Why working with Advance was important to Hayley Spurling

We caught up with Hayley Spurling, Group Client & Brand Director at Brand Learning, to hear how her Marketing for Good experience with Advance went and why other members should get involved.

 

What inspired you to participate in Marketing for Good?

I'd been looking for a new opportunity to contribute to the broader community, and when The Marketing Society teamed up with Pimp My Cause for Marketing for Good it felt like a great fit. Beyond just contributing a pair of hands as a volunteer, you can offer your specific experience and ideas and choose the charity you support. And they make it really easy to do so.

 

Why did you choose to work with Advance?

I wanted to work with a charity that supports women. Advance is a London charity, close to where I live, that helps women and young people who are facing domestic violence, or who have got caught up in the criminal justice system. Often the two are linked - a lot of women who commit crimes have experienced domestic violence. 

 

It's not easy to raise money for charities like this: it's not a photogenic topic and companies and people can fear that if they support DV charities, it implies they've been involved with it in some way. The truth is that 1 in 3 women experience domestic violence, and it's across all demographics. It's as much a white, professional, woman's issue as anyone's. In the UK, 2 women a week die at the hands of their partner or former partner. And the knock-on effects for the 750,000 children a year that witness it, for employers, and for society more generally are devastating.

 

What challenges were they facing?

The team at Advance were looking for help in creating a brand architecture and communications that could help them raise funds. Almost all their funding comes from Government or specific grants. But as we all know funding cuts have hit in - just look at the number of refuges that have had to close - and the instability that comes with being reliant on big pitches, gives job insecurity to everyone working there. More than that, they have no money for the back-office functions that big charities have - like marketing and fundraising - because every grant goes to frontline services. So they need to be able to communicate what they do in a way that can also attract funds from the corporate sector and private individuals. 

 

How were you able to help them address those challenges?

I helped them in developing their marketing strategy, a new brand architecture and positioning that united the different services (life-saving, life-changing help for women and children) and with the website copy for the new website they are developing. We'll go on to look at other communications too.

 

How have you benefited from the experience?

It's been great. The people at Advance are amazing, and I feel privileged to have met them. And of course it's personally rewarding to feel you are helping such a great cause.

 

What would you say to other marketers considering getting involved?

Do it! And if you can't give time to Marketing for Good straight away, at least consider making a donation to Advance!

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If you would like to find out more and see how you get involved, please get in touch. And you can browse more marketing for good content in our Clubhouse.