# NDCS launches viral email game to promote overseas challenges

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2003/11/29/ndcs-launches-viral-email-game-promote-overseas-challenges/
- Published: 2003-11-29T00:00:00+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

The National Deaf Children’s Society has launched a viral email game to promote 
its fundraising adventures around the world.
The game, ‘Been There, Done That’, 
takes you to ten locations, from Blackpool and the Costa del Sol to China and the
Sahara desert. All you have to do is say whether you’ve ‘been there, done that’ 
by clicking ‘yes’ or ‘no’. The game features amusing photos, noises and location
statistics. At the end you’ll get a rating of how adventurous you are. A 0% compares
you to Eastenders’ Dot Cotton, while a 60% compares you to TV holiday show presenter
Judith Chalmers.

Humorous music clips include the Rembrandts’ theme from TV comedy ‘Friends’ for 
the email to a friend facility, and MARRS ‘ “Pump up the Volume” for the turn up
the volume function.

The game promotes NDCS’ new fundraising adventures to Peru, China, Costa Rica, Iceland,
Holland, Mongolia, South Africa and the Sahara.

## Advertisement

Working with online consultancy Future Strategy NDCS commissioned digital marketing
agency Panlogic to develop and launch the game. In its first week, more than 80%
of people who had opted to receive emails from NDCS opened the email to click through
to the game. Within days, say NDCS, their opt-in email list had more than doubled.

Paula Gair, Director of Future Strategy, said: “the success of beenthere.org.uk 
underlines the value of permission-based digital marketing for charities. It also
demonstrates that organisations can diversify their prospect pool, engage existing
supporters in new ways, save communications costs and create advocates for their
cause by implementing a digital strategy.”

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