Global Partnership for Education

THE CHALLENGE

The Covid-19 pandemic led to tremendous pressure on communications teams and a need for transformation. Faced with a total lockdown, the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) had to pivot and adapt to challenging circumstances. They created an online advocacy campaign and organized a major hybrid replenishment summit.

GPE’s Communications team quickly transformed the #RaiseYourHand campaign into an online-only campaign. The creative agency launched an interactive website to encourage supporters worldwide to “Raise their hand” for education.

The stakes were high, and GPE needed someone to lead campaign communications only a few months before the Global Education Summit.

THE SOLUTION

Nicholas was hired to plan, design, implement, and coordinate creative digital communications strategies for the organization, building on the strengths and communications assets of the GPE Secretariat and its partners.

He quickly stepped up to the plate, working with GPE’s creative agency and Secretariat to manage highly orchestrated virtual events, create inspirational videos, forge new partnerships, and lead a proactive social media campaign that drove traffic to the new #RaiseYourHand website.

When a new wave of COVID-19 infections obliged GPE to reduce in-person participation at the Global Education Summit, the team adapted again to the circumstances and worked closely with the offices of co-hosts UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta to create engaging content, even though there was limited staff on-site.

Together with GPE’s PR Manager and Social Media Manager, Nicholas managed the social media strategy for the Global Education Summit, leading a team of five people to ensure that GPE messages were closely coordinated with partners and amplified by the development community.

THE RESULTS

The #RaiseYourHand call to action was catchy and memorable. GPE received support from personalities such as Didier Drogba, Michelle Obama, Boris Johnson, and Naomi Campbell, with raised hands from high-profile politicians and business leaders worldwide.

The campaign reached over 4.9 Million people, generating 400,000 engagements and resulting in more than 8000 people taking action online, helping to build momentum in advance of the Global Education Summit.

The hybrid summit brought hundreds of political leaders together in London, reaching more than 120,000 unique viewers online. 

Although there was little staff on-site due to Covid restrictions, Nicholas and the events team produced a post-event video in less than 24 hours and a series of short Vox-pop video interviews that helped GPE lead an engaging social media campaign after the summit.

The summit raised a record US$4 billion to help transform education systems in more than 90 low-income countries and territories. To learn more about the #RaiseYourHand campaign, check out the interview with Breanna Ridsdel, Acting Director, Communications & Advocacy at GPE.