Hot Cares is a non-profit organisation and the corporate social investment partner of the radio station HOT 102.7FM. Teddython is an annual fundraiser and the station’s opportunity to use the power of radio to make a meaningful difference to the lives of those in its community by raising a substantial amount of money for charity – money that is used to fund the station’s corporate social investment initiatives. They include running a weekly soup kitchen, helping develop crèches in informal settlements, assisting entrepreneurs, funding medical assistance, assisting with educational bursaries and the upliftment of schools and orphanages, supporting animal shelters, and funding Hot Cares Christmas. The brief was to mobilise the station’s entire workforce and organise and deliver a full day’s outside broadcast, with the objective to use all of the station’s talent and tools to engage its audience and the broader community to support its plan to raise as

This took the form of an all-day radio station charity drive outside broadcast called the Hot Cares Teddython, which saw the station take over a local restaurant with a full staff complement, including on-air presenters, manning phones and taking donations from individuals and companies, participating in challenges, and completing a variety of fun stunts. A consistent on-air message was driven throughout, communicating the objective of the day, which was to raise as much money for charity as possible. This included on-air interviews with donors, advertisers, partners and members of the public. Carefully-selected music was played, with a balance of fun party tracks, together with more moving, emotive songs that helped ‘pull on the heartstrings’. The money raised paved the way for the station to host its ‘Hot Cares Christmas’, which saw it use an on-air mechanic to change 20 lives, gifting them with a financial donation or services.

The Teddython had a huge impact on the station’s listenership and corporate Johannesburg and met its objectives by raising R8.9m ($485 000) over the course of just 12-and-a-half hours. The reach of this initiative was extensive, with the station receiving pledges from across the Gauteng province, as the station’s marketing efforts and word-of-mouth ensured high levels of awareness, whilst the station made effective use of its airtime in the lead-up to the event. Engagement levels were high, with the station inviting listeners to attend the outside broadcast and make their pledges in person, whilst also taking the opportunity to meet their favourite presenters. The impact was also felt in the money raised used to fund Hot Cares Christmas, which is an annual campaign that sees the station change 20 lives over two weeks by telling their stories on air and gifting them with life-changing financial reward or resources.