Turning a Mission Into a Movement

When ICRF launched, the challenge was clear: build awareness around complex reproductive healthcare issues and make reliable information accessible to Iowans across the state. We started by creating a recognizable brand and digital foundation that would establish credibility, encourage conversation, and give people a trusted place to learn. From there, our role expanded into a full-service creative and marketing partnership, combining thoughtful storytelling with strategic advertising and data-driven decision-making. The result has been our most ambitious integrated campaign to date.

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Building the Brand and Digital Experience

Every successful campaign needs a strong foundation. We developed ICRF's visual identity, messaging, and custom Webflow website to make complicated healthcare information easier to understand and navigate. The website became the central destination for educational resources, physician perspectives, personal stories, healthcare news, and legislative updates. As the campaign evolved, we continued expanding the site with new content, search optimization, and resources designed to keep visitors informed and engaged. Rather than creating a website that simply introduced the organization, we built a growing educational platform that supported every aspect of the campaign.

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Creating Content That Connects

Facts matter, but the people behind those facts are what make them resonate. Our content strategy combined physician interviews, personal stories, educational videos, infographics, blogs, and social media to make complicated topics more approachable. We worked closely with physicians, advocates, and everyday Iowans to develop content that informed audiences without overwhelming them. From producing video interviews and podcasts to creating social campaigns and educational resources, every piece had a purpose. Performance data helped us understand which stories connected with audiences, allowing us to refine messaging, explore new topics, and continually improve our creative approach.

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Paid Media That Reached Millions

One of the most significant parts of this project was developing and managing a comprehensive paid media strategy. We built campaigns across Meta and programmatic display advertising, using a demand-side platform (DSP) to extend awareness beyond social media and reach audiences across Iowa's digital publishers. Our approach combined audience research, geographic targeting, creative testing, retargeting, and ongoing campaign optimization. Rather than relying on a single message or platform, we tested different creative formats and educational topics to understand what encouraged people to engage and learn more.

In August 2026, our statewide display campaign generated 675,000 impressions at an average cost of just $4.65 per thousand impressions, demonstrating the efficiency of expanding into programmatic advertising. By connecting paid media with organic content and website resources, we created an integrated strategy that helped introduce new audiences to ICRF while encouraging deeper engagement.

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Strategy, Analytics, and Continuous Optimization

Behind every creative decision was a larger strategy supported by data. Black Tie managed the campaign's analytics, conversion tracking, audience insights, and ongoing performance reporting. Through Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, advertising dashboards, and custom monthly reports, we evaluated how audiences interacted with content across platforms. Our reports went beyond presenting numbers. We analyzed creative performance, identified opportunities, adjusted media spending, and provided strategic recommendations to guide each new phase of the campaign. This combination of creative thinking and analytical strategy allowed us to continuously improve performance while making the most of the organization's marketing investment.

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The Impact

What began as a new nonprofit brand grew into a statewide educational platform reaching millions of people.

Campaign Results | July 2025 to August 2026

• 16+ million paid campaign impressions
• 358,000+ website sessions
• More than 1,000 new email subscribers
• 4,200+ total email contacts
• More than 495,000 people reached during August alone
• 102,000+ content engagements in August
• 55,000 website sessions in August
• Statewide display advertising launched with a $4.65 CPM
• Millions of educational content views across Meta, YouTube, TikTok, and display advertising

The campaign also exceeded its 2026 goal of 10 million impressions two months ahead of schedule, demonstrating the effectiveness of an integrated approach to creative strategy, paid media, and educational content. These results represent more than website traffic and advertising impressions. They reflect increased visibility for important healthcare conversations, expanded access to educational resources, and a growing audience of Iowans seeking reliable information.

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Creative With Purpose

ICRF represents what we love most about our work: the opportunity to combine creativity, strategy, and technology to make a meaningful impact. From building the original brand to managing millions of advertising impressions, this project demonstrates the value of having one creative partner who understands the bigger picture. It's a campaign we're incredibly proud of, not just because of its scale and performance, but because of the important conversations it continues to support.