The Power of V-Day
MSLGROUP's Blog By: Laura Beauchamp
This Valentine’s Day, as we think about gift ideas for our loved ones, millions of people across the globe will be celebrating the holiday not by purchasing a dozen red roses or a box of heart-shaped chocolates, but by supporting V-Day, a non-profit organization with a mission to stop violence against women and girls around the world.
At MSLGROUP, we work with a number of nonprofit organizations to strengthen their brands, resulting in an increase in support of their overall missions. V-Day has done exactly that; the organization has transformed what was once a grassroots movement into a brand as sophisticated as some of the most successful corporate brands in the marketplace today.
Each year, during the months of February through April, local volunteers and college students produce benefit performances, which include Eve Ensler’s award-winning play The Vagina Monologues and other creative vehicles, to raise awareness and funds for anti-violence groups within their own communities. Many of the 2011 events are kicking off this week in a community near you. In 2010, more than 5,400 V-Day benefit events took place in the U.S. and around the world, educating millions of people about the reality of violence against women and girls.
The challenge faced by V-Day during its early years was one that any non-profit organization tackling a tough societal issue will face — finding corporate sponsors willing to stand behind their work. Although there are a few brave corporate souls willing to support these tough issues, at the end of the day, corporate executives are seeking cause partnerships that will help to strengthen their brand’s identity, not tarnish it. Who can blame them?
ABOUT MSLGROUP
MSLGROUP (mslgroup.com), the Publicis Groupe’s flagship specialty communications, PR and events network, is one of the world's top five PR and events networks. MSL’s offices span 22 countries and cover virtually every discipline required for clients to engage creatively with their audiences in real time. MSL offers clients insight-guided thinking and big, compelling ideas - followed by thorough execution. With the bottom line always the driving force, MSL ensures a return on engagement and a return on marketing investment.
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