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Clorox taps SMS to drive engagement for school grant program

Clorox is using a variety of strategic initiatives such as SMS to drive engagement for its Power a Bright Future program. 

The Power A Bright Future Grant Program leverages Skype in the classroom. Additionally, the company is using SMS to let users vote for their favorite school program.

?This year, Clorox introduced several new elements for the third annual Power A Bright Future school grant program, which gives kids the power to grow and transform through playing, creating and exploring,? said Molly Steinkrauss, associate PR manager at Clorox.

?The program was created as part of Clorox?s ongoing commitment to teachers and schools, helping to keep students and classrooms healthy, happy and engaged,? she said. ?Because we want to ensure all schools have the chance to win, we are incorporating a variety of strategic initiatives to drive engagement, in both the nomination and voting phases. 

?This includes the text-to-vote component, which will make it easier for consumers to cast their vote one time each day.?

The Clorox Co. is a manufacturer and marketer of consumer products with 8,100 employees and fiscal year 2011 revenues of $5.2 billion.

Classroom initiative
The company is working with Skype tol further engage teachers in a discussion about the role of technology in schools and what resources they need to power new programs.

Additionally, Clorox is integrating numerous other digital and mobile components to activate teachers, parents and students in its grant program.

Adults over the age of 18 can help their school win up to $50,000 by nominating a new or existing program in one of three categories ? play, create or explore.

Clorox is also using mobile for its voting phase where anyone over the age of 13 can text their vote for their favorite school program.

?Since people increasingly rely on mobile phones to perform daily tasks, Clorox figured it was natural to make voting mobile this year,? Ms. Steinkrauss said. ?Additionally, this is the first year voting is open to anyone 13 and older.

?Since teens are sending 3,339 text messages per month we know that texting is huge with this audience and wanted to tap in to their use,? she said. ?Text message campaigns are on the rise and Clorox is staying current with this demographic by adding this campaign element.?

Entries
To make sure everyone is getting a chance to enter, Clorox is casting a wide net with outreach to spread the word about Power A Bright Future.

The company will be hosting a series of live teacher chats to spread the Power A Bright Future message, using the technology of Skype in the Classroom.

There are also a series of ad buys and an integration with NBC?s hit show Parenthood in addition to outreach to traditional media.

?Just as many schools today are trying to stay up-to-date with the latest technology ? and are lacking the funds necessary to do so ? Clorox wants to make sure the technology that many teachers, students, parents and administrators already use in their daily lives are incorporated into the Power A Bright Future Program,? Ms. Steinkrauss said.

?Consumers today rely heavily on their mobile phones for information, updates and the main source to stay in touch and informed, which is reflected through programs and initiatives that the company is launching,? she said.