Believe in Heroes raises $6M

The 2013 Believe in Heroes fund-raising campaign raised just over $6 million to support Wounded Warrior Project, according to Acosta Sales & Marketing.

The Jacksonville, Fla.-based sales and marketing services company, which launched Believe in Heroes in 2010, said the industry-wide campaign has raised $16 million since that time.

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"Acosta is in a unique position that enables us to harness the collective power of brands and retailers and channel it to benefit this important cause,” said Robert Hill, president and CEO of Acosta. “We are extremely proud of the support we have been able to generate for Wounded Warrior Project and our nation’s wounded warriors. Over the past four years, we have grown this collective effort into the largest co-op marketing campaign currently in the U.S., and we look forward to continuing to expand our reach and impact.”

Left to right: Jonathan Sullivan of Wounded Warrior Project; Gary Chartrand of Acosta Sales & Marketing; Brea Kratzert of Wounded Warrior Project; Aidan Tracey of Acosta Mosaic Group; Robert Hill of Acosta Sales & Marketing; and Don Voss of Acosta Sales

The 2013 campaign, which ran from Sept. 11 to Nov. 11, involved 110 retailers that supported the effort with in-store signage and point-of-purchase materials and raised funds through donations at the register and other initiatives. Forty-two participating CPG brands offered high-value coupons in a special, freestanding insert that was circulated to nearly 53.8 million households nationwide. Shoppers downloaded 2.3 million digital coupons online in English and Spanish, including load-to-card coupons through SmartSource Xpress.

Read more: Believe in Heroes grows and evolves

Consumers also supported the cause by making direct donations, purchasing licensed merchandise from the Believe in Heroes Gear Store and engaging with the first-ever Believe in Heroes Facebook application.

Wounded Warrior Project is a national, nonpartisan organization, also based in Jacksonville, that seeks to raise awareness and to enlist the public’s aid for the needs of injured service members.