Strategy

Maroon PR was retained by NOU for a three-month project to assist with key internal communications needs and execute an external media relations campaign focused on two key areas:

• Publicize NOU’s programs success in direct, positive results for at-risk young men in Baltimore City’s toughest neighborhoods

• Help attract potential donors

The primary strategy was to position NOU Founder/CEO Matt Hanna as a thought leader in the social impact nonprofit space as way to garner media attention for Next One Up. By using Matt’s expertise in this space, he could talk about timely issues while bringing attention to his efforts with NOU and his vision for growth.

Our secondary focus was on highlighting NOU’s current and former participants, called “scholar athletes” while part of the program. Featured in media hits were NOU’s current program director, who is a former participant, along with several of their current high school and college, and recent college graduate scholar athletes.

Results

Our team secured media hits in a mix of local, regional and national outlets across TV, radio, web and print, including a feature story that laned on the front page of The Baltimore Sun. The same story was later published in The Washington Post. 

As part of our work with Next One Up, Maroon PR developed a comprehensive social media strategy designed to assist their team in curating the right content and post cadence to help grow their social channels.

Maroon PR’s design team also enhanced the NOU logo, developed brand guidelines for the organization and developed several social media graphics to be implemented in their content moving foward.