Results and Effectiveness

People began spreading the word on social media and blogs, as we introduced not only a novel way to advertise on Facebook, but also a novel way to raise funds with your Facebook 'share'. More importantly, within less than a week of launch, brands have pledged more than $10,000 to 'buy' Facebook shares on Share for Smiles, allowing Operation Smile to join the 2.4% of brands who've raised more than $10,000 on Facebook in a matter of days. And because the platform is socially powered, this means Operation Smile did it at zero media cost per dollar raised.

Creative Execution

Users shared a message from a brand with just a click. Brands would 'pay' by donating the cost of the message, calculated based on a novel pay-per-social-reach model (number of sharer's friends X cost-per-social-reach of 1 cent), to Operation Smile. The funds raised will help Operation Smile provide free cleft lip and cleft palate operations around the world. We spread the word by seeding the app on social media and forums, and engaging with mainstream media and bloggers. In each medium, we leveraged on the existing debate on whether or not social media activism can make a tangible difference to causes, or if it is merely 'slacktivism'. Word on how the app gives Facebook users the power to convert 'shares' into funds naturally spread. Our novel pay-per-social-reach model also helped this app spread further, as users with more friends had a bigger incentive to raise funds by sharing.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

Let's face it. Posting and sharing on Facebook helps raise awareness, but doesn't help where it really counts: funding. There's simply no tangible value to your Facebook share. It's no wonder Operation Smile, together with over 97.6% of other non-profits, failed to raise more than $10,000 annually on Facebook. Corporate sponsorship was dwindling as well, as Operation Smile faced competition from other charities. Imagine if Generation Share had the power to convert each 'share' into tangible funds for a charitable cause. We introduced Share for Smiles, a Facebook app that allows you to “sell” your Facebook shares to brands, in return for donations. And we do that by giving corporations (who always ask, "what's in it for me?") something they cannot refuse: access to 'ad space' on Facebook that's exactly where people are (newsfeeds/profiles), instead of that often-ignored corner where Facebook ads are currently located.