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Behind the Benetwit

By: Maya Lunnemann | 12/09/2010

Today marks Standing Partnership's Second Annual Holiday "Benetwit" to benefit the 100 Neediest Cases program, supported by the United Way and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

What is a "Benetwit" and how did it come to be? Here's a little history on how the concept was developed.

Benetwit [ben-uh-twit] -noun
1. When Tweeps and their friends get together for charity. 

As a company and as individuals, we believe it's important to support organizations in our communities that make our world a better place to live. On an annual basis, we select community partners who receive in-kind professional services and/or volunteer hours from the Standing team.  For the last two years, the United Way of Greater St. Louis has been one of our community partners. Through our partnership in 2009, we learned that the "100 Neediest Cases" receives a lot of recognition during the holiday season through sponsorship by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, but there is little to no awareness of the support that United Way of Greater St. Louis provides to this initiative. That's where we stepped in and came up with the Benetwit concept - a hybrid event combining the elements of a Tweetup (an in-person meeting organized through Twitter) and a benefit for charitable purposes.

As a strategic communications firm, the Standing team agreed that the Benetwit would not only help support the "100 Neediest Cases" through time, talent and dollars, but the event would also help demonstrate the value of social media and how it can impact an organization's mission and reach untapped audiences.

Here's how it worked:

Following a theme of "Holiday Wishes," the team used social media to ask the community to share their wishes for the holiday season. The wishes were incorporated into Standing Partnership's holiday card design, which included the Benetwit invitation. Using local blogs, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Eventbrite, word-of-mouth marketing and the annual Standing Partnership greeting card, friends and followers were invited to gather for an evening of holiday fun during the Benetwit. While at the event, attendees were encouraged to share photos and updates through Twitter, which were projected on a large screen during the event. We received event support through sponsorship of the event from Third Degree Glass Factory and Fine Dog Creative.

Our holiday wish came true with a very successful event! The first Annual Benetwit resulted in more than 120 friends and followers in attendance; over $1,600 raised for the 100 Neediest Cases; numerous social media mentions prior to, during and after the event; and traditional media coverage in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. In addition, the positive responses and inquiries about growing the Benetwit and establishing it as an annual event, inspired us to bring it back again this year.

So please join us tonight at the Third Degree Glass Factory in support of the "100 Neediest Cases" and help make the holiday season a joyous one for thousands of people in the St. Louis region. The evening includes a cash bar, complimentary hors d'oeuvres, glassblowing demonstrations and holiday shopping. A percentage of the evening's sales will benefit the United Way's and St. Louis Post-Dispatch's "100 Neediest Cases" program. In addition to last year's sponsors, we've added Social Media Club and Russo's Catering as 2010 sponsors. For more information and to register for the St. Louis Holiday "Benetwit," click here.

Posted in Culture, Community Assistance