What the Project Is About
Bohlsen Group teamed up with Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana to fuel a unified marketing campaign under the powerful tagline “No One Runs on Empty.” This campaign was designed to raise awareness and encourage donations to support Indiana’s largest food bank. By blending strategic planning, campaign development, earned media, organic social, influencers, media buying, paid digital, and creative development, the campaign aimed to reach a broad audience and make a real impact during a critical time.
Main Benefits and Key Figures
Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana plays a crucial role in helping underserved neighbors move toward greater self-sufficiency, especially as the pandemic stretched into its second year. Here are some key facts that highlight the importance and scale of this effort:
- Respected leader within Feeding America
- Serving nearly 300,000 hungry Hoosiers across 21 counties
- Distributed nearly 100 million pounds of food in 2021
- More than 75% of foods distributed are fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins, and dairy
- Committed network of over 300 partner agencies
- Network of nearly 13,000 regular volunteers; 300 volunteers a week
- Heavily reliant on financial donations to keep programs running
Campaign Strategy and Execution
After digging into Gleaners’ past marketing efforts, especially the premier “No One Runs on Empty” campaign from 2020, Bohlsen Group crafted a strategy that brought together both tried-and-true and fresh marketing tactics. The goal? To create a unified, powerful message that resonates across multiple channels. This meant adding streaming audio on podcasts, digital and connected TV, and influencer partnerships to the mix. These were all executed alongside organic social media, paid outdoor advertising, and earned media placements, rounding out a comprehensive approach.
Campaign Reach and Tactics
The “No One Runs on Empty” campaign ran from April 6 to June 7, 2021, and the results were impressive—almost 53 million impressions across six different tactics. Here’s a quick look at how each tactic performed:
- Audio: Ran 361 times, plus an additional 555,000 impressions from dry reads and pre-roll ads
- Outdoor: 48 outdoor boards, with 42 running as bonus overrun
- Connected TV: Over 880,000 impressions in the Indianapolis DMA
- Earned Media: 24 earned media placements
- Influencers: 5 fully executed influencer campaigns
- Paid Digital: Ran efficiently, hitting industry benchmarks for cost and click-through rate
Why This Campaign Matters
Gleaners understands that innovation isn’t just a buzzword—it’s necessary, especially in times of crisis. The pandemic highlighted the urgent need for food assistance, and this campaign helped shine a spotlight on hunger in Indiana. By uniting various marketing tactics, Bohlsen Group helped Gleaners reach more people, educate the public, and ultimately drive donations that keep the food bank’s vital programs running. It’s about making sure no one in the community runs on empty—literally or figuratively.
Project Impact and Sustainable Development Goals
- SDG 2: Zero Hunger – Directly addressing food insecurity and hunger in Indiana
- SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being – Supporting nutrition through distribution of healthy foods
- SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals – Collaborating with partners like Group 1001 and Andretti Autosport
- SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production – Emphasizing distribution of nutritious, sustainable food
Looking Ahead
The success of the “No One Runs on Empty” campaign shows how thoughtful, unified marketing can make a real difference. With nearly 13,000 volunteers and a network of over 300 partner agencies, Gleaners is well-positioned to continue its mission. The campaign’s innovative mix of media and messaging sets a strong example for future efforts to combat hunger and support communities in need. It’s a reminder that when organizations come together with a clear purpose, the impact can be truly powerful.
