Mess Marketing

There are many things people can buy. Bags of chips. Bread. Bleach. Shoes. If it can be made, it can be bought. But people can also buy something that can’t be found in stores. They can buy possibilities. Dignity. The chance for their small businesses to take root. Homes filled with family dinners after everyone gets back from work and school. They can help buy these well made items by giving some of their money to Breakthrough Urban Ministries. As stated, Mess is nothing if it is not concerned with the neighborhoods we live in. So we actively connected ourselves with a group of people who had a clear vision and believed that neighborhoods in need could be infused with energy and vibrancy through the social activation of virtual communities who honestly cared.

We created materials of good design and compelling copy. It was turned into customized packages and sent to those people who knew how to raise funds for good causes. The pieces did, indeed attract. We were asked for more so they could go out to even more of those good people.

We built a website that was designed to create a community of people who physically lived far and wide from the neighborhood that needed their help. But as the social network grew, so did the connection to the physical place.

What also grew was the amount of help through dollars that has come from people who want this neighborhood to do more than survive--they want to know it will thrive. To date, the materials and the site has helped to raise $4.4 million. Our goal is $15 million. We still have a long way to go. But we’re a lot closer to success than we were 4.4 million dollars ago.