Press release -
Post Office Breaks Social Media Barrier By Being First UK Business To Allow Twitter Users To Donate To Charity With A Tweet
- Easy-to-use function developed by Post Office to help people to Be A Hero by donating to BBC Children in Need ahead of November 14 appeal night
- Users Tweet @PostOffice with #MakeMeAHero hashtag and receive direct message with link to donate
- Donations of £1, £3 or £5 complete on entry of code texted to user, coming directly from phone bill
- Be A Hero badges on sale from Post Office branches across the UK for £1 each, with all proceeds going to BBC Children in Need
The Post Office has become the first organisation in the UK to allow Twitter users to donate to charity through a Tweet, with all proceeds going to BBC Children in Need.
As part of this year’s Be A Hero theme of the campaign, Post Office’s social media are giving Twitter users the power to #BeAHero by simply Tweeting @PostOffice with the hashtag #MakeMeAHero.
Users then receive a direct message with a link through which they can donate their choice of £1, £3 or £5, added to their phone bills.
Post Office Chief Marketing Officer Peter Markey said: “As a business, the Post Office is modernising to meet the needs of customers across the UK, and we know innovation can’t stop in branch or on our website.
“Being the first organisation in the UK to give customers the ability to donate to a charity so close to the nation’s heart by simply Tweeting to donate is a social media barrier we’re delighted to break through.”
Twitter users who Tweet @PostOffice with the #MakeMeAHero hashtag receive a direct message with a link at which they choose the amount the wish to donate and enter their phone number. They then enter a personalised code texted to them within seconds to complete their donation, with the full amount taken from their phone bill and going straight to BBC Children in Need.
Post Office worked with media agency Mindshare UK to develop the concept, produce creative and copy for the campaign and manage the process throughout the campaign.
The initiative is an online compliment to Post Office’s Be A Hero badge campaign, which has seen special badges go on sale at over 10,000 branches across the country for £1 each, all proceeds of which also go to BBC Children in Need.
Post Office was BBC Children in Need’s biggest fundraising partner in 2013, raising over £1.2million for the charity, and the company hopes to match or better that total this year as the in-branch campaign is complemented by significant social media activity.
ENDS
For more information please contact:
Cathal Wogan
Post Office External
Relations,
1st Floor, 148 Old Street
LONDON
EC1V 9HQ
Tel: 07776 996 518
Email: cathal.wogan@postoffice.co.uk
Twitter: @PostOfficeNews
www.postoffice.co.uk
Notes to Editors:
BBC Children in Need
The BBC Children in Need Appeal is a charity registered in England and Wales (802052) and Scotland (SC039557) whose aim is to make a positive change to the lives of disadvantaged children and young people across the UK.
BBC Children in Need’s vision is that every child in the UK has a safe, happy and secure childhood and the chance to reach their potential. We will realise this vision by supporting, promoting and publicising work that addresses the challenges that children and young people face and work that builds their skills and resilience.
BBC Children in Need is currently supporting 2,600 projects that are working with children facing a range of disadvantages for example, poverty and deprivation; children who have been the victims of abuse or neglect or disabled young people.
The Post Office and BBC Children in Need
Be A Hero badges are available now from Post Offices across the UK or online at postofficeshop.co.uk. The badges are priced £1 per unit. All proceeds (less VAT) will be donated to BBC Children in Need.
About the Post Office
The Post Office (Post Office Limited) has an unrivalled national network of over 11,500 branches across the UK, more than all the high street banks combined, and sits at the heart of communities in Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England. The Post Office has made a commitment to maintaining its network of branches at its current size and reach. It provides around 170 different products and services spanning financial services including savings, insurance, loans, mortgages and credit cards; Government services; telephony; foreign currency; travel insurance and mail services.
The Post Office serves over 17 million customers a week and a third of small businesses. Some 99.7% of the total population live within three miles of a post office and over 97% live with one mile of a post office. For many rural communities, the post office is the only retail outlet. Post Offices branches remain highly valued and trusted, and are the focal point of many communities. For more information, visit http://www.postoffice.co.uk/.
Please note the Press Office team can only deal with enquiries from the media. Unfortunately they do not have access to customer information so can not help with customer enquiries.
If you have an enquiry regarding any Post Office product or service please visit postoffice.co.uk or call 0845Local call rates apply. Call costs may vary depending on your service provider. Calls may be monitored or recorded for training and compliance purposes. 611 2970.
