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A Local Swim And Dive Team Got 15k Signatures in 5 Days By Using Facebook

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A Local Swim And Dive Team Got 15k Signatures in 5 Days By Using Facebook.png

Facing Extinction

On May 15, 2013, a the University of North Carolina at Wilmington released a report recommending the removal of the Swimming and Diving teams from UNCW athletics. The Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving teams had been effectively cut from the roster after the announcement was made. They would need the Chancellor to intervene and reinstate the teams. Hüify worked with key members of the team to assemble a campaign that would have a major influence on the Chancellor’s decision to keep funding the Swimming and Diving program.

Drumming Up Support

Within 48 hours of starting the “Save UNCW Swim and Dive” group on Facebook, 10,000 users had joined. People were pledging their support and using social media to share the cause. After 5 days of spreading awareness, there were over 14,000 signatures on the official petition that was presented to the Chancellor. Their efforts reached over 10 million people and were retweeted by celebrities such as Ryan Lochte, Lance Armstrong, and Audrina Partridge. Swim teams from over fifty universities, such as Princeton, UCLA, and Duke, publicly shared their support of the swim team on social media. On his visit to Wilmington during the height of the campaign, olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps met with some of the swimmers and shared his support.

Targeted sports are men's indoor track, men's cross country, men's and women's swimming and diving, and softball.

  • 2,323 Replies
  • 206,206 Retweets
  • 119,119 likes

Saving The Team

In just five days of organic promotion, the plight of the UNCW Swimming and Diving team had reached the ears the most decorated olympian of all time. Thousands more had extended their support and communicated their commitment to the team. After witnessing the overwhelming outpour of support from the community, the UNCW Chancellor reinstated the Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving teams.
  • 12,000 supports joined the Facebook group
  • 21 celebrity twitter accounts who retweeted their support
  • 50+ universities publicly announced support
  • 15,000+ signatures on the petition
  • 117 total athletes saved from elimination
  • 9 million people reached through inbound marketing
  • 15,000 signatures gathered in 5 days of raising awareness through inbound promotion
  • 12,000 people who joined the cause within 3 days by becoming members of the Facebook group

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