kelly sheehan | strat•e•gist
strat•e•gist [strat-i-jist] noun American variation of account planner. Often used to connote a person lacking a hopelessly charming British accent. Likely dons the customary retro glasses, which inspire her to see the world differently. Other common traits include problem solving, lateral thinking and bulls*** detecting. Also possesses a curious ability to boil the complex down to one brilliant, inspiring truth or thought to change consumer behavior.
Why, Hello There. Welcome. Thanks for stopping by. I just got around to tidying up the place. Make yourself at home and let me know if anything sparks your interest. Before you start your journey, let’s take a moment to get acquainted. Don’t worry, instead of a manifesto-style proclamation of what I believe, think and feel, I decided to give you a sense of who I am via my digital actions—my online self. Because,
I believe that behavior, especially online behavior speaks louder than words. I’ve selected a few gems from the past few months of my digital life, which I’ve posted on the following pages. Also, if you are in the mood for a quick game of Google Roulette, you may find some humorous “facts” about my other online selves after typing my name into the Google search bar. Enjoy!
#MyDigitalLife ... in Less Than 10 Posts
What’s Next ... Case Studies Audi of America Driving Business with Social Media YouTube Building a Playground for Moms Online Dating Site Changing the Online Dating Game The Résumé
Client: Audi of America | Agency: M80
The Audi TT coupe is known for its iconic design, not performance. Enter the TT RS, a racing sport version of the TT being considered for U.S. production. From a business perspective, the TT would be an important addition to the American lineup. However, it would require a significant investment by Audi’s German parent to bring it to the States. Proving the cost-benefit for a low-volume vehicle with a high price tag would be no small challenge. Throw in a lean marketing budget and suddenly the game gets interesting.
The Challenge Prove, in no uncertain terms, there is a strong market for the TT RS in the U.S.
The Target: TT Enthusiasts Not only is the TT unlike any other car in the Audi lineup, it’s unlike any other car – period. So, it’s no wonder the TT has a cult following. Fans drop Audi from the name because they believe the TT is truly in a class by itself. And, in return, they view themselves as unique individuals, with discriminating taste and a penchant for design. Although TT owners are a diverse bunch, their love for the TT is what unites them. These über fans congregate on forums, connect via TT groups, and even organize meet ups and drives to connect with other individuals who share their same passion for the TT.
From Enthusiasts to Activists We quickly learned that TT fanatics had already expressed their interest, albeit in their respective community silos, by urging Audi to bring the TT RS to
the U.S. This was a big A-HA moment. The desire was there. We simply needed to rally the troops on our home, digital soil. And, these enthusiasts were just the people to lead the charge—motivated by the desire to own the vehicle / see it come over and also prove that Audi continues to top its rival, BMW. So, this was as much about brand love as it was about competition and bragging rights. In partnership, we could generate excitement to convince Audi Germany, while also allowing a key segment of the Audi base to participate in shaping the future of the TT RS. In this scenario, they would be more than enthusiasts, they would be activists leading a movement. Armed with these insights, we aimed to ignite this yet untapped group via social media to drive commitments and sales, and furthermore leverage the passion of the fan base to fuel conversation, sharing, and momentum.
Strategy: Galvanizing the TT Community Audi Fans Bring TT RS to the U.S. The first step to success was to “unionize” fans. Significant fragmentation was occurring as they took to multiple online outposts to voice support. We needed to build a destination for them congregate. Secondly, we needed to create awareness and drive interest amongst the TT enthusiasts and prospective buyers. Foremost, we wanted Audi fans to know they had skin in the game, and to understand they played an integral role in swaying Audi’s final decision. The key questions were how and where?
“Bring the TT RS to the U.S.” and centralized the effort on Facebook – a ripe environment for community building and brand activism. Using Audi’s Facebook Page as the linchpin of the TT RS “movement” helped focus the conversation on Audi and poise the campaign for success. This immediately tackled the issue of multiple voices and locations. Users could not only interact with a user-friendly app, but also share their commitment to the TT RS via their social graph and join in the conversation with other fans. In addition to signing the petition, viewing exclusive photos and videos, they could also indicate their level of interest in purchasing a vehicle.
The Little Big Idea To engage the audience, we resurfaced a tried and true political device, the petition, to power the socialmedia driven initiative. We aptly titled the cause
The consumer-focused effort, coupled with extensive influencer and blogger outreach, helped to spread the word amongst auto media and beyond.
Follow-up emails were sent to petition signers to keep them in the loop and thank them for their interest. 20% of those who signed the petition were “high interest� U.S. purchase leads Proof: social media can drive more than just conversation – it can drive business. A galvanized community of devoted fans generated nearly 12,000 petition signatures.
WINNER: AUDI PR PROJECT OF THE YEAR AWARD
Audi announced shortly after the outcry of support that it would bring the TT RS to the States and received global praise for involving auto enthusiasts via social media.
Seriously interested leads were invited to the Chicago Auto Show to view the U.S. TT RS unveiling, marrying online with offline
AP: Kelly Sheehan, Leonor Tovar | CW: Shannon Murphy | AD: Tufan Guzeloglu
YouTube rules. It’s the #2 search engine. It’s bigger than TV. More content has been uploaded in the past two months than produced by the Big Three TV networks in six decades. Simply put, YouTube is doing pretty well. So, what’s the issue? Moms are not spending valuable time on the site and they’re anything but loyal. Given their incredible purchasing power and influence, they remain at the top of advertisers’ lists. Which means, YouTube is missing out on significant revenue. So, if moms aren’t on YouTube, where are they? We mined the data, conducted surveys and chatted with them to find out where they are and more importantly, why.
The Challenge Get Young Facebook Friendly Moms to spend time on YouTube. Encourage them to sign up, view, subscribe and engage.
The Target: Young Facebook Friendly Moms New moms make an abrupt transition into motherhood, straddling the demands of a career and family. They feel cut off from the world, imprisoned by work and home. Socially starved, they seek refuge in social networks and online communities where they can connect, express and share with others, maintaining virtual relationships to fill the physical void in their hectic lives. The Facebook newsfeed is their personal concierge – curating relevant content from their extended network. It updates them instantly on their friends’ lives, ranging from their latest photos / videos, coolest fashions and styles, to the standard raves and rants. From the feed, nearly 50% of Facebook Moms are checking out YouTube videos their friends share. But, why are they
active participants on Facebook and passive viewers of YouTube? How do we persuade them to go to YouTube?
Defining the Real Problem Before we started on our journey to develop a creative campaign, we had to ask ourselves one question: Why aren’t Facebook Moms frequenting YouTube? All of the data pointing in one direction – Facebook. But, was Facebook the real YouTube killer? We explored and conducted a survey that surfaced compelling, but simple reasons. Lapsed and non-users provided the most insight, claiming loud and clear: there was no need for YouTube and when they did visit the site, they got lost in a sea of content. The impression that YouTube was full of silly cat, music or humorous videos and completely unorganized proved we were
fighting some serious perception issues. But, was that all? Even with the recent UX face lift that streamlined the experience, along with content partnerships that catered to these moms, there was no ONE place for them to go to get the information they needed. Exacerbated by 48 hours of content (uploaded every minute) to YouTube, the site was getting more massive by the second, and showed no signs of slowing. So, the problem wasn’t Facebook, it was YouTube. And, we needed a double-headed strategy to fix it.
Strategy YouTube Just Got Smaller. This wasn’t just a communication problem, we had a product issue on our hands. In order to attack this head-on, we not only had to tell Facebook Moms that
YouTube had what they needed, but prove it with an actual destination / experience. We had to change the role of YouTube to that of a content curator versus creator.
Our platform Develop a channel guide that is run by rotating mommy bloggers as editors-in-chief. The guide would contain the best, hand-picked content that appeals to both the mom and the woman in them – from entertainment to how-tos and music to kids. Because: she’s more than a mom, she’s a woman too. Curated, personalized content helps her cut through the clutter.
Creative Concept Simpify YouTube so moms can easily find what they want, need and love. (It’s that simple).
WINNER: BEST STRATEGY JUDGED BY YOUTUBE / AKQA
Moms would be prompted after viewing a few videos to sign up for YouTube if they did not have an account and then urged to subscribe to various channels of interest.
EveryMom would be spearheaded by an editor-in-chief and rotate guest editors such as mommy bloggers and other influential figures.
As a highly connected and technologically forward group, tablet and mobile ads via the Google Display Network / AdMob would reach moms on multiple devices versus Apple products only. This would also encourage video watching beyond just the home, highlighting the portability of YouTube.
Takeover ads on sites where moms currently spend time such as Momversations, CafeMom and others would help drive home awareness and encourage moms to visit YouTube for content that’s relevant to them. Conquest ads would also appear on rival social networks such as Facebook, and AdWords would be utilized during search occasions to highlight content available on YouTube. Additionally, YouTube’s social media profiles would be leveraged to raise awareness amongst its established fan base.
AP: Kelly Sheehan, Leonor Tovar | CW: Shannon Murphy | AD: Tufan Guzeloglu
Match.com and eHarmony promise that you’ll find someone based on their unique formulas for love rooted in psychology, algorithms and questionnaires. Other free dating sites, such as OK Cupid, match people by pairing answers to questions that are unscientific. To be successful, we needed to disrupt the category of online dating and establish a site with inherent talk value. We needed an alternative approach to win over Gen Y and the lion’s share of heart and pocket.
The Challenge Launch a new, paid online dating site for 80’s babies. Develop name and positioning that speaks to Gen Y.
Target: Gen Y / Digital Natives Gen Y grew up alongside new media and the internet with information readily available anytime, anywhere. They therefore expect authenticity and transparency from businesses, companies, government and institutions. Their soapbox is the internet and, more specifically, social media. Consider the “Yelpification” of the world, where everything is evaluated, for good or bad. Inventions including the dislike button, I hate Facebook pages and #fail are just a few cultural cues that Gen Y is a vocal, opinionated and outspoken group. Generally known for its optimism, the Occupy Wallstreet movement has begun to shift Gen Y’s attitude and outlook on life. And, since the newly dubbed Generation Debt is increasingly shouldering mounds of loans (valuing education and career), they are waiting longer to settle down to ensure they are
emotionally and financially stable. As a result, marriage is on hold for longer periods and dating more casual.
(Online) Dating Sucks We conducted mini-groups with Digital Natives, which surfaced a couple themes, specifically that online dating mirrored the real world, except for one major difference. People lie on their dating profiles: about their height, income, sexual preferences, even “recent” photos. Everything you “know” about the person is questionable, coming from an untrusted source. Really, you never know what you’re going to get on the other side. As a generation that highly values transparency and authenticity, this proves a major pain point. Essentially, it’s the same old BS in digital drag.
Barriers
Strategy
This target grew up in a digital society where information was and is still free and easily accessible. Because many are not prioritizing marriage or long-term commitment, we will need to showcase and prove why our service is worthwhile over free dating sites to find their match for the moment. In short, they told us: You’d have to “One Up The Competition.”
People That Hate Together Stay Together Gen Y is comprised of sharers, so we need to give them something to talk about. A different kind of dating site that breaks the mold. A funny take on the dating experience that would resonate with Gen Y sensibility. As Nick Shore, head of research for MTV, said, “Smart and funny is the new rock ‘n’ roll.”
The Human Truth
Brand Tone / Positioning
What brings people together is not just what they stand for, but what they stand against. The same with relationships. But, the real secret to a lasting relationship is establishing connections around the little and big things that touch a nerve. Ultimately, these topics drive conversations and feelings of true, deep understanding.
Irreverent, Provocative. hatersinLove.com is the only online dating site for Gen Y that enables singles to connect based on common dislikes versus shared likes.
Creative Platform Disrupt online dating by showcasing how hate can breed love.
Dating profiles take time to fill out. What if we simplified the process? Sign up would be quick and painless and focus on building an online profile over time, with actions across the web.
People lie on dating sites. So, what if there was a way to get at the real, uncompromised truth – with show versus tell? HatersInLove.com would enable users to “dislike” items across the web with a browser installed bookmarklet (much like Facebook’s ubiquitous like button) and would aggregate these items into their profile, locating matches based on mutual dislikes. The cornerstone of the site would elevate substance over the superficial.
People tend to look at pictures first. Since we are basing our site on substance, users’ profile pictures would not be revealed unless the individuals have shared a few messages and decided they were ready to meet.
Advertising for hatersinLove. com would launch immediately prior to Valentine’s Day. Timed to disrupt the usual “love” chatter, the ads will create conversation around a new way of dating when it is top of singles’ minds. This would be complemented by social media and blogger outreach to generate earned media and ignite buzz. #lovetohate
RÉSUMÉ ACCOUNT DIRECTOR for M80 (Social Media Marketing, WPP / GroupM), February 2009 – September 2011 Client: Audi of America -Developed strategic and innovative social media marketing programs, establishing Audi as #3 luxury automotive social media marketer, most influential automaker on Twitter and marketer with the most engaging Facebook page -Orchestrated social media efforts around Super Bowl XLV, integrating with agency partners to dominate consumer buzz and media. More than 2 billion media impressions were garnered, with significant coverage fueled by Audi’s innovative, first-ever use of a hashtag in a Super Bowl spot and ~30,000 Twitter mentions of #ProgressIs PROJECT MANAGER for Initiative Media (IPG Mediabrands), Innovations Group, March 2008 – January 2009 Clients: Dr Pepper Group (lead), Hyundai/Kia, Lionsgate, CBS/Showtime, Carl’s Jr., -Part of creative “SWAT” team dedicated to developing never-before-done marketing concepts and bringing firstto-market ad platforms and Web 2.0 technologies to clients. -Developed creative applications of new technologies, emerging channels and traditional media to break through advertising clutter and competitive share-of-voice to achieve ROI objectives -Negotiated and implemented several test campaigns for Dr Pepper Snapple Group to research new media channels spanning branded entertainment, in-application advertising and new channel marketing MARKETING MANAGER for matrixx Productions, Inc., Emerging Media, January 2007 – February 2008 Clients: Vespa, Dippin’ Dots Ice Cream, COBY Electronics -Spearheaded agency Emerging Media Department, developing strategic multi-platform campaigns and proposals focused on non-traditional marketing for clients and new business prospects -Developed and executed user-generated video online promotion to drive brand engagement and increase awareness of Dippin’ Dots among tween/teen demo. Achieved ~200,000 views on YouTube, drove ~22,500 visitors to microsite (with 100% opt-in rate for registered users), secured nearly 25,000 contest member votes/views
SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE for Hill & Knowlton (PR Agency, WPP) Consumer Marketing, April 2005 – April 2006 Clients: THQ, Boost Mobile, Malibu Rum, Sauza Tequila, Stolichnaya ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE for Rogers & Cowan (PR Agency, IPG) Convergence Group, April 2004 – March 2005 Clients: Activision, id Software, EA Sports/Canada, Spike TV Video Game Awards, Razer Inc. ACCOUNT COORDINATOR – ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE for Porter Novelli (PR Agency, Omnicom) Consumer Practice, August 1999 – April 2004 Clients: McDonald’s® Operators’ Association of Southern California, Ronald McDonald House®, Rock the Vote
EDUCATION MIAMI AD SCHOOL, Account Planning Bootcamp, San Francisco, California Graduated December 2012 SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Syracuse, New York Bachelor of Science, major in advertising, minor in sociology, magna cum laude
kelly sheehan | strat•e•gist 310.721.1514 kelly.sheehan@gmail.com @kellykapowsky linkedin.com/in/kellycsheehan