Keeping the wheels in motion

Reimagining success

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society funds research, advocates for social and political change and sponsors services that support people living with multiple sclerosis (MS), as well as their families. Its flagship Bike MS fundraising event attracts nearly 75,000 cyclists each year and has raised more than $1.4 billion to date. When the global pandemic occurred, the Society faced the prospect of having its biggest source of revenue canceled. Together with Accenture it sought creative and innovative ways to use technology to reimagine Bike MS for a socially distanced world. 

Transformation on the move

The Society and Accenture used insights from past participants to design enriched experiences for solo “Bike MS: Inside Out” fundraisers taking part outdoors or indoors. Salesforce Marketing Cloud and Sales Cloud formed the digital core of a composable solution designed to tap into new audiences and donors by integrating with popular sports tracking apps, Strava and Zwift. The event was supported by the Society’s peer-to-peer fundraising platform, a competitive tracked ride, and an individual rider fundraising platform powered by Salesforce. Salesforce synched customer data and triggered key messages during rides to increase engagement. Virtual meet-ups, Zoom happy hours and Facebook events emulated the buzz of previous years.