Challenge:
A successful first year launch of the An Post Irish Book Awards (APIBA) saw the creation of sponsorship platform Readers Wanted. Now, our second year needed to establish more meaningful engagement across the year.
Bringing #ReadersWanted to life is about getting more books in more people’s hands!
Actions:
1). An engagement strategy – creating a series of connection moments with rich content and events (physically and virtually). This included a magical kids storytelling train journey, celebrating author George RR Martin at An Post HQ, installing a free bookstand at train stations, and distributing 250,000 free children’s activity books mid COVID lockdown.
2). Laying the foundations of the purpose driving both our sponsorship and our brand – to improve quality of life now and for generations to come.
a). Reading has a proven impact on quality of life, so we documented an adult’s real-life journey learning to read, culminating with Veronica presenting a Book Award.
b). Our partnership with Childhood Development Initiative (CDI) delivers books monthly to children in disadvantaged areas (90,000 books to date), enabling access to books ensures a reading legacy for the next generation.
Outcome:
Highest ever awareness score (+126%). Improvements in all engagement metrics proves the sponsorship connected with its audiences, while staying true to the brand purpose.
Generating positive goodwill from the book industry about An Post’s involvement and helping Irish book sales to rise in both value and volume!
All reinforcing An Post’s role, enabling people to read and being a force for good in Irish people’s lives.
