20110729

Editor's Notes

1. WHEN USED STRATETICALLY, SOCIAL MEDIA CAN BENEFIT YOUR EVENT PRESENCE IN THREE WAYS:PRE-EVENT: INVOLVE ATTENDEES AND NON-ATTENDEES WEEKS BEFORE THE EVENT IN AN ENGAGING WAY THAT CREATES BUZZ AND LADDERS BACK TO YOUR PLANNED ON-SITE ACTIVITIESEVENT: PLAN YOUR ACTIVATION TO CREATE BRANDED WOM THAT DRAWS ATTENTION OFFLINE AT THE EVENT, AND ONLINE FOR THOSE TRACKING IT AT HOMEPOST-EVENT: EVERGREEN CONTENT CREATED AT THE EVENT CAN BE STRATEGICALLY LEVERAGED AFTERWARDS AS A WAY TO CONTINUE THE DIALOGUE AND POSITIVELY IMPACT SEARCH RESULTSUSING SOCIAL MEDIA TO AMPLIFY YOUR PRESENCE AT AN EVENT CAN BE IMPACTFUL AT SMALL EVENTS, BUT ALSO AT larger events with multiple sponsors. We’ve got a few case studies included here of how brands used unique social media programs to set themselves a part at crowded events like CES or the Olympic Games. Often the organizers are happy to work with you if your program is offering something new and useful to promote the event.
2. When talking about building an event activation plan we can think about it in three steps similar to those we just discussed:It starts with the pre-event. In this stage you are establishing goals and expectations with your client and setting up a framework to train those who will be supporting the event on the ground or online. Depending on the event you may also be using social media to plan the event in an open conference model and igniting conversations with your client’s fans and followers.The most active stage is the event itself. Here you’ll be activating you’re the unique presences BY creating great branded content and conversations, and engaging offline with social media influencers and event attendees on the ground.The final phase is equally important; post event you will be promoting content from the event, syndicating and distributing that content across social media platforms to extend the events online, and of course measuring events against your goals. For the rest of this session we’ll talk about the highlights and tips for each of these three phases.KEEP THIS FRAMEWORK IN MIND AS WE CONTINUE WITH THIS TRAINING
3. TALK THROUGH THESE SLIDES USING LANGUAGE LIKE “FIRST …., SECOND …. THIRD….” IT WILL HELP THE LISTENER FOLLOW YOUR NARRATIVE.Like all good programs event activation begins with an objective and a plan to get there. Start by identifying your client’s business objectives be that to create awareness, produce leads, or drive product trial. MAKE SURE THAT YOUR USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IS SUPPORTING THIS OVERALL OBJECTIVE. YOUR PLAN TO DO AN INTERVIEW WITH SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS MAY BE WELL INTENTIONED, BUT IF THE CLIENT ONLY CARES ABOUT DRIVING PRODUCT TRIAL, YOU MAY NEED TO RECONSIDER. NEXT, BE SURE YOU ARE CLEAR ON WHAT YOUR CLIENT’S ROLE IS AT THE EVENT – BOTH FROM A SPONSORSHIP LEVEL, AND FROM A CLIENT PARTICIPATION LEVEL. IF THEY ARE SIMPLY A SIGNAGE SPONSOR MAKE SURE YOU’RE NOT BANKING ON THEM HAVING A PHYSICAL PRESENCE AT THE CONFERENCE.BRAND ASSETS ARE ALSO IMPORANT – TALK WITH YOUR CLIENT ABOUT OTHER ASSETS THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO BRING TO BEAR AT A CONFERENCE – SUCH AS AN EXISTING PARTNERSHIP OR COMMITMENT WITH A CELEBRITY SPOKESPERSON. Once you have this information you can create a social media plan that plays on your client’s assets and role while measurably delivering against objectives.USE THIS INFORMATION TO HELP DEVELOP YOUR INITIAL THREE PHASED PLAN. CONSULT THE 360 DIGITAL INFLUENCE TEAM TO HELP YOU CREATE AN ACTIONABLE PLAN THAT WILL DELIVER RESULTS.
4. When creating your measurement scorecard you should map out your activities against conversation impacts’ three main buckets of reach, engagement, and action. Metrics might include video views, social media mentions, or retweets, it depends on your client’s goal and objectives.Always set benchmark goals for these metrics in all stages and don’t sell yourself short by delivering a wrap report the morning after and event. Use post event activation to drive discussion and continue publishing fresh content so that you’ll demonstrate the true value of the program’s sustained impact.You should however deliver the scorecard to the client at logical junctures to demonstate progress and success and use weekly or daily tracking to see what works and optimize efforts. Sensai tip here is to be weary of holding up the “reach” goals unless your amplification is geared around it specifically. A greatyoutube interview with the ceo or spokesperson can be just as useful to your client as ten blog posts if your goal is to create positive search results.
5. When developing your activation plan owned social presences should be part of it. These may exist or you may be creating them in advance of an event. The 360 digital influence team can help you with branding and configuring these channels and here we’ve included a couple of notes for each.For Facebook you want to advise against creating a new page for a specific event and instead create a custom tab or create an event to promote.On Twitter you should declare a branded hashtag on an existing channel- a hashtag is a community created organizing system to follow tweets in a current topic. If you watch the superbowl for instance a search for pound symbol and superbowl (no spaces there) will shouw you tweets from arounf the world of peoples thoughts about the superbowl. For a major event you may also create an event focused twitter handle if you are going to be really active on twitter and you think it would not be appropriate content for you full follower base.On youtube you can create a playlist on an existing channel or- if you are going to have more than 30 videos or host video from attendees you may establish a new channel. Flickr will be similar to youtube where you can create a set on an existing channel or establish a new one if needed.And a final tip here is to use common keywords and tags across all platforms- for instance making sure that your client’s name and the name of the event are in all photos and video titles and descriptions- will really improve the visibility of these appearing in future google searches for your client.
6. If you know your client is nervous about social media, OR THIS EVENT IS THEIR FIRST FORAY INTO THE SPACE, THERE IS A LOT YOU CAN DO TO PREPARE THEM.FIRST, you can work collaboratively to create a brand voice document reiterating your objectives and what types of conversations you want to be having through social media AS PART OF THE EVENT.NEXT, WE ADVISE THAT YOU create a rapid response document with pre-approved responses to sensitive issues so that you don’t have to wait on approval and train key staff who will not be at the event but who can be involved remotely answering tweets or monitorind discussions. OFTEN TIMES CLIENTS ARE MOST CONCERNED ABOUT HAVING TO REACT TO THESE TYPES OF QUESTIONS – A RAPID RESPONSE DOCUMENT WILL HELP THE CLIENT FEEL MORE CONFIDENT IN TACKLING THESE ISSUES SHOULD THEY ARISE.FINALLY, create a conversation calendar, which you’ll see an example of soon, to guide activity hour to hour based on what’s going on at the event to keep followers excited. THIS WILL HELP A NERVOUS CLIENT ENVISION THE CADENCE OF THE EVENT.
7. WHEN THE BIG DAY ARRIVES, MAKE SURE YOU ARE 100% PREPARED FOR A SOCIAL MEDIA AMPLIFICATION.You can think of this as your packing list. Some of our “don’t forget” items are virtual and some go in your carryon bag. Things like wireless internet and a charger are essentials, things like site signage promoting URLs and hashtags will go miles in the success of your event. Go ahead and read this- we’ll wait.
8. Identify the core team for the event activation and assign roles and responsibilities Conduct necessary trainings on platforms and social media best practicesPlatform How TosConversation ManagementEngaging with InfluencersBefore things get too hectic you need to train the activators, both those who will be at the event and those supporting social media from the office. Once you identify the core team for the event activation, assign roles and responsibilities and conduct necessary trainings. The 360 digital influence team can provide training to the client or the ogilvy team on things like twitter or tips for making sure you get Facebook fans talking and sharing during the event coverage.
9. One pre-event step was creating a conversation calendar to ensure activities are laddering back to business objectives and creating meaningful engagement. Content on the calendar could include event coverage like live tweeting, virtual interviews you’d love to capture, and conversation starters on key platforms to make fans who aren’t at the event feel connected. There should be as much going on online as on the ground so if you know you’re going to be busy have one person 100 percent assigned to answering questions, moderating discussion, and uploading the newest videos.Follow a pre-set Conversation Calendar to ensure activities are laddering back to business objectives and creating meaningful engagement. Could include:Live streaming Event coverage (live Tweets, live blog)Conversation starters on key platformsCapture of key photo and video seriesInterview Q&As—including list of targetsExclusive announcements or giveaways2-way dialogue with fans and fellow attendeesInfluencer outreach (briefings, events, experiences, immersions)
10. Creating a calendar.To help stay organized and to make the most efficient use of your time, create a calendar for your activation. Be sure to include content collection moments, and calls to action for your various platforms. This is a sample conversation calendar from a conference sponsor, it includes activities across four different platforms and keeps it interesting with a mix of engagement along with photos and videos and event coverage. As you write out your calendar, think about telling a story to help your attendees remember the event, and to help non-attendees follow along and feel as if they are part of the action.
11. An ogilvy person is opportunistic and so you should be during event activation. Track conversation using Twitter Search, etc. and engage other attendees and spectators in conversation to add valueEngage “IRL” (in real life) at Tweet Ups, parties, off schedule events, etc. Better yet, organize one yourself. Take advantage of unexpected moments to create content and conversation Promote social Web channels throughout via signage, takeaways and calls to actionWE RECOMMEND tracking conversations using search.twitter.com and engage others in conversation through retweets and answering questions. THIS WILL ALSO HELP YOU KEEP AN EYE ON WHAT’S GOING ON “IRL” OR IN REAL LIFE. IF THERE IS A MAJOR TWEET UP IN THE WORKS, OR A HOT OFF-SCHEDULE PARTY, MAKE SURE YOU GET THERE AND USE IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE CONTENT, TALK TO INFLUENCERS, OR GIVE YOUR CLIENT FACE TIME WITH ATTENDEES.DON’T FORGET TO advantage of unexpected moments AT EVENTS, OR AT THE CONFERENCE – IF YOU RUN INTO A CELEBRITY OR AN A-LIST BLOGGER, GRAB THEM AND DO A QUICK FLIPCAM INTERVIEW FOR YOUR CLIENT, OR ASK TO TAKE A TWIT PIC OF THEM TO PUBLISH IN YOUR STREAM.Finally promote social web channels throughout via signage, takeaways, and calls to action. These are bridges from the fun your having at the event to the stream of content being absorbed by those outside. Put the hastag on balloons, offer to show people how to tweet from their phone, and let them know about a funny tweet someone just sent that they can on your twitter page…. You get the idea.
12. An ogilvy person is opportunistic and so you should be during event activation. Track conversation using Twitter Search, etc. and engage other attendees and spectators in conversation to add valueEngage “IRL” (in real life) at Tweet Ups, parties, off schedule events, etc. Better yet, organize one yourself. Take advantage of unexpected moments to create content and conversation Promote social Web channels throughout via signage, takeaways and calls to actionWE RECOMMEND tracking conversations using search.twitter.com and engage others in conversation through retweets and answering questions. THIS WILL ALSO HELP YOU KEEP AN EYE ON WHAT’S GOING ON “IRL” OR IN REAL LIFE. IF THERE IS A MAJOR TWEET UP IN THE WORKS, OR A HOT OFF-SCHEDULE PARTY, MAKE SURE YOU GET THERE AND USE IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE CONTENT, TALK TO INFLUENCERS, OR GIVE YOUR CLIENT FACE TIME WITH ATTENDEES.DON’T FORGET TO advantage of unexpected moments AT EVENTS, OR AT THE CONFERENCE – IF YOU RUN INTO A CELEBRITY OR AN A-LIST BLOGGER, GRAB THEM AND DO A QUICK FLIPCAM INTERVIEW FOR YOUR CLIENT, OR ASK TO TAKE A TWIT PIC OF THEM TO PUBLISH IN YOUR STREAM.Finally promote social web channels throughout via signage, takeaways, and calls to action. These are bridges from the fun your having at the event to the stream of content being absorbed by those outside. Put the hastag on balloons, offer to show people how to tweet from their phone, and let them know about a funny tweet someone just sent that they can on your twitter page…. You get the idea.
13. An ogilvy person is opportunistic and so you should be during event activation. Track conversation using Twitter Search, etc. and engage other attendees and spectators in conversation to add valueEngage “IRL” (in real life) at Tweet Ups, parties, off schedule events, etc. Better yet, organize one yourself. Take advantage of unexpected moments to create content and conversation Promote social Web channels throughout via signage, takeaways and calls to actionWE RECOMMEND tracking conversations using search.twitter.com and engage others in conversation through retweets and answering questions. THIS WILL ALSO HELP YOU KEEP AN EYE ON WHAT’S GOING ON “IRL” OR IN REAL LIFE. IF THERE IS A MAJOR TWEET UP IN THE WORKS, OR A HOT OFF-SCHEDULE PARTY, MAKE SURE YOU GET THERE AND USE IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE CONTENT, TALK TO INFLUENCERS, OR GIVE YOUR CLIENT FACE TIME WITH ATTENDEES.DON’T FORGET TO advantage of unexpected moments AT EVENTS, OR AT THE CONFERENCE – IF YOU RUN INTO A CELEBRITY OR AN A-LIST BLOGGER, GRAB THEM AND DO A QUICK FLIPCAM INTERVIEW FOR YOUR CLIENT, OR ASK TO TAKE A TWIT PIC OF THEM TO PUBLISH IN YOUR STREAM.Finally promote social web channels throughout via signage, takeaways, and calls to action. These are bridges from the fun your having at the event to the stream of content being absorbed by those outside. Put the hastag on balloons, offer to show people how to tweet from their phone, and let them know about a funny tweet someone just sent that they can on your twitter page…. You get the idea.
14. Foursquare was used by Intel to drive traffic to and create buzz about Intel’s offline events and activities at CES, while allowing Intel to track and build relationships with online influencers active on FoursquareOgilvy PR worked with Foursquare to create:A branded Intel Foursquare page featuring customized locations and tipsCustom badges for check-in’s to Intel events“Special offers” for all check-in’s to the Las Vegas Convention Center, encouraging CES attendees to visit the Intel booth
15. IN ADDITION TO PROACTIVELY CREATING CONTENT AND CONVERSATION, ENGAGING INFLUENCERS CAN BE A KEY INGREDIENT IN CREATING BRANDED BUZZ.These are some ideas for engaging influencers so that they will care enough to share your event content organically. Ideas for engaging influencers so they will care to shareFree passes/accommodations to the conferenceBehind the scenes access to “stuff”Exclusive 1:1 access to executive, spokesperson or notableImmersion events before or during eventInfluencer only dinners or cocktails with notable or brandCo-create an asset for them to share (iPhone skins, a video booth, picture)Host a Tweet Up
16. Make sure you have a solid post-event plan ready to go so that you can get content out ASAP and roll out ever green content like videos in the weeks and months following an event. Continue to communicate around new announcements, contests, or other calls to action, from the event using the same hashtag or keywords and work hard to maintain influencer relationships you’ve forged. Whether they were with you in an official capacity or you have a nice chat with them at lunch sending them a note or videos and photos of themselves a day or two after the event is a pretty surefire way to get a mention or a thanks in their post-event coverage.
17. IDEALLY, THERE IS A STRATEGIC POST EVENT PLAN IN PLACE TO AGGREGATE AND LEVERAGE THE CONTENT AND CONVERSATION FROM THE EVENT ITSELF – SUCCESS SHOULDN’T BE A STRING OF BLOG POSTS OR TWEETS, IT SHOULD BE THAT CONTENT PACKAGED UP IN A MEANINGFUL WAY THAT BENEFITS THE CLIENT’S OBJECTIVES. THINK ABOUT re-purposING CONTENT for brand websites, news letters, or CRM communication. FOR A MAJOR ACTIVATION, A conversation amplifier, LIKE THE ONE SEEN HERE THAT AGGREGATED ALL PARTICIPATING ATHLETE BLOG CONVERSATION AROUND LENOVO’S VOICES OF THE OLYPMIC GAMES CAMPAIGN might be a good option for your client. A conversation amplifier is like a microsite built on our blog plus platform where event content and discussions can live on in a branded space. Lastely make sure you have a transition plan in place for the presences you’ve created specific to the event. If you created a youtube or twitter account that you are not planning to keep up don’t delete it but do post a platform appropriate message (for example a last tweet on twitter) letting people know where they can find you elsewhere.
18. A big NAIAS win for Ford was it’s ability to shift the conversation around its brand, helping break away from the mold of a big, typical, conservative American brand. Here, you can see how conversation shifted to words like, “Green, Innovative, Cutting-Edge, Exciting” and “Forward” – demonstrating that the brand could indeed position itself as a forward-thinking maker of tomorrow’s automobiles.
19. A before and after survey helped gauge sentiment shift about the brand. Prior to the event, just 39% of those surveyed considered Ford an “eco-conscious” company before the event. After the event, a whopping 97% of those surveyed considered Ford an “eco-conscious” company. The survey correlated directly to the goals of the event – which was to help Ford shed its image as a wasteful, big, American car company of the past and own it’s role as a green company who innovates and embraces the future.
20. Invitations to “CayanO’Clock” free chicken burger hours KFC Australia Facebook Fan Page 12.4 million targeted Engagement Ads18-29 year oldsMelbourne, Sydney & Brisbane More than 8,000+ fans (goal = 5,000)
21. Owned & Earned – Live StreamingTo ensure that everybody had the chance to share in the excitement of the event, red carpet interviews, the concert and the 3D fashion show were all streamed live across 25 blogs and websites – more outlets than Burberry had ever worked with.In many cases this was a pure PR push, with blogs and websites being pitched the opportunity to become an exclusive streaming partner. By framing it in this way Burberry was able to secure various promotional and editorial coverage elsewhere on the sites and at different stages of the campaign.
22. Earned abundant news reports and media coverage, featuring the magnificent show, competing movie stars and the bandBelieve there will be more exposure on print later
23. The Ford Explorer Reveal serves as an exemplary case study for proactive pre-event engagement. In the weeks leading up to the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show, Ford engaged bloggers to generate excitement about Ford’s participation and showcasing of new products in the upcoming event:The July 26, 2010 reveal of the 2011 Ford Explorer was preceded by two months of pre-event activation on Facebook that helped build awareness for the event itself – going from 5K to 50K fans:One of the highlights of this pre-reveal was the “Liking” sweepstakes, in which Ford asked the question, “Would you ‘like’ us to give away an all-new Ford Explorer on Facebook?” “Liking” the page equated to an entry in the sweepstakes – generating excitement about the reveal, and growing a built-in fan base for Ford prior to the reveal itself. This sweepstakes help increase fans from x to y over the course of the contest.A second highlight of the pre-reveal were teaser photos and videos – compelling content that helped tell Ford’s story, and generate buzz about the product. Videos had a total of x views, and photos were shared y number of times. To grant fans exclusive access to the brand, Ford provided live chats with _____________. X number of fans attended the event. Targeted media buys were an invaluable component of pre-reveal, helping drive fan growth on the Ford page. Over the course of the run of the ads, fans increased from x to y. Finally, home made videos of Mike Rowe and NASCAR driver fan videos were created to create enthusiasm for the reveal prior to launch. These videos were the first of its class for Ford – and the DIY-style helped create an approachable, authentic feel, helping to invite fans to become part of the brand community. X number of videos were created, totaling Y number of views.
24. Create a calendar of your activation – including content collection moments, calls to action on various platforms:Creating a calendar.To help stay organized and to make the most efficient use of your time, create a calendar for your activation. Be sure to include content collection moments, and calls to action for your various platforms. This is a sample conversation calendar from a conference sponsor, it includes activities across four different platforms and keeps it interesting with a mix of engagement along with photos and videos and event coverage. As you write out your calendar, think about telling a story to help your attendees remember the event, and to help non-attendees follow along and feel as if they are part of the action.
25. An ogilvy person is opportunistic and so you should be during event activation. Track conversation using Twitter Search, etc. and engage other attendees and spectators in conversation to add valueEngage “IRL” (in real life) at Tweet Ups, parties, off schedule events, etc. Better yet, organize one yourself. Take advantage of unexpected moments to create content and conversation Promote social Web channels throughout via signage, takeaways and calls to actionWE RECOMMEND tracking conversations using search.twitter.com and engage others in conversation through retweets and answering questions. THIS WILL ALSO HELP YOU KEEP AN EYE ON WHAT’S GOING ON “IRL” OR IN REAL LIFE. IF THERE IS A MAJOR TWEET UP IN THE WORKS, OR A HOT OFF-SCHEDULE PARTY, MAKE SURE YOU GET THERE AND USE IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE CONTENT, TALK TO INFLUENCERS, OR GIVE YOUR CLIENT FACE TIME WITH ATTENDEES.DON’T FORGET TO advantage of unexpected moments AT EVENTS, OR AT THE CONFERENCE – IF YOU RUN INTO A CELEBRITY OR AN A-LIST BLOGGER, GRAB THEM AND DO A QUICK FLIPCAM INTERVIEW FOR YOUR CLIENT, OR ASK TO TAKE A TWIT PIC OF THEM TO PUBLISH IN YOUR STREAM.Finally promote social web channels throughout via signage, takeaways, and calls to action. These are bridges from the fun your having at the event to the stream of content being absorbed by those outside. Put the hastag on balloons, offer to show people how to tweet from their phone, and let them know about a funny tweet someone just sent that they can on your twitter page…. You get the idea.