I have discovered some of my most exhilarating challenges in strategic marketing partnership campaigns, encompassing various channels such as email communications, landing pages, print ads, and physical media. These endeavors have brought me immense pride as they have resulted in significant increases in brand awareness and successful market entries.
In 2016, when partnering with the San Francisco 49ers, I made a strategic decision to directly connect with the fans, aiming to enhance credibility and generate greater organic engagement compared to previous years.
To achieve this, I handpicked some of the most dedicated fans from the Faithful 49 Fan Rewards program and organized a photo shoot that aimed to capture their authentic spirit. These captivating images were integrated across various marketing channels including emails, print ads, online banners, stadium display ads, a dedicated landing page, and even physical media such as on-site stadium presence and a bus wrap.
The remarkable outcome was a staggering 757,000 organic engagements, complemented by a 3.95% paid engagement rate. This outstanding performance directly translated into tangible results for Esurance, with over a thousand new policies purchased as a result of the campaign. These impressive numbers far surpassed our previous partnership metrics with the 49ers, making it a resounding success for the company.
Emails from various years’ contests, where prizes included meet-and-greets with Niners players, and suite seats and on-field privileges for various games. These contests existed by themselves (left), as well as in conjunction with the greater partnership push in 2016 (right).
The first introduction of the campaign came on social media; imagery was simple reveals of the fans, with the “You are the 49ers faithful” line that would drive the campaign.
In order to maintain engagement and interest throughout the season, I delivered four different ads for the season’s Gameday Magazine, each with a different fan shot, to be printed on a rotating basis.
By 2016, Esurance’s LP system was strictly template-based, presenting the challenge of not being able to use the campaign’s full-color flood in the hero area. I overcame this by using a rear-facing image from our shoot in order to make it seem as if the viewer had simply stepped within.
Esurance hired and ran these buses between the Mountain View CalTrain station and Levi’s Stadium before home games, providing the opportunity to engage with the fans long before the games even started.
This sweepstakes-driven campaign marked a significant milestone for both partners. The popular TV show "Inside West Coast Customs" ventured into uncharted territory by attempting a crowd-sourced build, while Esurance embarked on its first-ever automobile giveaway.
To establish a strong presence within the West Coast Customs (WCC) community, I led the development of a co-branded visual identity that seamlessly merged the essence of WCC with our own brand identity. Our focus was on highlighting shared attributes such as expertise and technological innovation.
In conceptualizing and designing the microsite for this campaign, my goal was to leverage the inherent excitement of the custom auto enthusiast market to drive organic engagement. I introduced the concept of a "Virtual Builder," empowering users to digitally customize a Jeep Compass and generate personalized wallpapers and social media images to share.
The culmination of this campaign was an episode in Season 5, which can still be viewed on Netflix. Notably, the episode features a compelling segment at timestamp 6:58-7:08, showcasing WCC owner Ryan Friedlinghaus interacting with my Virtual Builder concept.
The successful execution of this campaign demonstrates our ability to forge innovative partnerships and create engaging experiences that resonate with target audiences, while simultaneously expanding brand visibility and reach.
Here is a clear look at the co-branded title treatment I designed, overlaid on imagery that evokes legitimacy in the auto enthusiast market.
Communication explaining the contest entry points and rules, and highlighting the interactive elements of the micro-site.
The hero of the microsite was the Virtual Builder I concepted and designed, which drove huge engagement.
An example of a Virtual Build. I chose and produced all the custom elements that could be "built" into the vehicle, developed all the custom colors, and worked with WCC's internal Creative Team to source branded background imagery. The possible custom outcomes numbered in the hundreds of thousands.
The Esurance sweepstakes campaign themed around Star Trek not only held immense personal significance to me as a fellow fan but also benefited from a dedicated fanbase and an enticing grand prize—an all-expenses-paid trip to the LA premiere. However, we encountered a unique challenge in navigating Paramount's stringent Intellectual Property regulations.
To overcome this challenge and infuse our own distinctive touch, I conceptualized and designed the "Vulcanizer." This interactive experience allowed users to upload their photo and transform themselves into a Vulcan Starfleet crewmember, with customizable options for gender, skin tone, and uniform color. This inclusive experience celebrated both the rich Star Trek canon and the diversity of real-life individuals.
Despite the hurdles we faced, the return on investment (ROI) for this campaign was overwhelmingly positive. We achieved over 600,000 total engagements, nearly 300,000 sweepstakes entries, and garnered 100,000 likes, shares, and downloads of the "Vulcanized" images. The significant level of interaction directly translated into tangible results, with 29,000 quotes completed and more than 3,500 new policies purchased.
This campaign demonstrated our ability to navigate complex partnerships, adhere to strict intellectual property guidelines, and create highly engaging experiences that resonated with the target audience. The positive ROI and impressive metrics underscore the effectiveness of our approach and the tangible impact it had on Esurance's bottom line.
Market entry was simple co-branded teaser images posted to social media channels with intentionally vague language encouraging users to check back soon.
During Phase 1, download and page designs used only teaser imagery, and presented a mysterious countdown timer. Engagement during this phase was driven by the Vulcanizer section and sweepstakes entry.
For Phase 2 I refreshed the look and feel of the tab by splitting the movie one-sheet art into a foreground and background that carried the content between them. Since the sweepstakes had ended, I bulked up the downloads section and together with the Brand Partnership Team added a new ticket giveaway section; all of these changes kept engagement high all the way to the movie's release.
Having been given many pieces of exclusive imagery, often as layered PSDs, allowed me to generate coveted downloads throughout both phases of the partnership, and interactions soared because of Star Trek fans' dedication to this type of exclusivity.
Email sent to the winners of the ticket portion of the contest. The winners of the larger contest were notified more personally with a phone call and gift package in the mail from Paramount Pictures.
