Help the polar bears!

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is running the Global Arctic Program right now to protect the animals in the Arctic region which are threatened by melting ice due to climate change. Their website contains all the relevant and up-to-date information on this topic by providing articles, videos and blog posts. Some of the blog posts also contain webinars that provide very detailed information, for example about the conservation of polar bears. Using webinars helps the reader gain knowledge about the threatened Arctic and makes it therefore more likely that the reader supports WWF’s actions. Moreover teachers might find the webinars informative and use them in the classroom which might sensitize the students for the Arctic and WWF.

Everything on the WWF website can be shared on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or via email. The fact that the share buttons are right next to the articles, photos and videos makes it very convenient and chances are higher that people share the content.

The WWF US Arctic Field Program even has its own Facebook page. You can “like” this page and then read all the daily postings on your wall. As many people use Facebook on a daily basis, it is very important to use this channel of communication. It ensures that people, who are interested in the program, get the relevant information promptly and do not have to visit WWF’s website first. Moreover this Facebook page contains only information on the Arctic and not on all of WWF’s programs so that it becomes more appealing for people who are interested in this specific topic. It incorporates not only news about the Arctic but also photos and games. In one of the games you can test your Polar Bear IQ and save virtual polar bears by answering 10 questions. Such games heighten the awareness of the problem and what WWF is doing to fight it. After the quiz, there is also a link to WWF’s gift shop where you can make a symbolic adoption by buying a stuffed animal and an adoption certificate. Moreover you get a Polar Bear Badge that you can share on Facebook, Twitter or Google+. This helps spread the word for the Arctic Field campaign and heightens awareness even more.

One major sponsor of the campaign is Coca-Cola. They created a website for European countries where you can learn more about the Arctic, donate money and also download goodies like wallpapers or Facebook profile pictures. Coca-Cola fits well as a sponsor because their icon is a polar bear and they also create familiarity. There are several videos on Youtube about the Coca-Cola-WWF cooperation. These are very emotional and create the need to change something about the situation.