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One Site in Place of Several Hundred, and 100% Uptime Through the Sandy Telethon

More than 500,000 page requests a minute and 100% uptime during the Hurricane Sandy telethon, on one site in place of several hundred.

Organization
American Red Cross
Industry
Non-Profit
500K+PAGE REQUESTS A MINUTE100%UPTIME, SANDY TELETHONSEVERAL HUNDREDONE SITEOracle press release, 2013

The challenge

Several hundred local websites, and an organization that responds to roughly 70,000 disasters a year.

Several hundred local websites

Craig Oldham, now Mahdlo’s founder and managing partner, ran digital engagement for the American Red Cross as its Vice President of Marketing, Digital Engagement. The Red Cross had several hundred local websites, and it set out to replace them with one standardized site: a better experience for the people who came to it, lower overall expenses, and room for regional organizations to shape information and address local needs.

SEVERAL HUNDRED LOCAL WEBSITESWHAT ONE SITE HAD TO DOA better customer experienceLower overall expensesRoom for regional organizations to shapeinformation and address local needs
SEVERAL HUNDRED LOCAL WEBSITESWHAT ONE SITE HAD TO DOA better customer experienceLower overall expensesRoom for regional organizationsto shape information and addresslocal needs

Ready for a surge, at a contained cost

The Red Cross responds to roughly 70,000 disasters a year, helping millions of people in need. Its site had to contain costs and still have the infrastructure to handle extreme increases in traffic during domestic and international disasters.

THE SCALE, AND TWO NEEDS AT ONCE70,000DISASTERS A YEAR, ROUGHLYHelping millions of people in needTWO NEEDS AT ONCEContain costsHandle extreme increases in traffic during disasters
THE SCALE, AND TWO NEEDS70,000DISASTERS A YEAR, ROUGHLYHelping millions of people in needTWO NEEDS AT ONCEContain costsHandle extreme increases intraffic during disasters

The approach

One platform in place of several hundred sites, with content targeted by each visitor’s location.

One standardized site, still local

The Red Cross implemented Oracle’s ATG Web Commerce, components of Oracle Commerce, to improve personalization and drive donations through a better experience on redcross.org. One standardized site replaced the several hundred local ones, and regional organizations could still shape information and address local needs. Empathy Lab and McFadyen Consulting Group, both Gold level partners in Oracle PartnerNetwork, worked with the Red Cross on the site.

ONE SITE IN PLACE OF SEVERAL HUNDREDSEVERAL HUNDRED LOCAL SITESredcross.orgOne standardized siteTo improve personalization and drive donationsREGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, STILLShape informationAddress local needs
ONE SITE IN PLACE OFSEVERAL HUNDREDSEVERAL HUNDRED LOCAL SITESredcross.orgOne standardized siteTo improve personalization and drive donationsREGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, STILLShape informationAddress local needs

Content by location

The platform delivers information based on a visitor’s location, so the Red Cross could target content. In the days following Hurricane Sandy, people in affected areas saw shelter and services updates, while people coming to the site from outside the impacted area could quickly find ways to volunteer, give blood or make financial donations.

ONE SITE, CONTENT BY LOCATIONredcross.orgBy the visitor’s locationIN THE AFFECTED AREAShelter and services updatesFROM OUTSIDE ITWays to volunteer, give blood or make financial donations
ONE SITE, CONTENT BY LOCATIONredcross.orgBy the visitor’s locationIN THE AFFECTED AREAShelter and services updatesFROM OUTSIDE ITWays to volunteer, give blood ormake financial donations
ONE VIEW OF THEIR INVOLVEMENTVolunteer workMonetary contributionsBlood donationsOnline CPR coursesMerchandise purchases

One view of every way they help

Volunteers and donors engage with the Red Cross in many different ways. The new site gives each of them a consolidated view of their involvement.

INFRASTRUCTURE ON DEMANDEVERYDAY TRAFFICEXTREME INCREASES IN TRAFFICAt a contained cost

Capacity on demand

ATG Web Commerce On Demand, an Oracle managed cloud service, let the Red Cross contain costs while having the infrastructure to handle extreme increases in traffic.

DURING DISASTERSInformation gathered locallyService CenterRelayed, and inquiries answered faster

Local information, relayed faster

ATG Web Commerce Service Center made it easier to relay vital information gathered locally during disasters, and to respond faster to volunteer and donor inquiries.

The results

During the Hurricane Sandy telethon on NBC, the site handled its peak with 100 percent uptime.

The telethon peak

During the telethon, the Red Cross site handled peak volumes of more than 500,000 page requests a minute, 75,000 concurrent credit card users and 22 financial transactions a second, with 100 percent uptime.

AT THE PEAK OF THE HURRICANE SANDY TELETHON ON NBC500,000+PAGE REQUESTS A MINUTE75,000CONCURRENT CREDIT CARD USERS22FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS A SECONDWITH 100 PERCENT UPTIMEOracle press release, 2013
AT THE PEAK OF THE HURRICANESANDY TELETHON ON NBC500,000+PAGE REQUESTS A MINUTE75,000CONCURRENT CREDIT CARD USERS22FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS A SECONDWITH 100 PERCENT UPTIMEOracle press release, 2013
WHAT PEOPLE CAME TO DOGet regional updatesFind local sheltersDonate moneyVolunteer for disaster reliefOracle press release, 2013

Where people turned

In the days following Hurricane Sandy, the Red Cross relied heavily on its new site so people could get regional updates, find local shelters, donate money and volunteer for disaster relief efforts.

UPDATES DURING THE RESPONSEHourlyCONTENT UPDATED AND CHANGEDTO KEEP PEOPLE INFORMEDOracle press release, 2013

Changes made hourly

“We used Oracle’s ATG Web Commerce personalization and content targeting capabilities during our Sandy response to update and make changes hourly, to keep people informed and make it easier for them to get help and know how to help,” said Craig Oldham, then Vice President of Marketing, Digital Engagement.

SEVERAL HUNDRED INTO ONESEVERAL HUNDREDLOCAL SITESONESTANDARDIZED SITEOracle press release, 2013

Several hundred sites, now one

One standardized site in place of several hundred gave people a better experience and reduced overall expenses.

RelatedCustomer technologyNon-profit

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