In recent years Russia has faced a catastrophic lack of blood donors there was only about 32% of the donors that were actually needed. The Russian Ministry of Health initiated a campaign to promote regular mass blood donation.Typical approaches to such campaigns that often use shock or guilt to play on emotions usually only provide a short-term effect, so a different strategy was chosen: developing blood donation as a social institution. Donors were presented as being part of a special community for whom saving lives is a way of life.

The 2008 program embraced 21 regions of Russia. The campaign integrated 4 blocks: PR, ATL, events (more than 500), and an internal program for the Russian National Blood Service. Each block included numerous communication tools, some of which (e.g. working in social media) had never been widely implemented by any Russian government institution before. The scale and complexity faced tough deadlines given the less than 2 months allowed for the program's implementation! While the key goal for 2008 was to stop the decrease in donor numbers, an average growth of 30% in the number of donors was achieved. The campaign provoked a wave of public initiatives – proof of the fact that the donation institution has truly begun to function.

Geography: 21 regions of Russia.

The campaig was implemented via four blocks: PR: launch of the website www.YaDonor.ru ("I'm a Donor") and a blood donation hotline; countrywide video conference (over 300 journalists participated); All-Russian media award for best publications on blood donation (over 200 entries); ongoing media outreach; work with blogs and social networks; online media partnerships.

ATL: public service announcement campaign (TV, radio, outdoor, Internet).

Events: blood drives in enterprises, universities, etc.; media tours to blood stations; open lessons in schools; flash-mobs; mass city events; round tables for media, NGOs and businesses – in all, over 500 events!

Internal program: the design of a Blood Service corporate style, staff trainings on communications, creating a corporate newspaper, All-Russian Blood Service Forum.

Chronologically, the campaign developed according to the scheme: ‘Announcing – Engaging – Informing’. In the middle of November the ‘second wave’ started: ALL audiences responded with their own initiatives – from distributing hand-out materials to organising local events.

• Exceeded goals: average growth in donor numbers was 30%.• The public initiatives proved that the institution of donation has started to function.• Public opinion changes: strengthening of altruistic motivations to donate blood, growth in positive esteem of the Blood Service's functions and donation procedure.• Over 1,700 publications; media interest growth in the topic was 240% in the regions concerned, and 185% in non-target regions.• Share of negative publications on blood donation was reduced by five times.• Over 230,000 people and 711 journalists visited events; of which around 19,700 became donors.• Over 32,000 calls to the hotline from all over Russia in 2 months.• Over 65,000 unique visitors of the website; 1,750 registered online as potential donors; over 100 proposals from organizations offering help.• Over 12,000 users joined the communities created on two largest Russian social networks.• General Internet audience (material placement on partner websites) – over 10 million users monthly.