Kids And Cars
KidsAndCars.org is a national nonprofit dedicated to protecting children in and around motor vehicles. Their advocacy has led to legislative advances in power windows and trunk latches, resulting in fewer accidental children deaths. They use Meltwater for media monitoring, data collection, and in their fundraising efforts.
Meltwater Enables KidsAndCars.org to
Streamline information gathering and reduce noise
Understand the weight of issues at a local and state level
Generate insightful ROI reports to share with donors
Challenge
No Time to Waste
With Google Alerts returning up to 3,000 hits each week, KidsAndCars.org was drowning in accident reports. Cutting and pasting this data into emails intended for state and federal policymakers was effective but extremely time-consuming. Meanwhile, hundreds more children continued to be hurt in automobile-related non-traffic events every day. The tiny staff was determined to enlist more resources, hoping to spur action and donations. Yet media turnover was limiting their ability to build lasting relationships. Insufficient reporting and analysis were further hindering their operations.
"Saving time is a primary goal along with pinpointing the right influencers to work with for the long haul."
Janette Fennell, Founder and President
Solution
Expedited Research and Reporting
KidsAndCars.org uses Meltwater to expand their audience. They've made social media a priority and are using Meltwater's influencer database to identify and engage with prominent "mommy bloggers." While national TV exposure isn't a problem- they've appeared on CNN, the Today Show, Fox & Friends, and Good Morning America- Meltwater helps monetize this exposure. "We're confident Meltwater helps us capitalize on our incredible media coverage, and that's one aspect of the bigger picture goal to keep kids safe," says Janette Fennell.
An unlimited number of keywords allow KidsAndCars.org to track and organize issues by state and region, ensuring important mentions are not missed. Isolating state coverage helps the team plan for legislative meetings or potential bills they are trying pass, and highlights the weight of certain issues in a specific location.
Summary
Meltwater Helps KidsAndCars.org
Manage high volumes of information
"We get a tremendous amount of media attention and it was essential to become more efficient because we were beyond stretched. Meltwater helped us transition from being overwhelmed by Google Alerts to something more sustainable."
Identify top influencers through up to date media contacts
"We use Meltwater to search for global stories that focus on critical incidents and terrorist activity on buses, trains, and other surface transportation targets. This information has been imperative for populating our database of terrorist activity."
— Janette Fennell, Founder and President
Share data to prove the value of their efforts
"We own safety data. We have the safety tips, but the data Meltwater provides our organization helps us prove the PRROI when speaking with our board and donors."
— Amber Andreasen, Director and Volunteer Manager
