Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY)
The Challenge
Imagine losing your healthy 18-year-old son suddenly during a GAA game. Sudden Adult Death Syndrome is a leading cause of cardiac death among young people. CRY Ireland supports grieving families and promotes genetic screening. Our strategy aimed to elevate awareness and engagement, fostering community and sharing impactful narratives.
The Approach
We the People created the “Friends of CRY” campaign to boost awareness, foster engagement, and drive action for those affected by sudden death. It focused on sharing heartfelt stories to humanize CRY Ireland’s mission and encourage participation across Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
The campaign began with an analysis of CRY Ireland’s social media presence and audience. The content was tailored for each platform: Instagram Reels and Stories highlighted emotional narratives, TikTok targeted younger audiences, and Facebook and Twitter facilitated updates and community discussions. Stories like Clare Knight’s journey after losing her brother and Emily Mac Keogh’s experience of losing her fiancé were central to its success, shared during peak activity times to maximize reach.
Despite a limited budget, the campaign strategically promoted key content, particularly on TikTok, which resulted in rapid growth. Organic engagement was prioritized with high-quality, shareable content. Authentic storytelling and well-planned promotions amplified its impact, raising awareness and encouraging participation in CRY Ireland’s vital services like support, screening, and research.
The Results
The "Friends of CRY" campaign delivered significant results in boosting awareness and engagement for CRY Ireland:
Instagram: Followers grew by 42%, reaching 119,000—a 939.2% increase in reach. Engagement rose by 158.5% with 9,300 interactions, and 3,680 link clicks to the CRY website doubled the previous period’s numbers.
Facebook: Achieved a reach of 168,000 (up 95.2%), with 1,637 link clicks (up 157%) and 18,895 minutes of reel playtime—a 1,600% increase.
TikTok: Gained 1,000 followers in two weeks. A top video hit nearly 70,000 views, contributing to 150,000 total plays across assets.
X (Twitter): Campaign assets garnered 128.7k organic impressions.
The campaign’s success was recognized at the 2024 Sockies Awards, winning silver for Best Multiplatform Campaign and gold for Best Use of Instagram Reels and Stories. It effectively spotlighted the impact of sudden death while building a supportive online community to further CRY Ireland’s mission.