Marketing Campaign

Client
Rock River Valley Blood Center

Industry
Healthcare

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Chartwell Agency Helps Rock River Valley Blood Center Reimagine Donor Engagement

The Rock River Valley Blood Center (RRVBC) is the sole provider of blood and blood products for 14 hospitals across northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. To meet the ongoing demand for blood, the center relies on an average of 700 volunteer donors each week, ensuring that hospitals across the region have the life-saving resources their patients depend on.

Solution

To help RRVBC strengthen community engagement and inspire new donors, Chartwell Agency partnered with the organization to develop a marketing campaign that combines education, emotion, and action.

Together, the teams crafted a new campaign message rooted in real data and human impact, highlighting both the ongoing need for donations and the life-saving difference every donor can make. The resulting “We’ve Got to Keep Poking” campaign puts donors at the heart of the story and connects them directly to patients whose lives depend on their generosity.

The “We’ve Got to Keep Poking” concept plays on the dual meaning of “poking”: the literal poke from the needle used in blood donation and the metaphorical poke required to keep raising awareness and encouraging people to donate.

The campaign’s creative strategy emphasizes urgency and empathy and shows diverse patient stories and data-driven reasons to give. Each message tied back to the emotional truth that blood donation doesn’t just help someone; it helps your neighbor, your friend, or even you.

Chartwell coordinated a comprehensive rollout that included:

A refreshed social media presence
Integrated advertising across print, radio, and television
Collateral design for mobile drives, donor center signage, and outreach materials

Outcomes

The “We’ve Got to Keep Poking” campaign boasts a bold, human-centered energy to RRVBC’s outreach that reframes the act of donating blood as a deeply personal contribution to community health. With a mix of storytelling, data, and emotional resonance, the campaign elevated awareness and strengthened the connection between donors and the patients they serve.

The campaign not only reintroduced RRVBC to its audiences but also gave the organization a unified visual identity and voice across all communication channels. Each touchpoint from web to radio to social media delivered a clear and urgent call to action that inspired both first-time and returning donors.

The collaboration with Chartwell continues to evolve as new creative opportunities emerge to further expand the organization’s reach and visibility.

Integrated Communications Approach

Chartwell Agency approaches every project as a long-term partnership rooted in strategy, creativity, and measurable outcomes. By integrating storytelling, analytics, and design, we help mission-driven organizations like RRVBC translate purpose into performance to build campaigns that not only raise awareness but also inspire meaningful action.