GLOBAL COMPASSION CAMPAIGN
HONORING 90 YEARS OF THE DALAI LAMA
SITUATION
The International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) has long served the vision of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. As the largest Tibet support organization in the world, ICT helps Tibetans in their peaceful struggle for democracy and human rights, and in preserving Tibet’s ancient culture of wisdom. In preparation for His Holiness’s 90th birthday in July 2025, ICT sought to ensure that this historic milestone reflected both the spiritual and humanitarian impact of his life and legacy.
OBJECTIVES
ICT sought to establish a unified framework to guide national and international efforts celebrating His Holiness the Dalai Lama and advancing his messages of peace and compassion. The challenge was to transform a single milestone into a global movement that could unite people across cultures, generations, and beliefs. ICT’s vision was ambitious: to honor His Holiness’s legacy, amplify awareness of Tibetan culture and human rights, and extend global engagement with his message of compassion.
As a strategic marketing consultant, I leveraged my experience in brand development, campaign planning, and creative direction—working collaboratively with ICT leadership in the U.S. and Europe to bring this vision to life.
STRATEGY
In collaboration with my consulting partner and ICT, I led the strategic planning and development of a global initiative that became known as the Compassion Rising World Tour—a campaign honoring His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday and advancing his timeless message of peace and compassion.
Scope of Work
• Brand and Campaign Strategy: Developed a unifying framework rooted in the Dalai Lama’s legacy and compassion as a transformative global force.
• Identity Development: Defined the campaign’s visual and verbal identity, including the Compassion Rising name, tagline, and narrative framework.
• Stakeholder Collaboration: Partnered with ICT leadership and creative vendors to ensure a cohesive, high-quality brand presence across all communications.
• Content and Channel Strategy: Directed multi-channel planning across social, web, email, press, and events to maximize reach and engagement.
• Communications Toolkits: Produced messaging guides, press materials, and partner toolkits to streamline collaboration and ensure consistency.
• Global Activation Support: Provided strategic and creative support for 50+ international events to enhance visibility and partnerships.
• Transition Planning: Developed an internal framework to help ICT’s team carry the campaign forward and maintain momentum beyond the 90th milestone.
RESULTS
The Compassion Rising campaign evolved from a single commemorative event into a year-long global movement celebrating compassion as a unifying force. Through more than 50 coordinated events, film screenings, and digital activations, the initiative amplified global awareness of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday and inspired meaningful engagement with his enduring message of peace and compassion.
By establishing a strong strategic and creative foundation, ICT now has a cohesive, future-ready platform that continues to elevate awareness, partnerships, and advocacy across its global initiatives.
IMPACT HIGHLIGHTS
• Global Reach: Reached millions worldwide through more than 50 coordinated events and digital activations across North America, Europe, and Asia. Earned media coverage included ABC News, The Times of India, MarketWatch, Associated Press, and regional outlets across Europe and Southeast Asia.
• Brand Cohesion: Delivered a unified identity and communications system now adopted across ICT’s global network.
• Digital Engagement: Achieved strong cross-channel performance with sustained growth in impressions, clicks, and shares. Email campaigns exceeded nonprofit benchmarks, while social media content encouraged broad participation and storytelling around compassion.