BRAND ENGAGEMENT
SITUATION
Spring and summer are important times for in person conservation engagement and brand experiences at the Nature Conservancy of Canada. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, people were asked to social distance and self-isolate for months. NCC had to close visitation opportunities at its properties, delay the 2020 Conservation Volunteers season and cancel planned outreach campaigns. Many provinces came out of lock downs at different times and in different ways requiring continued flexibility. In order to not only stay relevant but to also elevate the brand and connectivity with its customer base, NCC had to quickly pivot and turn the crisis into a positive disruption.
RESPONSIBILITY
I lead the organization’s collaborative efforts with our agency (Bensimon Byrne) to quickly adapt, remain true to NCC’s brand, be empathetic to customer experience and bring conservation engagement completely online with record speed to market.
Collaboration, innovation and resourcefulness were key to my team’s ability to pivot online in a season so dependent on in person experiences. We leveraged resources already created and re-applied in new ways as well as built new content and programs. I helped the team understand where gaps were in customer experiences and close them by offering online content that allowed us to bring citizen science projects and opportunities home. I also ensured our team’s understanding of our market, competition and customer behaviour as well as implemented strategies to ensure continued meaningful connections with supporters.
RESULTS
Under my leadership, NCC introduced “Bring Nature Home” an online activity hub as well as a social media engagement program called “Take 5 with Nature”. Through my strategic leadership, NCC delivered communications and engagement that connected people with nature and the NCC cause but in safe ways, at home. NCC engaged supporters through virtual hikes and nature escapes of properties, “backyard” citizen science activities, educational videos, the new webinar format for NatureTalks and the “Take 5 with Nature” social media program. “Take 5 with Nature” also connected NCC with its social media community with daily doses of inspiration. People across the country engaged with each other under #Take5withNature, shared photos, comments and supported one another.
Results from the “Bring Nature Home” initiative were strong. NCC saw supporters spending longer on site, exploring and interacting with online content and our brand story. Social media saw growth as well with 13,000 new followers and 6% growth in engagement.
"I'm lucky to have worked with Roberta at the
Nature Conservancy of Canada. Not only is she a talented brand marketer, but she also is extremely passionate about her job and genuinely cared about my professional growth. She has a creative, positive outlook and she's great at organizing and bringing people together. Roberta knows how to bring the best out of her team members, and is always able to manage unforeseen events smoothly. She was a pleasure to work with."
- Nila Sivatheesan,
Social Media Marketing Coordinator,
NaTURE CONSERVANCY OF CANADA