Many Christmas gifts end up untouched and unwanted, at a time when people are counting every penny. For Practical Action, we built a broadcast PR campaign around a better idea: ethical gifts, such as a herd of goats for families in Sudan or a pottery wheel for women in Bangladesh. We put their spokesperson on air across a radio day of interviews, explaining how Practical Action helps poor communities choose and use technology to improve their lives, with the emphasis on helping people to help themselves. The campaign secured 17 items of radio coverage reaching 5.4 million people, including talkSPORT, 97.4 Cool FM and Downtown Radio.
Practical Action wanted to position itself as the voice of authority on ethical giving at Christmas and raise awareness of its practical present gifts.
The message
Giving an ethical gift is a great way to support people with even less in developing countries. Practical Action helps poor communities choose and use technology to improve their lives, with the emphasis on helping people to help themselves.
The angle
Many Christmas gifts remain untouched and unwanted. With people counting every penny, Practical Action urged the public to give ethical gifts instead, such as a herd of goats for families in Sudan or a pottery wheel for women in Bangladesh.
The result
17 items of coverage reaching 5.4 million, including talkSPORT, 97.4 Cool FM, Downtown Radio.
About Christmas
Christmas Day falls on 25 December and marks the Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus. It is a bank holiday across the UK and the peak of the year for retail, food and family stories. For brands and charities with something useful to say, it gives radio and TV producers a timely reason to book an interview.
Planning Christmas for 2026?
Christmas Day next falls on Friday 25 December 2026. Talk to the team about a broadcast PR campaign that gets your spokesperson on radio and TV.
