Published before February 2009
Thousands, from trainee police officers to concert goers, MPs to MTV viewers, have watched a short video narrated by singer and UNICEF UK Ambassador, Robbie Williams.
And four years after it was launched, the 200th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in 2007 has seen the charity’s High Profile Supporters Team receive more and more requests for the three-minute film about child trafficking.
The film, about one girl who is trafficked from West Africa to London, was referenced in a House of Commons debate on the Sexual Offences Bill, used to train and sensitise Immigration Officers to the issue and shown before UNICEF auctions and telethons worldwide.
Engaging supporters
Alison Tilbe, who heads up UNICEF’s High Profile Supporters Team, says the video was originally an awareness-raising resource but has had an impact on fundraising and been an incredible advocacy tool.
“It’s a really powerful example of how an Ambassador’s support can make a huge difference because if Robbie hadn’t presented that film, a lot of distribution channels would have been closed to us and people wouldn’t have looked at it,” says Tilbe.
“Celebrity support can shine a spotlight and draw attention to issues that otherwise we would struggle to highlight.”
A growing team
Back in 2000, Tilbe, who has experience managing up communications and fundraising teams in two other charities, worked two days a week enlisting high profile support for UNICEF. Now there are four members of the team - three High Profile Support Officers and Tilbe, who works part-time.
These days, the team leads on the production of films, like the one featuring Robbie, and on celebrity-led TV projects, like Soccer Aid. They also “manage relationships” with UNICEF’s celebrity supporters, which include 16 UK Ambassadors, four International Goodwill Ambassadors and 10 high profile supporters.
Ambassadors, like footballer David Beckham, are famous internationally and have around two years’ experience of working with UNICEF, while high profile supporters, like singer Bjork, are relatively new to the organisation.
The team sit in the communications department, but set up a monthly committee to work across other areas. “Our team members have communications and fundraising experience and our plans are closely linked to these two departments: media, new media, major donor, events, corporate partnerships, direct marketing,” says Tilbe.
Techniques for enlisting support
Well-researched ideas for new Ambassadors are put to the committee, which Tilbe chairs, and then to a management committee for final approval. Celebrities chosen to be UNICEF Ambassadors have to be credible, fit with the brand, attractive to key audiences and interested in the issues they’ll be promoting. The team do a lot of peer networking to scout for potential celebrity supporters but they don’t cold call if they can help it.
“Our evaluation shows warm relationships are far more effective, less risky and a better use of resources,” says Tilbe.
Once a celebrity is on board, a member of the team is selected to be their Key Manager and a second contact is appointed too so, if someone leaves, the relationship isn’t lost. The two key contacts might work directly with the celebrity, their publicist, manager or agent.
A strategic approach
The team work out a strategic plan with set objectives for each Ambassador or high profile supporter which is evaluated at the end of the year. Tilbe says it’s crucial that the work celebrities do for the charity reflects their skills and the audiences they appeal to.
So, for example, Martin Bell is UK Ambassador for Humanitarian Emergencies and reports from the ground telling people how UNCIEF is responding. “His voice is very credible, people believe and take seriously what he says because he has spent years as a foreign correspondent,” says Tilbe.
It’s this strategic approach which, according to Tilbe, has meant celebrity relationships are always successful. However, the team have developed a risk management strategy so that processes are clear should anything go wrong. She says one of the challenges for the team is working with people with limited availability.
“Lots of supporters would like to have access to our Ambassadors but they can’t do everything for everyone,” she says. “We have to manage expectations internally and externally in terms of what is appropriate and possible to deliver. There is a constant process of prioritisation and although it’s hard, we often have to say ‘No’.”
Setting up a programme
That said, Tilbe thinks enlisting celebrity support has nothing to do with the size of a charity. She says some celebrities will prefer to work with smaller charities because they feel they can have more of an impact.
“If, as a charity communicator, you understand your brand and audience, communicate issues in a compelling way and can manage relationships, there’s no reason why you can’t have a very effective programme,” she says.
“I don’t think this should be a bolt onto someone’s job, it can be done by a dedicated team member, part-time if necessary, with the right support from above.”