 29 states and 4 countries. This was significant because GT has development efforts in France, where 8 people viewed the portfolio.


• Hundreds of clicks on links show viewers engaged with other digital assets. Some prioritized the wallpaper download, others enjoyed the gameday link. We were even able to drive traffic to their mobile app.


• Although it wasn’t a main priority for the campaign, 11 guests used the ‘Support the Swarm’ form to send funds to the Athletic Association.


Campaign Success:


The overwhelming success of the campaign sparked a new energy for Georgia Tech Development.


“In our business it is all about Identification, Informing, and Involving when trying to get people to Invest. iFOLIO is helping us do all three faster, better, and to a larger audience. Having a tool that is easy to use, view, and great with the back- end analytics certainly does not hurt. It has been great for us” says Jim Hall, Associate Vice President for Development and Executive Associate Athletic Director, Georgia Tech.


GT is already planning campaigns for other football games, working on a basketball and baseball campaign strategy, and preparing campaigns for Tennis, Swim, and Student Scholarships (merit base, need based, and graduate).

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