CoreyFest 2024
Corey C. Griffin Foundation
The Client
The Corey C. Griffin Foundation (CCGF) is a Boston-based nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of children through education, healthcare, and faith-based initiatives. CoreyFest — their annual flagship fundraising concert — is the foundation's largest revenue-generating event of the year.
Please note: This case study reflects work completed during the period of active collaboration. Laura and Vie's Legacy, LLC no longer manages or maintains this client's marketing, communications, website, or digital presence, and current materials may differ from the original scope of work.
The Challenge
With the 10th anniversary of CoreyFest approaching and country music headliner Jake Owen secured for House of Blues Boston, the foundation needed more than a promotional push — they needed a full-scale, integrated communications campaign built from the ground up. Prior to this engagement, marketing efforts ran event-by-event without a unified strategy, consistent brand voice, or reusable infrastructure.
The goal: sell out the venue, maximize ticket revenue, launch branded merchandise, and leave the foundation with a communications framework they could carry into future events.
My Role
I served as the lead marketing consultant responsible for developing and executing the full campaign — from the foundational strategic plan through post-event reporting. Responsibilities spanned strategy, copywriting, social media content and management, email marketing, paid advertising, graphic design, and all campaign documentation.
The Approach
The campaign was built in four phases, all operating within a broader organizational Strategic Marketing & Communications Plan I developed before a single post went live.
Strategy & Infrastructure
Before any campaign content was created, I developed the CCGF Strategic Marketing & Communications Plan — a full organizational roadmap covering brand positioning, constituent targeting, channel strategy, and campaign sequencing. CoreyFest operated inside this framework rather than as a one-off effort, ensuring every tactic tied back to longer-term foundation goals.
Early Bird Launch
Launched the early bird ticket campaign with hard-deadline urgency messaging across email and paid Meta ads. The 10th anniversary milestone and Jake Owen's headliner status served as the two primary creative pillars across every channel. Weekly in-feed posts and daily stories drove consistent traffic to coreyfest.org.
General Sales & Artist Announcements
Deployed 7 paid ads across Meta (feeds, stories, and Messenger on Facebook and Instagram), including A/B testing on general admission ads to maximize reach and return on investment. Staggered artist announcements — VIP pre-show lineup, opening act Austin Williams, Jake Owen content — created multiple distinct moments of earned attention to sustain momentum across the full ticket sales window.
Week-of, Day-of & Post-Event
Countdown stories were shared daily in the final days leading up to the event. On November 2, live coverage ran across Instagram and Facebook throughout the night. Day-of stories alone received over 800 views. Post-event, a thank-you email was sent to all Foundation supporters, and the full campaign report was delivered within two weeks.
Social Media Campaign
Click any image to view the full post with caption
Jake Owen headliner announcement
Austin Williams opening act
Early Bird Tickets
Merchandise - 10 Year Hat
Sample posts from the 58-post campaign across Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn
Email Marketing
Click any email to view the full content
Early Bird Email
Events Blast Email
8 emails sent to Foundation supporters with a 47% average open rate
Paid Advertising
Click any image to view the full ad with caption
Ad Variant 1
Ad Variant 2
Ad Variant 3
7 paid ads across Meta feeds, stories, and Messenger at $0.30 avg cost per click
By the Numbers
$2.3M
Total Raised
1,598
Tickets Sold
Sold-out event
47%
Email Open Rate
Industry avg: ~25%
2.4%
Email Click Rate
Consistent with industry avg
$0.30
Cost Per Ad Click
800+
Hats Sold
800+
Day-of Story Views
58
Total Posts
Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn
8
Emails Sent
7
Paid Ads
Across Meta
What Performed Best
Video content consistently outperformed static posts on Instagram in both reach and engagement. The sizzle reel drove the highest reach and shares of any single piece of content in the campaign. Stories — both foundation-posted and audience-generated — extended reach significantly beyond the core follower base, with supporters and Board members amplifying content organically throughout the campaign window.
What We Learned
Every campaign builds the next one. Key takeaways documented for future CoreyFest events:
- Start Save the Date communications six months in advance
- Allow more lead time before ticket sales launch to maximize early-bird window
- Leverage artist partnerships for co-promotion content (video, audio, interviews)
- Develop a formal photography shot list for VIPs, Board members, and leadership
- Build tailored media outreach for on-site event coverage
What This Built
Beyond the event, this engagement produced a full-scale CoreyFest communications plan the foundation can use year over year — including templates, channel strategy, and a documented campaign playbook — positioning CCGF to attract artists, sponsors, and donors with clarity and consistency going forward.