Although its business is collecting blood, the San Diego Blood Bank was uncomfortable with a pattern of closing out its books in red. For several years, the agency struggled to make a profit, and to boost its reserve for local hospitals beyond a one-day supply. The Blood Bank knew it had to capture the attention of existing and potential new donors to reverse the trends and avoid a potential problem in the event of a community emergency.

The Blood Bank enlisted the help of Next Level Thinking to create a campaign that aired on five local radio stations between October and December 2007, urging people to donate. Using real patients and donors in the straightforward spot proved to be successful in educating the public on the difference they could make in the lives of those who need blood.

According to The San Diego Blood Bank’s Mary Walter Brown, “In the first year after starting our radio campaign, we saw a 9.6% increase in total collections and averaged a 21.5% increase in First Time Donors each month of that year. In addition, we saw a significant jump in the number of donations per donor over the course of the year.”

The only red the agency sees now is in its collection bags. Since the campaign ran in 2007, the Blood Bank has increased its revenue and currently operates on a 3% profit margin.

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