There are certain holiday traditions that just hit differently. From the old-schoolMacy’s Thanksgiving Day parade to the new-school release of the Starbucks holiday cups, these time-honored rituals have become synonymous with the holiday season. But what happens when one of those customary activities is forced to undergo a swift change? That’s what happened when UNICEF’s annual Halloween boxes went from the hands of kids to the laptops of corporations.

“One of the byproducts of being forced into a virtual trick-or-treat experience, we were able to actually personalize it for some of our corporate partners. They could brand it, they could put their names on it, they could raise money for the thing that they were most passionate about. [Virtual events] really give us a chance to extend beyond just the youth audience and get into a bit of an older audience. So it did also give us an opportunity to get a glimpse into what this could be if it was expanded beyond just schools.”

Those are the words of Shelley Diamond, the CMO of UNICEF USA, and for decades, trick-or-treating was one of the main ways that the non-profit connected with individuals. Shelley joined Marketing Trends to discuss how UNICEF spun its popular trick-or-treating event into something new and memorable for both adults and children. Plus, she explains the lens through which her team views digital advertising, and why UNICEF’s mission is rooted in the brand.

Main Takeaways:

• Rooted in Brand: Your brand should always reflect your mission. Every touchpoint — from advertising to social content to storytelling — has to lead back to the overall mission of your company or non-profit, and reflect the goals it is striving to achieve.
• Take it Virtual, but Make it Count: If an event has to shift to virtual, look at it as an opportunity to reach a broader audience. When UNICEF moved its trick-or-treating campaign online, it saw a greater opportunity to reach a broader audience.
• It’s a Digital World, We’re Just Living in it: Digital media should be viewed as an avenue to gain valuable insights about your customers. From email marketing to search, to online video content, marketers need to constantly be looking at what the data is telling them. If the results are positive in one place, lean into that medium. If something isn’t working, analyze where the issue is and address it.

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