Social media may be the latest marketing buzzword, but that doesn’t mean many companies are finding success in their efforts. In fact, most campaigns that seek to use sites like Facebook as their primary point of contact fail to employ its crucial element: fun.

In partnership with RED client, OK Tire, the Ultimate Road Trip scavenger hunt was launched on June 25, 2010. The popular contest, accessed through a specially designed website, asks participants to collect photos from a list of items and upload them on the site. After they’ve finished hunting down the (sometimes silly) items and submitting their photos, they can share their photo on Facebook for an extra entry. While typical methods of online advertising were employed in the marketing of this contest – paid media like banner ads and Google ad words – it was RED’s ability to harness the power of Facebook that has proven the most fruitful. Over 65% of traffic to the contest site has come directly from the social networking site. But it’s not just the quantity of referrals that proved interesting. Users directed to the site from friend referrals spent over three times as long on the site. The popularity of the contest and the high rate of site traffic is directly related to the success of this campaign. Our goal was to position the Pirelli P5 touring tire as a great option for summer driving this year. Users have equated the excitement – and success – they feel from participating in the scavenger hunt with the OK Tire brand in general and the Pirelli P5 specifically. Social media is not just about finding the right audience and throwing your message into their space. Users want to engage with content. They want to create and control it. Rather than proclaiming to your customers that your brand is fun, social media encourages them to discover the fun for themselves and to participate in a community that they have a hand in building – and that your brand is a big part of. Visit roadtrip.oktire.com and try out the Ultimate Road Trip scavenger hunt today. And to see what the right social media strategy can do for you, contact RED. “Thank you so much for the contest. My family and I are having a blast going through old photos and going out looking for new ones. Some of these pictures have not been looked at in years and it’s great researching together for new places to go. This contest made me dust off the old camera and revive an old hobby I used to absolutely love. It got put aside as life took over but now it’s back, look out.” -Email from Contestant

]]> http://www.redtheagency.com/updates/2010/07/fun-is-a-serious-factor-in-successful-social-media-campaign/feed/ http://www.redtheagency.com/updates/2010/05/229/ http://www.redtheagency.com/updates/2010/05/229/#comments Tue, 18 May 2010 22:21:42 +0000 Mark Hutchison http://www.redtheagency.com/updates/?p=229 If you’ve landed here looking for a career at RED, let’s talk. Our hiring criteria is simple - experience and personal philosophy. If you have a lot of experience and you’re a jerk - don’t apply. However, if you’re a professional and are ready to do the best work of your life, drop us a line at careers@redtheagency.com.

The text on the back side of each label was legible through the blue liquid and pushed the reader to the website for additional information. Bottles were hand delivered to Ad Club members on the first Monday of the call for entries.

We also sent a traditional group of carolers into communities and malls around Edmonton and instead of singing the expected carols, we re-wrote a number of classics to reflect fire safety messaging. The carolers then presented surprised listeners with a postcard outlining simple holiday fire safety tips.

The need to change behaviours facing child support in Alberta requires an even more direct approach. The Maintenance Enforcement Program team at Alberta Justice was fully onside when RED came to the table with a campaign that works hard at putting an end to the lame excuses of delinquent and late payers. The public awareness campaign seen below launched in March.

RED had a winning night at the Advertising Club of Edmonton’s (ACE) 31^st annual award ceremony on March 6, 2010. In addition to seven other awards, RED won Advertising Campaign of the year – proof that you can generate results AND create breakthrough work.

RED’s greatest success came for a holiday fire safety campaign on behalf of Alberta Municipal Affairs. We won best Public Service Broadcast for Singing Smoke Alarms; best Television Single under $50,000 for Singing Smoke Alarms; and best Exhibit/Point of Purchase for Fire Awareness Tree Ornament. The string of awards culminated in the best Advertising Campaign for the Holiday Fire Awareness Campaign. With our always-supportive clients in attendance, it was an exciting evening for all.

Of note, RED also won Awards of Distinction for Chemisphere, Alberta Pensions Services, Society of Graphic Designers of Canada, AB North Chapter and for a direct mail we created for the Advertising Club of Edmonton.

Never heard of the ACE Awards?

The ACE awards are dedicated to showcasing and rewarding advertising excellence in Edmonton. Judges come from across North America and are given a strict mandate to evaluate all entries according to international standards.

The hard-hitting TV and radio campaign from Edmonton’s RED punches home the idea that fires in modern homes are different from those of 30 years ago when people had an average of 17 minutes to safely escape a burning house. Research shows that with today’s faster burning, highly toxic materials, that time has been reduced to three minutes.

Radio and TV spots warn that it will take seven minutes or more for a fire truck to arrive, but “you have three minutes.”

The tag line directs the public to a new website, 3MinuteDrill.Alberta.ca, that offers prevention, detection and escape plans. The campaign is also supported by posters and informational material handed out at fire stations.

Global TV in Alberta has also produced supporting 30-second public service spots narrated by news anchors offering additional information.

Alana Williams of Red said the agency took an Alfred Hitchcock approach to the TV spots rather than graphically depicting fire and injuries.

“We wanted to approach people on a psychological level, where they are more affected by what they don’t see than what they do see.”

The 30-second TV spots will run province-wide, while the radio spots will run regionally, often after there has been a fire in the area.

Alberta Dental Association + College asks us to consider the important role of dentists in our overall health and wellbeing.

Alberta Dental Association - Beacon from RED The Agency on Vimeo.