Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) is a US non-profit organization founded in 2011 as a first responder to global disasters. In 20 years, the GEM team has carried out more than 300 humanitarian missions worldwide, and in February 2022, it began helping Ukraine overcome the consequences of the war.
Together with partners, GEM is one of the first to deliver hundreds of trucks of humanitarian aid to the frontline and de-occupied regions of Ukraine. In June, the mission began the restoration of infrastructure and buildings destroyed during the hostilities in the Kyiv region.
Within the framework of cooperation, the agency team faced the task of introducing the audience to the activities of the American organization and forming the image of a reliable partner.
How we achieved our goals
Trust is a critical element in communication with the target audience of non-profit organizations. Therefore, we focused on the transparency of the organization and GEM’s successful 20-year experience in responding to global humanitarian crises.
The MAINSTREAM team developed a concept based on “openness.” We communicated on behalf of the founder of the fund. He explained the values and principles of the organization’s work, discussed plans, and shared achievements in the format of news and author’s columns. Thus, we humanized an unfamiliar brand.
The implementation plan included four stages with a fixed target for the end of each. We initially worked on forming basic knowledge about the organization’s activities among the target audience. The next stage was the official commissioning of the first reconstructed objects in Ukraine in the “road show” format. This approach allowed media representatives to “dive” into GEM’s activities, and the organization showed a willingness to communicate openly with the audience. As a result, we also received 7 TV reports and 237 publications in Ukrainian and international media, including the National News Marathon, The Village, BZ, The New York Times, and Voice of America.
The MAINSTREAM team continues to implement the project’s communication support.
“Communication of social initiatives differs from corporate and product PR because special attention is paid to organizational activities. Remaining open and transparent to maintain the image of a reliable partner is the main principle of communication in the social sector. We developed a communication platform for GEM that organically combined the fund’s strengths and the existing context. This approach has proved itself and has resulted in numerous mentions and publications,” strategic communications manager Olena Tsykaliuk.
