Home Depot Retool Your School

DATE: 02-09-2024- 03-26-2024   COMPANY: HOME DEPOT RETOOL YOUR SCHOOL

Program Mission:

The Retool Your School Program, initiated by The Home Depot, aims to support HBCUs in making sustainable campus improvements. Through grants totaling over $9.2 million since 2009, the program seeks to give back to these institutions and empower them to enhance their campuses, fostering a stronger sense of community and purpose.

Campaign Overview:

Duration: Ten weeks from February 9 to March 26.
Goal: Secure funding through the Retool Your School Program for Paine College.
Approach:  Leveraging social media, storytelling, influencer partnerships, and giveaways to engage the audience and drive participation.

Marketing Strategy:

Storytelling: I crafted compelling narratives highlighting Paine College’s unique heritage, achievements, and aspirations. The stories emphasized the impact of campus improvements on student life and academic success.

Influencer Partnerships: Collaborated with influencers, including alumni, local community leaders, celebrities, and social media personalities, to amplify the campaign’s reach and credibility. Influencers shared personal connections to Paine College and encouraged their followers to support the initiative.

Social Media Campaign: Utilized various social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, to engage with current students, alumni, and supporters. Created visually appealing and shareable content to increase awareness and drive participation.

Giveaways: Implemented giveaway contests to incentivize participation and reward engagement. Prizes included branded merchandise, Hawks basketball tickets, and recognition on social media platforms.

Execution:

Marketing Plan: Developed a comprehensive marketing plan outlining campaign objectives, target audience demographics, messaging strategies, content calendar, and distribution channels.

Content Creation: Produced high-quality visual and written content, including videos, graphics, blog posts, and testimonials, aligning with the campaign’s storytelling theme and showcasing the importance of campus improvements.

Daily Monitoring and Reporting: Using analytics tools, I monitored campaign performance metrics, including engagement rates, reach, and conversion rates. I also provided regular updates and insights to the team to optimize strategies and meet goals.

Results:

Grant Acquisition: Paine College secured the highest grant, $150,000, from The Home Depot’s Retool Your School Program, enabling the implementation of significant campus improvements.

Increased Engagement: The marketing campaign generated significant engagement across social media platforms, including likes, shares, comments, and mentions. The Retool Your School campaign gained traction, fostering a sense of community and pride among stakeholders.

Expanded Reach: Through influencer partnerships and compelling storytelling, the campaign reached a broader audience beyond Paine College’s immediate community, attracting support and donations from alumni, supporters, and corporate sponsors.