The Salvation Army Announces New Marketing Partner to Transform Communications Efforts

Sep 21, 2021

Country’s largest provider of nongovernmental services taps omnicultural agency to propel organization into next generation of connections

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (September 21, 2021) After an extensive review and agency search led by SelectResources International (SRI),  a premier consultancy in agency and search relationship management,  The Salvation Army USA has named Dallas-based LERMA/ as its agency of record for next-generation advertising, public relations, and digital fundraising efforts in support of its critical mission of preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and meeting human needs in His name without discrimination. In 2020, The Salvation Army served more than 30 million people who sought local assistance from their 7,300 service centers.

One of the nation’s most respected charities, The Salvation Army established a National Agency Search Committee earlier this year, composed of leaders from its four U.S. Territorial Headquarters, National Headquarters, and National Advisory Board, to ensure its resources would be efficiently and effectively used to reach and engage audiences.

With a goal of forging deeper relationships with the American public, The Salvation Army evaluated multiple agencies through a strenuous process over several months, culminating in the decision to award LERMA/ the contract.

“The Salvation Army has a responsibility to the people we serve, and those who trust us to serve on their behalf, to do everything within our power to meet suffering humanity,” said Commissioner Kenneth G. Hodder, National Commander for The Salvation Army. “That includes choosing high-caliber partners who can efficiently utilize resources to meet the mission. LERMA/ proved itself at every turn to be the most capable partner with unrivaled cultural intelligence, and we look forward to a partnership that will expand The Salvation Army’s ability to meet human needs in every ZIP code of the United States.”

LERMA/ is a minority-owned, full-service agency that provides creative, paid media, planning/strategy, social media, and production services; and partners with a team of analytics experts, public relations specialists, and digital relationship marketing professionals to provide multifaceted expertise.

“We believe the more we understand the lived experiences of those we are reaching out to, the better chance we have of striking a chord with them in an emotional and personal way,” said Pedro Lerma, owner of LERMA/. “The Salvation Army represents the good that exists in all of us, and we are honored to play a small role in helping this amazing organization serve more people during this historic time in our country.”

In addition to demonstrated industry expertise, The Salvation Army admired LERMA/’s omnicultural mindset and multilingual capabilities as they align with the organization’s desire to more effectively partner with audiences of diverse backgrounds, passions, and beliefs.

Learn more about ways The Salvation Army is serving individuals and families in need at www.SalvationArmyUSA.org. 

About The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army annually helps more than 30 million Americans overcome poverty, addiction, and economic hardships through a range of social services. By providing food for the hungry, emergency relief for disaster survivors, rehabilitation for those suffering from drug and alcohol abuse, and clothing and shelter for people in need, The Salvation Army is doing the most good at 7,600 centers of operation around the country. In the first-ever listing of "America's Favorite Charities" by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, The Salvation Army ranked as the country's largest privately funded, direct-service nonprofit. For more information, visit SalvationArmyUSA.org. Follow us on Twitter @SalvationArmyUS and #DoingTheMostGood.

About Lerma/

LERMA/ is a full-service branding and creative agency dedicated to channeling creativity for good. Based in Dallas, LERMA/ was founded by Pedro Lerma with an emphasis on omniculturalism and a belief that they can affect culture positively by reflecting the culture of the world around us. Current clients include Avocados From Mexico, Anheuser Busch - InBev, Keurig-Dr Pepper, Ocean Spray, and The Home Depot.

About SelectResources International

SelectResources International (SRI) is a management consulting company that specializes in helping marketers find and optimize their marketing communications resources. Established nearly 30 years ago, SRI is the premier strategic search consulting firm in the country, having managed and completed over 600+ reviews and projects involving over $30+ billion in media billings. In addition to agency search, SRI’s work encompasses compensation consulting, agency model consulting, and client/agency relationship management consulting and training. SRI clients have included 65 of the top 200 largest advertisers in North America. (Source: AdAge).

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