At Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, chief marketing officer Adam Vasallo is on a mission to create a “bold path to a big future” for young people.
“Mentorship is critical to the success of the young people today,” says Vasallo.
The challenge for the organization is to grow their base of mentors. Doing some research, the group found that one of the hurdles is overcoming the stigma that volunteering is a large time commitment. “Potential volunteers often feel that they have social lives, work and family and they just can’t take the time,” explains Vasallo. “But what we know is that it only takes two hours a month to support a young person, to be a mentor.”
In response to this disconnect between perception and reality, the non-profit brand launched the platform: It Takes Little to Be Big. The goal of the platform is to illustrate how making a small commitment – two hours a month – can have a profound impact on a young person’s life.
Another hurdle, the organization discovered through research, is that potential volunteers were concerned about their own qualifications – what Big Brothers Big Sisters of America calls the “perceived burden of mentorship.”
“It’s that feeling that they had to have superpowers or multiple degrees to be some kind of defender for a young person,” explains Vasallo. “That’s not true either. The best mentors in our mission are present and persistent. Those are the only things that are required from them.”
Prior to joining Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, Vasallo spent more than a decade at Home Shopping Network (HSN). Brand Innovators caught up with Vasallo from his office in St. Petersburg, Florida to discuss how the brand is showing up in culture and being a mentor himself prepared him for the role. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Can you talk about the A Million Little Moments campaign?
We use the campaign to really highlight these everyday activities, these everyday moments that often go under the radar that have a life-changing impact on the life of a young person. We wanted to galvanize a million of our volunteers – our bigs, our alumni, our influencers – to highlight these mentorship moments and inspire and bridge the gap between people and possibility. We launched a digital storytelling initiative called A Million Little Moments. It invites people to share their pivotal mentor-rich moments and experiences and really reinforces that no matter how small, they can have a big impact. We created a hashtag #bebig for each story. Since its launch, we’ve seen a steady 30 percent increase, quarter-over-quarter of individuals signing up and inquiring to become a big.
Can you talk about how you are showing up in culture?
We have a long-time partnership with the NFL Inspire Change Initiative. Several years ago created a campaign called the Big Draft at the Super Bowl. It runs through the NFL draft. We created the Big Draft to mirror what is so popular in culture and sports. While the NFL’s drafting their next generation of players to be stars on the field, Big Brothers, Big Sisters is using the Big Draft to draft the next generation of mentors to make a life-changing impact in their communities.
The campaign’s been incredibly successful. Since its launch back in 2020, we’ve driven signups to be a volunteer. Over 80,000 people through the campaign have signed up to become a volunteer. It’s a great example of how a partner like the NFL, football brings people together. We know that these moments have an incredible value when Big Brothers, Big Sisters can be a part of them. I tap into that cultural fabric in that conversation at the same time.
We also have a longtime partnership with Macy’s, including a donation that takes place at the register. We’ve been honored that Macy’s has featured Big Brothers Big Sisters in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade for the last few years. It’s one of the most watched moments on television, a time when everybody’s gathered around their house watching television, getting ready for the holiday.
We were the beneficiary of Team LeBron back at the NBA All-Star Game in Utah. We’ve worked with the likes of singer and songwriter and philanthropist Aloe Blacc. (We first met Aloe at a Brand Innovators event at the Super Bowl). Inspired by the mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters, Alow went on to release an original song, “Never Let You Down” and it became our campaign anthem.
Can you talk about how you are breaking through in a fragmented landscape?
Our mission is relatable for so many people. We look for ways to personally and authentically connect with people. There are young people who are in school or college and they’re seeking mentorship. They’re seeking guidance.
There are parents who at one time were mentored themselves and as parents and they’re paying close attention to the mentors in the lives of their children. Leaders within companies, who were mentored themselves at one time early in their career and now they’re likely mentoring the next generation of their workforce. We intentionally grow these relationships to find ways that authentically connect with how they can be part of the mission whether it is through volunteering, donating, engaging with their employer, advocating for the mission at the local or even national levels like our Capitol Hill Day in DC.
When we think about all the different ways that our audience gets to see our story and hear about the impact of mentorship. We deploy a three-pronged approach to make sure that we’re tapping into these fragmented audiences in a streamlined way. Impactful storytelling can’t go far enough. We are sharing our impact story through storytelling, really going beyond the statistics and telling that very human and emotive story of bigs and littles and providing updates on our mission.
Who is your audience and how are you reaching them?
We take the time to understand our channels and to reach our audiences in the most effective ways. For example, in the fundraising space, whether it’s a $10 donor or $10,000 donor, we really tailor our approach and messaging for each of those. We use data-driven strategies to understand audiences and how they like to be communicated with, whether it’s digital or mail, and take a one-to-one approach, whatever it might be. We analyze the data and determine the best approach for those individuals. People don’t have to make a huge commitment to get involved in the mission of Big Brothers, Big Sisters. We want people to engage in the ways that make sense for them to make a positive impact on the life of a young person and make sure that that barrier to entry is as low as possible.
Can you talk about how your past experiences have helped influence your current role?
I’m a two-time Big Brother. When I was a young marketing manager at the Home Shopping Network, a colleague who I respected stuck her head over the wall of my cubicle and she said, “Adam, the local Big Brothers, Big Sisters are here and they’re recruiting mentors. They’re looking for mentors. You would be a great one.” I respected her opinion. I was like, I got to go. I signed up and was matched with my first little brother, Adrian, when he was in the sixth grade. We were matched until he graduated from high school and he went on to be a college football player. At the time, I would cheer him on at his high school football games. It was just an incredible experience and we’re great friends to this day.
When I first got hired at Big Brothers, Big Sisters eight years ago, I became a big brother again. I was matched with my current little brother Giovanni, who is now in the 11th grade. He’s preparing to graduate high school next year. We meet regularly. The fact that he continues to choose me as a mentor and continues to have me as his big brother reinforces that I can still have a little cool factor – we’re talking about an 11th grader and somebody in their 40s.
I’m also the father of three. I coach flag football teams. My experience as a big make me a better father and a better coach. It reinforces this overall impact of Big Brothers, Big Sisters and of this mission and mentorship is a ripple effect. My story is one that’s happening hundreds, thousands and millions across the country.
