Cupcakes of Hope – National Cupcake Day 2025

In 2025, Cupcakes of Hope engaged MANGO-OMC to provide PR and communications support in the run-up to National Cupcake Day. The brief focused on:

• Generating a pre-National Cupcake Day campaign concept.
• Then launching and amplifying the school-based campaign concept devised.
• Driving awareness and participation across schools, parents, and regional communities.
• Securing national and regional media coverage to mobilise bakers, volunteers, and mall activations, with a focus on Johannesburg and Pretoria in a two-phased approach.
• Delivering a post-event media report showcasing impact, reach, and lessons learned.

Photo credit: Kagi

Winston Park Primary School

The 2025 campaign achieved outstanding engagement and visibility:

• Bake Box Initiative
  • Conceptualised and developed by MANGO-OMC, the Bake Box engaged 28 schools and 11 businesses.
  • Provided tangible ways for learners and parents to contribute, fostering empathy, teamwork, and leadership.
  • Extended beyond schools to businesses and individuals, proving versatile for future campaigns.

• • • • • • • Media Coverage
              • Nearly 200 media clippings across print, online, and broadcast platforms.
              • Coverage spanned all nine provinces, with Gauteng leading in reach and volume, which was a strategic objective.
              • Broadcast interviews secured on both national and regional radio and TV, including ENCA, Cape Talk, Rainbow FM, Radio 786, Voice of Wits, Mokopane FM, and more.
              • Messaging centred on emotionally resonant themes: “Bake a difference,” “Turn flour into miracles,” and “Cupcake Angels rise to the occasion.”

Bryanston High School

Impact

• 28 schools & 11 businesses joined the Bake Box drive.
• Nearly 200 media clippings across print, online, and broadcast.
• Broadcast interviews on national and regional radio and TV.
• Survivor stories, co-ordinator, and volunteer voices amplified emotional resonance.

ROI

• Earned Reach: 42.7 million
• Earned AVE: R5.96 million

From concept to collateral, MANGO‑OMC powered both the Bake Box initiative and National Cupcake Day media outreach –  turning messaging into measurable impact.

Strategic Learnings

• • • • • • • The Bake Box concept, created by MANGO-OMC, was simple, powerful, and highly effective and will be launched earlier in future years, with a more formalised tracking system.
            • Regional tailoring and realistic time estimates drove record-breaking coverage.
            • Broadcast interviews significantly enhanced credibility and emotional resonance.
            • Post-event data must be delivered faster to sustain media momentum.