Four Great Social Media Campaigns

Public Relations campaigns that incorporate social media platforms are becoming more and more popular, in fact, it is difficult to find a campaign that does not include social in some way. I have compiled a list of some of my most memorable campaigns in recent history. So, in no particular order, here they are:

Volkswagen: Street Quest

I love this campaign by Oglivy & Mather PR South Africa. Volkswagen Street Quest challenged people via Facebook to find as many Volkswagen's as possible in South Africa using Google Street View in a custom-designed gaming interface. The game was played over a four week period and the contestant with the most finds each week qualified for a Grand Final where the winners competed for prizes worth R50,000.

The campaign is successful in reaffirming Volkswagen's reputation as a well-loved and trusted car manufacturer. Volkswagen integrated Facebook and Google Street View to create a memorable social experience.

Read more about the campaign on Oglivy's website

Refuge: How to look your best the morning after

This video went viral after it was uploaded by domestic violence charity Refuge, produced by ad agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty, they enlisted the help of make up and fashion vlogger Lauren Luke. The charity successfully taps into the target demographic by using an already established video blogger with nearly half a million (mainly female) subscribers. Currently the video has had over a million views since it was uploaded less than a year ago. Using shock tactics is an increasingly common tactic among charities but Refuge have used them in a way that is creative and thought-provoking.

IKEA: Happy to bed

This PR Week award winning integrated campaign invited users to create their perfect bedroom using Facebook and YouTube, according to their personality and lifestyle. Using data from users Facebook profile and personal tastes - a 3D bedroom was created that even had users own photos on the walls. Through a Facebook fan group, some members were invited to a giant sleepover in an IKEA store where they could find their perfect bed, this generated tons of print, online, broadcast and social media interest and resulted in a very successful campaign.

BeatBullying: The Big March

This campaign by Frank PR aimed to create the world's first global march in order to create awareness surrounding bullying. The charity BeatBullying enlisted the help of Aston from boyband JLS. Musicians, actors, comedians and other high profile celebrities were invited to create their own avatars for the march and share them using Twitter. On March 1st, more than a million people joined in the online protest that could be viewed on the BeatBullying website.

This colourful and fun campaign successfully reached young people by using high profile celebrities and by utilising social websites such as Twitter and YouTube.