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Here's a sports question for you - can you name one U.S. Paralympic athlete? Let me help.
There's Melissa Stockwell, a swimmer and American record holder in the 400 meter freestyle.
Or Sam Kavanagh, a world class cyclist. Not exactly household names. And that's the point.
In 2011, The Hartford, an insurance company, who has sponsored U.S. Paralympics since 1994,
turned the spotlight on our U.S. Paralympic team, bringing much deserved recognition for
all their training, hard work, and achievements. Unlike their Olympic counterparts and professional
athletes, most U.S. Paralympians don't have the resources or support to train full time.
With the 2012 London games nearly 18 months away, The Hartford wanted to boost our athlete's
spirits and show them people really cared about the sacrifices they make to train and
compete. The cornerstone of the multi-channel initiative was The Hartford's Facebook presence
and a campaign called "Achieve Without Limits". A way for The Hartford to give people everywhere
an opportunity to get to know and support our U.S. Paralympic team in a way they never
had before. The idea was simple, for every Like The Hartford received on Facebook, they
would donate an additional $1 to the U.S. Paralympic team. But that wasn't all. Once
people liked us, they had access to a special Achieve tab on The Hartford's Facebook page
that featured inspiring videos, games, trivia, and fun, interactive applications. The Hartford
kicked off the campaign with nationally televised TV spots that ran during the NCAA tournament.
Banner ads and PR efforts also generated awareness and drove people to The Hartford's Facebook
page. But the real power came from Facebook itself. Highly tailored ads were created that
targeted different groups such as veterans, athletes and sports enthusiasts. There were
also numerous ways for people so spread the word and share the inspiration. The result
was phenomenal. In less than 30 days, The Hartford received over 100,000 Likes on Facebook.
Which means more financial support for U.S. Paralympians. But more importantly, it gave
people everywhere an opportunity to get to know our athletes. To say thanks. And to wish
them good luck on their way to the London games in 2012.