Case study: AARP: Divided We Fail

Multi-generational website provides a focal point for national advocacy campaign.

The Challenge:

The AARP is committed to helping retirees and their extended families improve their quality of life. In 2007, as a component of their 2008 election season advocacy, the organization undertook a nationwide campaign called Divided We Fail. It’s a grassroots effort in collaboration with the Business Roundtable, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) to engage the American people, businesses, non-profit organizations, and elected officials in finding bi-partisan solutions to ensure affordable, quality health care and long-term financial security. The Divided We Fail website is a core tactic of the campaign. TV advertisements, celebrity endorsements, direct mail, event sponsorships, campus-based seminars, all point to the website as the ultimate destination where people inspired by the message can register their support for the campaign’s policy positions.

The Siteworx Approach:

The AARP challenged Siteworx to develop a complete campaign website that is fully integrated into online and offline advertising, events, and activities and that proactively utilizes the latest in online campaigning tools, including social networking and viral components. Siteworx applied its six-step methodology of collaborative site creation: discovery, design, development, quality assurance, deployment and review. One of the biggest challenges on the site was to create a destination that would appeal to a broad range of target audiences. As millions of Baby Boomers are entering their first years of retirement, the AARP’s membership is increasingly more familiar with both traditional and Web 2.0 capabilities. What’s more, because the site’s target audience is multi-generational, it was important to deploy a visual aesthetic that could appeal to a wide range of needs and preferences.

The Result:

The Divided We Fail website is a powerful component of the campaign and has successfully achieved the challenge of integrating online and offline for an effective user experience. The site elegantly integrates flash and video, while clearly and directly driving visitors to register their support and share their stories. Millions of Americans have expressed support for the campaign with over 200 Members of Congress having registered their support.