Campaign
Tease Campaign Followed by a Viral Campaign; Traditional Media Pushing Controversial Buttons Around Privacy on the Web and the Importance of Vertical Search Beyond Google

We worked with Spock on a three-tier campaign that focused on vertical search, privacy and advertisers. By developing an integrated social media and viral communications program that educated the market about vertical search, we were able to kick start relationships with key industry influencers early on. Our strategy included advertisers who want to reach people in specific niche categories.

The campaign included an executive media push, positioning Spock executives as thought leaders on privacy and how it impacts business and society as a whole. We hit broadcast TV and business media on and offline.

Because Spock’s search engine focuses entirely on people, privacy and security alarm bells rang early on. Instead of playing to or avoiding media and consumer fear, we educated people how to start managing their online reputations. We successfully managed a controversial article with Time Magazine and negative online chatter over Internet safety, particularly as it pertained to children.

In addition to a strategy that focused on thought leadership and attracting potential advertisers, our goal was to get more users to the site. Prior to its initial launch, we did a teaser campaign and secured on-stage demos at high profile industry shows.

We created a program for vertical market industries around events and holidays such as politics, entertainment, sports and celebrities. Part of the strategy was not just to generate buzz about the site but solicit help from users to enhance content on the site and encourage others to participate. This included online games, widgets and contests to engage users and spiral user growth. PR Week wrote about the campaign.

Media Buzz is a Sample, not an Exhaustive List

“Blodgett’s zest for Spock led her to go out on a limb for a product that was still a work in progress. They also engaged directly with people and taught us why it’s important to be out there, and to be honest, and communicative about what’s happening in the company.”
–Jay Bhatti, Co-Founder, Spock, now Intelius