GIVING TOWARDS HEALTH
(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 26)
Social Cause: Arthritis
Arthritis may not be as popular for
fundraising as cancer, but it is a degenerative disease that is second only to heart
disease as a cause of work disability. In
fact, according to data from Arthritis
Foundation, arthritis is one of the most
prevalent chronic health problems and
the leading cause of disability among
those over the age of 15.
To increase awareness about the
disease, Massage Envy decided to take on
this health issue through its Healing
Hands for Arthritis program. “At Massage
Envy, we witness the debilitating effects
arthritis can have on our members and
guests every day and recognize that more
must be done to help raise awareness and
find a cure for the [nearly] 50 million
adults and 300,000 children currently suffering,” says Massage Envy President and
COO Dave Crisalli.
According to Paula Stapley, director
of communications of Massage Envy
Franchising, LLC, the decision to collab-
orate with Arthritis Foundation made
sense as Massage Envy wanted to create
an event where there is a direct relationship between the benefits the spa
provides through massage therapy and
the people who are affected by the cause
they partner with. “Healing Hands for
Arthritis is a reflection of our fabulous
therapists and estheticians who help our
members and guests relax, realign and
rejuvenate,” she says.
Launched last October 12 to celebrate World Arthritis Day, the one-day
national event gathered a network of
over 700 Massage Envy locations which
donated $10 from every one-hour
massage and facial treatments to support
Arthritis Foundation’s education,
research and advocacy initiatives.
Additionally, Murad—Massage Envy’s
exclusive skin-care partner—donated 10
percent of all its retail sales sold at
Massage Envy locations during the
event. In total, Healing Hands for
Arthritis raised $493,150 for the Arthritis
Selection Criteria
Massage Envy understands that there is a whole lot of work that goes
into selecting charities to partner with. According to Director of
Communications Paula Stapley, several criteria need to be met:
● Ideally, the charity has a mission related to health and wellness.
● The cause should appeal to Massage Envy employees, helping them to become
involved “hands-on” with the charity in ways that go beyond a one-day effort.
● The charity or cause should be widely familiar and adhere to the highest standards
of efficiency, reporting and transparency.
● The charity should be national with substantial focus in North America and ideally
is women-focused, or at least women-friendly.
● Beyond Massage Envy’s financial contribution, the charity must be open to cre-
ative sponsorship opportunities and look at the partnership as long-term and
hopefully, beyond a one-day event year-after-year, building relationships with its
franchise community.
● Responsiveness and cooperation from both sides is critical to making the partner-
ship work. Thus, Massage Envy requires the charity to have chapters or local
representation with a large number of resources in the majority of the U.S.
28 PULSE
■
December 2011
Foundation.
Part of its success is attributed to
strategic marketing leading up to the big
day. “This event, heavily driven by
public relations, was also supported by a
comprehensive national advertising campaign, including national TV, online and
magazine [promotions]. To maximize the
traffic potential of this event, regional
co-ops were also encouraged to develop
local co-op marketing plans, to include
online, broadcast, and PR efforts,” says
Stapley.
Getting employees involved was also
crucial to the overall success, so incentives were put in place to encourage
staff to help stir a marketing buzz. “Our
franchisees and regional developers are
generous individuals who want to be
part of their communities and help those
in need. They incentivized their teams at
the local level by, for instance, holding
contests for most appointments booked
or most donations [raised],” she says.
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 30)
BY THE
NUMBERS
24.3 million
Number of
women with doctor-diagnosed
arthritis*
17.1 million Number of
men with doctor-diagnosed arthritis*
39 million Number of
physician visits caused by arthritis*
67 million
Estimated
number of Americans ages 18 years
or older projected to have doctordiagnosed arthritis by 2030**
* Data from Arthritis Foundation (arthritis.org)
** Data from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (cdc.gov)