Grassroots, Community-based Crime Prevention Goes Big Online

Importance to Our Business: Brand, Message, and Positioning

At Capital Region Crime Stoppers, a non-profit organization serving the Greater Baton Rouge area and surrounding parishes, our brand revolves around trust, anonymity, and community empowerment. We've been operational for over 44 years, focusing on enabling anonymous tips to law enforcement with cash rewards up to $10,000 for information leading to arrests and indictments. Key elements include:

• Brand: We emphasize reliability and safety, no caller ID, no names required, no court appearances. Our identity is tied to being a bridge between the public, media, and law enforcement, addressing fear of retaliation and community apathy.
• Message: Our core message is that "someone knows something," and collective effort solves crimes. We promote prevention and resolution through partnerships, highlighting initiatives like the Beyond Bars: Choices and Consequences Initiative to encourage tip submissions.
• Positioning: We position ourselves as an essential community resource with proven impact over 14,000 crimes solved, 13,000 arrests, $38 million in recovered assets, and $2.5 million in rewards paid out. This underscores our role in making the region safer, appealing to residents, businesses, and law enforcement for ongoing support and engagement.

Main Challenges/Issues with Sales & Marketing Prior to Partnering with VPG

Before partnering with Velocity Partners Group (VPG), our primary challenges stemmed from being non-profit with limited resources. We struggled with low digital visibility, an outdated website that wasn't user-friendly for tip submissions or mobile access. Marketing efforts were sporadic, relying on traditional media partnerships, which limited our reach to younger demographics and online audiences. Fundraising was inconsistent, as we lacked targeted campaigns to attract donors or sponsors, leading to reliance on grants and events with variable success. Overall, awareness of our services was high in law enforcement circles but low among the public, resulting in fewer tips and slower growth in community involvement.

What Impressed You the Most About VPG’s Consulting Solutions?

What stood out most about VPG's solutions was their tailored approach to non-profits like ours. They didn't apply a one size fits all strategy, instead, they deeply integrated our mission of anonymity and community safety into the website redesign and marketing plans. Their expertise in digital tools and user friendly interfaces made our online presence more accessible and engaging. Additionally, their focus on measurable outcomes impressed us, as it aligned perfectly with our need for efficient, cost effective growth without overextending our budget. And their thoughtfulness in planning for reoccurring revenue sources was exactly what we were looking for from our consultants.

How Has the VPG Team Performed in Terms of Understanding Your Business and Accomplishing Goals?

The VPG team has excelled in understanding our unique business model as a crime prevention non-profit. They quickly grasped the sensitivity around anonymity, trust building, and our reliance on public and law enforcement partnerships, which informed their strategies for website design, content creation, and targeted marketing. In terms of goals, they've delivered a modern, responsive website that enhances tip submissions and showcases our impact stats effectively. Marketing efforts have boosted our online visibility, and fundraising initiatives have become more structured, which we hope will contribute to sustained community engagement. Overall, their performance has been strong, with clear progress in awareness and operational efficiency, though we continue to collaborate on evolving trends.

Would You Recommend VPG to Your Colleagues and Friends, and If So, What Is the One Thing You Would Convey to Them About Working with Us?

Absolutely, we would recommend VPG to colleagues and friends in the non-profit or community service sectors. The one key thing we'd convey is their genuine partnership mindset they treat your mission as their own, delivering practical, result oriented solutions that drive real impact without unnecessary complexity.