In partnership with Pittsburgh Commercial Construction and the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation, the Penguins awarded a $100,000 renovation to a deserving community rink while also building and connecting with their fan base.
Goal: Advance the Game of Hockey through Partnership
The Penguins and Pittsburgh Commercial Construction set out in Fall 2018 to make a difference for a rink that is making an impact on the lives of hockey lovers in Western Pennsylvania. From October to December, fans nominated their local rink and explained how this renovation could help their community. From hundreds of nominations, the team managed to select three finalists. One of these lucky finalists would receive the $100,000 prize provided by the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation and Pittsburgh Commercial Construction.
Solution: Communities Vote to Renovate a Local Rink with $100K+
The Penguins created three vignettes to highlight each community rink and their needs. Fans voted daily for their local rink, in hopes it would be the ultimate winner. The contest earned an impressive amount of public support and gained invaluable organic growth for the efforts of each rink and their communities. Local Pittsburgh news stations and radio broadcasts also encouraged fans to vote, leading to a local frenzy which lasted until the final moments of the campaign.
After the dust settled, the Penguins had accomplished a charitable feat as impressive as their back-to-back Stanley Cups. The campaign helped the Penguins connect with over 30,000 fans, and earned an astounding 130K+ entries and 170K+ unique views. They also earned 1850+ shares to social channels, increasing the organic reach of the campaign and the team well beyond any paid advertising. The valuable insight they learned about their fan communities through the campaign will help them provide better experiences for their fans for years to come. However, the team using their platform to raise awareness for local rinks and inspire the next generation of NHL stars was the biggest victory of all.
