Client Spotlight: Hospitality House of Charlotte

Like many nonprofits, Hospitality House of Charlotte is charged with responding to ever-growing needs with limited resources. The organization, whose mission is to provide shelter for out-of-town families in the midst of medical crisis, has only three full-time staff members. This small but dedicated team must not only manage the day-to-day operations of the house but continually strengthen and deepen their outreach into the community. Hospitality House approached Fame Foundry seeking our help in increasing awareness and cultivating a community around the organization and its mission. We responded by developing tools that support them in putting the principles of trustcasting to work efficiently and effectively to promote sustainable long-term growth.

Establishing a legacy

The organization’s new identity lays the groundwork for building trust with the community by incorporating its longevity as an integral part of its brand and putting its 25-year history of service at the forefront of all communication with the public.

Empowering outreach

The new HHoC website establishes a firm foundation upon which the organization can build a dedicated following around its brand by engaging visitors with videos, news and articles that tell the story of Hospitality House in the greater context of the community it serves.

Turning passion into action

Throughout the site, compelling videos capture the passion at heart of the organization, with real people relating personal experiences in a genuine way that resonates with prospective donors and volunteers, creating a strong sense of urgency to act.

Making the connection

The donation module reinforces the mission of Hospitality House by associating the amount of each gift with the service it enables the organization to provide, making the impact of the contribution more tangible and meaningful for the donor.

Taking control

A critical aspect of community building is providing reasons for visitors to return to the site again and again by offering a constant stream of fresh content. Behind the scenes of the HHoC website is a powerful management system that puts the site to work for Hospitality House by allowing the organization to maximize its marketing and promotion efforts with a minimal investment of time. To learn more about Hospitality House of Charlotte, visit http://www.hospitalityhouseofcharlotte.org.

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In the Driver's Seat

Fame Foundry has partnered with NASCAR driver Ryan Newman to develop his new official website. The site is home to the Ryan Newman Fan Club, which marks its 10th anniversary in 2011 with over 10,000 fans worldwide. When the site, which has been completely redesigned and re-engineered from the ground up, is unveiled on February 16, it will introduce a revolutionary new experience for fan club members that will allow them to be part of every race and every event like never before.

More than killer design

The new RyanNewman.org will offer all the expected benefits of a fan club site, including schedules, stats and merchandise as well as behind-the-scenes photos, videos and news from the Ryan Newman Racing organization. However, more importantly, it will be the only site of its kind in NASCAR built around an exclusive members-only micro social network. Here members can engage with other fans of Ryan Newman and NASCAR in ways never before possible as part of a thriving virtual community created by and for the fans.

Micro social network, major engagement

"Fame Foundry created something never seen before, allowing members to interact in new ways and providing them a central location to call their own." – Ryan Newman Members can post their own photos and videos to the site, making the community as much about the fans as it is about Ryan Newman. They can also participate in discussions that are much more robust than traditional message boards, as they are interactive and pervasive throughout all types of content and every event. In addition, fans can interact in real time anytime in live chat rooms. All photos, videos, discussions, news and chats will be aggregated by event so members can choose to browse content either by type or by event. The site is built to elevate the most popular member photos, videos and discussions, rewarding those who make great contributions and making it easy for members to find the best content. Additionally, each member will have an enhanced user profile page that provides a snapshot of all their recent activity across the site and highlights their most popular contributions. While the technology driving the site is quite advanced, the interface is highly intuitive so that members of all ages will find it easy and pleasurable to use. Fans can even remain active in the community when they are on the go, as the site is compatible with mobile devices such as iPhones and iPads.

Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines

Because racing fans thrive on competition, members who start discussions or who post photos and videos can earn points – or votes – from other members that will put them in the chase for a spot on the fan club leaderboard. Points will be tallied all season long, with prizes awarded to the top performer each month as well as the top overall points earner for the season.

Giving fans and sponsors what they really want

"It has been exciting to watch the Ryan Newman website come to life,” said Newman. “The site is much more than its cool design. Fame Foundry created something never seen before, allowing members to interact in new ways and providing them a central location to call their own. It also provides more value to our sponsors than we have ever had before." “We are looking forward to launching the new Ryan Newman website,” said Greta Ray Anderson, director of the Ryan Newman Fan Club. “Not only will fan club members be able interact in meaningful ways with each other on the site, but Ryan will have his own profile, allowing him to engage with members directly by posting status updates, photos, videos and comments. RyanNewman.org will now become the exclusive go-to destination for the Ryan Newman fan community.” For a tour of the site and its many unprecedented features, check out this exclusive preview.

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