Racepoint Group and Digital Influence Group Partner with The Conversation Project to Take End-of-Life Wishes to the National Stage

Sister agencies launch a social movement to change the way Americans discuss dying

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In the Summer of 2012 public relations agency Racepoint Group and digital marketing agency Digital Influence Group helped to launch The Conversation Project, a social movement dedicated to ensuring every person’s end-of-life wishes are expressed and respected. The sister agencies, wholly-owned by W2 Group, Inc., worked collaboratively with The Conversation Project team to create a program that would integrate the best of digital, social and traditional media to provide consumers with the content, tools and resources needed to help them have “the conversation” with their loved ones.

“We found a partner able to take our passion and vision, work with us collaboratively and create a web presence, a traditional and social media campaign to formally kick off our social movement”

Founded by Pulitzer Prize winning columnist, Ellen Goodman, and launched in collaboration with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), The Conversation Project started with the audacious goal of improving the end of life experience and to help families prepare for and cope with difficult decisions. Starting from the ground up, the agencies set out to help The Conversation Project affect social change by building national awareness about the need to get the family around the kitchen table and talk about this critical issue before its too late.

“We found a partner able to take our passion and vision, work with us collaboratively and create a web presence, a traditional and social media campaign to formally kick off our social movement,” said Ellen Goodman. “The success of our year has been beyond our expectation, particularly when you think about the deeply held feelings and emotions about a subject as deep as end of life."

The agencies built The Conversation Project brand by creating a welcoming, honest and non-intimidating program that would engage, educate and activate consumers around the statement “I want mine to be…” Digital Influence Group created a social destination – http://theconversationproject.org/ – that encourages visitors to share their end-of-life wishes and personal stories, browse others’ stories and discover actionable conversation starters using the “Starter Kit”. Racepoint Group and Digital Influence Group developed a comprehensive social and traditional media program to amplify the program’s messages, raise awareness across national media outlets and fuel social sharing and discussion, thereby getting the conversation started.

“Few opportunities are as profound and important as The Conversation Project. Our immediate reactions and discussions around initial campaign ideas continue to stir and challenge each of our thinking on the inevitable experience of mortality,” said Larry Weber, chairman of Racepoint Group and Digital Influence Group. “We are all part of the target audience and fully appreciate the overall power this campaign has already had. We’re all proud to be able to be part of something so profound.”

This unique collaboration allowed for a hugely successful launch of The Conversation Project’s cornerstone, The Conversation Project website. Since the August 15 launch, there have been more than 60,000 unique website visitors, more than 25,000 “Starter Kit” downloads and significant media attention from the likes of: AARP, The Boston Globe, The San Francisco Chronicle, Forbes, The New York Times, CNN and NPR. In addition, The Conversation Project partnered with ABC World News to further share this message via World News Tonight with Diane Sawyer.

Leading global brands have partnered with the Racepoint Group and Digital Influence Group combination to leverage the power of fully integrated communications and digital activation through PR and social. The agencies jointly deliver breakthrough programs that deliver on the key objectives of: increasing awareness and consideration, fostering dialogue, and creating value-added content to enable clients to build deeper relationships with target audiences. Each has in common a goal of transforming thinking and behavior by creating conversations and relationships, leveraging the most powerful assets on the Web.

About Racepoint Group
Racepoint Group is a global communications firm at the intersection of influence and action. Our seasoned professionals have harnessed the power of print, broadcast, social media and stakeholder management to build communities, drive brand and make our clients leaders. Our counsel is built on research-driven insights to help create and execute nimble campaigns that advance your brand and engage your audiences. Our exploratory nature, work ethic and core competencies in digital marketing, strategic planning, and influencer engagement are reflected in our results. We embrace your mission as our own through a collaborative work style and culture. http://www.racepointgroup.com/

About Digital Influence Group
Digital Influence Group is a full-service digital marketing agency with social media at the core. Digital Influence Group helps companies unlock the social potential of their brands and amplify its impact to drive business results. Using social platforms, value-added content and partnerships, Digital Influence Group cultivates rich, in-market programs that build stronger emotional connections and deeper engagement with our clients’ brands. For more information, visit www.digitalinfluencegroup.com or contact us on Twitter @diginfgrp or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DigitalInfluence.

About The Conversation Project
The Conversation Project, co-founded by Pulitzer Prize winner Ellen Goodman and launched in collaboration with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), is a public engagement campaign with a goal that is both simple and transformative: to have every person’s end-of-life wishes expressed and respected. Too many people die in a manner they would not choose, so The Conversation Project offers people the tools, guidance and resources they need to begin talking with their loved ones, around the kitchen table, about their wishes and preferences. Have you had the conversation? Learn more at: www.theconversationproject.org.