Two campaigns that made Clockwork Media a winner

media update’s David Jenkin asked managing director Tom Manners about what went into making those campaigns so successful.

The Mimecast Black Friday Newsjacking campaign took Gold in the Technology category, part of Clockwork Media’s clean sweep of the category.

Please explain the term ‘newsjacking’?

Newsjacking is about turning topical issues into media opportunities by leveraging off these events’ existing interest to generate exposure for the brand.  

What were the objectives of this campaign and why was the newsjacking approach chosen?

We identified Black Friday as an opportunity for Mimecast to speak to businesses and consumers about how to shop online safely without exposing their business or personal devices to malware. This was an angle that we knew would be instantly relatable to anyone taking advantage of Black Friday discounts, which would ultimately meet our objectives of ensuring that the client was part of the conversation around Black Friday, and position them as the thought leader in the arena of data security and online safety.

How was the campaign’s success measured?

Success was measured through the number of pieces generated and the reach thereof. Our strategy was to compile the feature in a ‘listicle’ style format, allowing for audiences to receive information in quick, bite-sized take-outs. Keeping in mind that we wanted to reach our readers while they were online researching and shopping for Black Friday special offers, we distributed our piece to select online news outlets such as MSN, Fin24, and MyBroadband where they were most likely to be online.

We also pitched interviews to broadcast media, securing airtime with 702 and CNBC Africa. The result was numerous published pieces in our targeted media generated, reaching over 2-million South Africans.

Can you offer any general pointers about using newsjacking as a method? Is there a right or wrong way to go about it?

Beyond just reporting on the news, journalists are always looking for expert commentary around these topical issues to make their news source stand out. A successful newsjacking requires keeping a very close eye on what’s going on in your industry. You need to be constantly predicting the most likely next step, so you can get ahead before the conversation really gets rolling, and have your client’s brand ready and waiting to ride the wave.

Clockwork Media’s campaign to launch LG’s V20 smartphone took Gold in the Best use of social media as a support tool in a communications programme category.  

Please tell us what was required, and what Clockwork Media did to meet the challenge?

The goal for this campaign was to launch the LG V20 in a refreshing way that would excite both media and consumers. Relying on an integrated communications approach that included traditional PR tactics such as press drops and visually stimulating social media content, we were able to achieve some impressive results.

In terms of using social media as a support tool, what did Clockwork Media do that set the campaign apart?

The first step of our campaign revolved around the distribution of a desk drop to 13 key journalists. Prior to the product being hand delivered by a member of our marketing team, we created bespoke tweets alerting the media of the delivery that was headed this way. These tweets included fun GIFs and tongue-in-cheek messaging that not only piqued the interest of the journalists, but also had their followers asking what was in the package.

Once we had the media’s attention, we moved to grabbing the interest of the public by collaborating with prominent local influencers, in the field of photography and videography, to draw attention to the product’s unique selling points.

What metrics were tracked to measure the campaign’s effectiveness, and (broadly) what did they show?

Key metrics which we measured against were organic engagement rate, as well as campaign PR value. Through our integrated endeavours, engagement with media and our reliance on social media for success, organic engagement levels sky-rocketed and PR value also exceeded expectations, which both, ultimately, created much interest in the launch of the new LG v20.

For more information, visit www.clockworkmedia.co.za.

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Interested in reading about other winning campaigns at this year’s PRISMs? Read more in our article, The campaign that won Engage Joe Public Gold at the PRISMS.