I was fortunate to return to the UK from 7 months abroad during a summer filled with fantastic marketing campaigns. Here are the top three that caught my eye:
3. Panasonic’s #Superfans campaign
I really admire well executed user-generated content campaigns. Coming up with an idea that will spur social media users into action can be a real challenge. It is undoubtedly a lot easier to encourage fans to like or comment on pre-existing content than inspire them to take a photo or make a video themselves and share the results.
You therefore need to find a new and exciting way to inspire and energise your fan base. The result can be absolute social media gold – content that is more powerful at communicating your message because it is user-generated and a campaign that can run and run.
Panasonic made the most of its Olympic partnership agreement this summer and launched its #Superfans campaign to run during Rio 2016.
The campaign capitalised on the British public’s desire to show their support for Team GB in a public way and so users responded in abundance. There are some great examples on the dedicated #Superfans website.
2. Airbnb’s ‘Live There’ campaign amplification
Having circumnavigated the globe this year, I am now an avid fan and frequent user of Airbnb. I loved the company’s adverts with the message, “Don’t go there. Live there” which inspired travellers to rent apartments or stay with locals to get a richer experience than they may find in a conventional hotel.
So, it’s no surprise that I was excited to see Airbnb taking this campaign one step further over the summer with a pop-up experience in Shoreditch.
‘The five storey townhouse in East London has been transformed inside and out to welcome travellers from all over the world, and all they have to do is ring the doorbell to join in and get a taste of local London,’ say Airbnb
Coined ‘The #LiveThere House’, the pop up generated plenty of national PR coverage for the brand and, I’m sure, some warm fuzzy feelings from the Londoners who got to enjoy the experiences for free.
1. British Airways #GreattobeBAck
It’s no surprise really that my third and final pick is yet another Olympic campaign.
The simplicity of this British Airways ‘stunt’ is what made it so brilliant in my opinion. While I’m sure the operation of seamlessly flying home that many high-profile athletes was anything but straightforward, there were three very clear and incredibly strong main elements:
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The gold nose cone of the jumbo – great for photo editors and social media content curators alike
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The public vote to name the plane ‘victoRIOus’ – clever, catchy and engaging
- Athletes tweeting #GreattobeBAck and sharing photos from the flight
Source: BritishAirways.com
Well done, BA, on a brilliantly executed campaign.
Have you seen any other examples of exceptional PR or marketing campaigns this summer? Let me know in the comments below!
Marketing and PR blog by Rebecca Hills 