CAMPAIGN PROPOSAL
TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION......................................................1 Mission Statement Background Case Studies Need
CAMPAIGN STRATEGY..........................................5 Target Audience Market Research Competitor Analysis Execution Plan Visual Identity Print Media Digital Media Promotional Items Costs
CONCLUSION.......................................................19 Summary
MISSION STATEMENT The FishBait campaign strives to bring awareness to the growing phenomenon of internet predators that fabricate online identities. Through various mediums, the campaign will encourage internet users to be cautious when engaging in online relationships.
INTRODUCTION | 1
BACKGROUND According to Urban Dictionary, catfishing is defined as “the internet phenomenon of internet predators that fabricate online identities and entire social circles to trick people into emotional/romantic relationships (over a long period of time).”1 Coined by a 2010 documentary of the same name, catfishing refers to the act of internet predators fabricating fake online identities in order to get closer to people. The documentary is about an online romance that turned out to be predicated on a fictitious identity. The makers of the movie developed a spinoff reality show for MTV, also called “Catfish,” devoted to the same theme of duplicity in virtual relationships.
2 | INTRODUCTION
But why “catfish” in the first place? At the end of the documentary, there is an anecdote about how fishermen would place catfish in tanks filled with cod during shipments. The catfish kept the cod agile so their flesh wouldn’t waste away and become tasteless. By spinning this anecdote, the documentary suggested, “There are people who are catfish in life. And they keep you on your toes. They keep you guessing, they keep you thinking, they keep you fresh.”2 Often times, catfishing is triggered by one of the following: 1) boredom, 2) loneliness, 3) insecurity, or 4) revenge.3 And while there have been several crimes of catfishing (some more extreme than others), there is still no way to truly punish those who commit it.
This new online trend touches upon the even bigger subject of internet anonymity, as the growing tendency to trust strangers on the web has led to several cases of controversy. While internet anonymity has spurred an ongoing debate revolving around humans’ right to freedom of expression, this also raises the question of the consequences that come with this ultimate privilege to be private over the web.
CASE STUDIES
One of the more tamer examples of catfishing is the story behind Manti Te’o, a famous football linebacker. While playing football at Notre Dame, it was revealed that his girlfriend of nearly two years was the product of catfishing.4 In other words, she never existed.
A more tragic example would be the case of 13-year-old, Megan Meier, who died believing that somewhere in this world lived a boy named Josh Evans who hated her.For weeks, the two teenagers flirted online. Suddenly, Evans turned mean and began calling Meier names.
On a more extreme end of the spectrum for issues with catfishing, is the potential life threating danger that can come from it. There are many stories that have arisen from anonymous sites that end with homicides, specifically many that come from the popular site Craigslist.
Turns out, Te’o’s fake girlfriend was actually an old high school classmate who went by the name of Ronaiah Tuiasosopo. While Tuiasosopo claims that the scheme initially started as a prank, he admits to eventually developing feelings for Te’o. And while Te’o has since moved on from the incident, this example of catfishing has come to completely overshadow his impressive football career as fans continue to recall the infamous “Girlfriend Hoax.”
In his final message, Evans wrote, “The world would be a better place without you.”5 Meier was later found dead in her bedroom closet.
One such story is titled the “Craigslist Killer,” which talks about Miranda Barbour and her husband Elytte Barbour who had planned to slaughter two men through online ads offering fake female companionship.6 This is just one of many stories that exist from the dangers of seeking intimacy through the ambiguous internet, and can in extreme cases end in serious bodily harm or even death.
Six weeks after Meier’s death, her parents learned that Josh Evans never existed. In fact, Evans was an online character created by Lori Drew, the mother of Meier’s old friend who wanted to gain Meier’s trust and learn how she felt about her daughter.
INTRODUCTION | 3
NEED For decades, parents have taught their children to not talk to strangers. Yet, with the ongoing influence of the internet and media on today’s society, the dangers of associating with strangers are often desensitized and overlooked. Today, many individuals have a tendency to trust strangers on the web and may even engage in relationships primarily through the screen of their computers. There is a need to address the dangers of internet anonymity and to bring certain issues, such as catfishing, to light.
4 | INTRODUCTION
Though the Catfish documentary and series have been around for a while, it has not generated much attention. The series advises individuals to think before beginning an online relationship, but there are many shocking—and often hilarious— moments that take away from the severity of the issue. It is important to start acknowledging that catfishing has some deeper, darker roots.
TARGET AUDIENCE The target audience ranges from age 12–30, particularly Generation Y and Z (Millennials and Boomlets, respectively). Specific demographic qualities will include: computer owners (especially those with their own laptop/computer), individuals who utilize social media and the internet, as well as young, single adults interested in dating. Although studies show that females tend to use social media more than males, the Fish Bait campaign will not target a specific gender. Rather, it will utilize the fact that the internet is accessed by over two billion users worldwide, both male and female, and therefore should not focus on just one gender. In terms of location, the campaign will reach out to highly populated urban areas, particularly in North America. Targeting technology-driven cities would be highly effective because those populating the cities would most likely have access to computers and the internet. Examples of potential cities for the campaign would be San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York City.
Although this campaign targets a wide and eclectic audience, it will place a particular emphasis on two specific portions. The first includes the youngest portion of this audience—children who are both innocent and naive and who have been raised in a culture that is directly tied to the internet. Since they tend to be very trusting due to their naivety, the hope with this demographic is to inform them about the dangers of socializing with strangers online. The older demographic would be college students and slightly beyond, who are the major force getting involved with relationships online. By informing this portion of the audience, the plan is to reduce certain instances of catfishing simply by being aware of its consequences.
CAMPAIGN STRATEGY | 5
MARKET RESEARCH With catfishing being a fairly new trend in the online world, campaigns promoting its use are very scarce (if not nonexistent). However, a form of catfishing has been used as an unconvential form of advertisement. As part of their marketing campaign, Fox Entertainment—particularly “The Mindy Project”—has latched on to Tinder, a social media dating app for iPhone and Android users that has been gaining recent popularity.7 In a nutshell, Tinder shows you someone nearby based on your location & interests, and lets you anonymously “like or pass” on them. If someone happens to like you back, then Tinder makes an introduction and lets you chat within the app.
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Real people were surprised to find that a few people they ‘liked’ are not real, but fictitious characters from Fox’s prime time comedy, “The Mindy Project.” Once a user indicates interest, they’ll be sent an automated message to tune-in to “The Mindy Project” this Tuesday. By doing this, Fox Entertainment is utilizing native advertising, in which advertisers try to stand out by blending in. However, in the case of “The Mindy Project” and Tinder, many are beginning to question if certain lines were being crossed. Some claim that the brand runs the risk of being too aggressive—“sometimes it’s not just creepy, it’s falsifying identification almost.”8
COMPETITOR ANALYSIS Being a new phenomenon within the online world, the concept of catfishing is still fairly unknown by many. Because of this, there are practically no other competing campaigns that bring awareness to this new online trend. While there was the Mindy Project advertisement that utilized fake profiles on a dating phone application, this form of catfishing was used more for a comedic marketing strategy rather than a means of bringing awareness to an important issue. And as of now, there are no prominent campaigns that expose catfishing for the dangerous problem that it is.
The closest competitor that the FishBait campaign has would be the Catfish documentary and television series. While both prove to be very popular with our target audience, it also frames the catfishing issue in a way that we wish to avoid. The Catfish documentary and show both portray catfishing in a comedic light, as viewers often laugh at the victim of catfishing when they discover they have been catfished by a stranger. We also noted how viewers tend to resent those who are catfished rather than the people behind the catfishing, often crediting the victim’s misfortune as the result of being too naive.
While the FishBait campaign will aim to bring awareness to what catfishing is, it will also look into what it is like to become a victim of catfishing. In other words, it will stress that anyone can be catfished, not just those who seem gullible. By doing this, the campaign hopes to effectively reach its audience and make them more aware, mostly because one never knows who they are truly talking to online. They could very well be the next victim of a catfishing game.
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EXECUTION PLAN The FishBait campaign will entail several marketing possibilities from print to digital media, along with various promotional items. The campaign will draw inspiration from the word “catfish,” recognizing its significance in pop culture as well as its ability to draw people’s attention (due to being both a playful and bizarre term). Going off of this, the campaign’s theme will revolve around the concepts of fishing as well as traffic signage. While the fishing aspect allows the campaign to play with fishing terminology for advertisement purposes, the traffic signage aspect nods to the objective of raising awareness, more specifically, the goal of “warning” the target audience to be wary of the dangers of catfishing. To attract the specified target audience, the campaign will take an illustrative approach by utilizing vector-based images that reflect the theme of the campaign (i.e., caution signs, fish hooks, etc).
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In addition to vector-based images, the campaign will utilize photographs of individuals holding an iPad over their face to demonstrate internet anonymity. The photographs are intended to go beyond the illustrations by evoking more thought amongst the audience, while still maintaining the cohesiveness and consistency of the campaign. Also drawing inspiration from Fox Entertainment’s advertising strategies, the FishBait campaign also aims to bring awareness to catfishing by having the audience experience firsthand. The campaign will become most effective by actually “catfishing” the audience through seemingly harmless applications such as Tinder. This way, the Fish Bait campaign will display how easy it is to become a victim of catfishing and in turn, raise awareness for the issue through shock value. In other words, the campaign will ironically utilize the trend of catfishing to prevent catfishing.
This shock value strategy was chosen due to its ability to effectively leave a powerful message with its audience. After researching several other advertisements that used similar shock value strategies (several of them revolving around the issues of domestic violence and texting while driving), it became apparent that shocking the audience was an efficient way to “break through” the clutter of other competing campaigns, ultimately capturing attention in order to make a statement. But while this scare tactic proves to be successful in other campaigns, one challenge that will arise will be to shock the target audience in a way that is both memorable and tasteful.
BRAND IDENTITY The FishBait campaign name comes from fishing terminology, representing the bait a fisherman would cast out to sea in order to catch and reel in a fish. This act of casting out bait to attract potential fish is symbolic of what internet users do when they are online. Often enough, internet users may talk to strangers for entertainment purposes, thereby casting out their own “fish bait” for a potential catfish to bite. And while people may think they are safe from being catfished, they are still giving potential predators the opportunity to engage in the game of catfishing. Overall, it was decided that the FishBait name was short, simple, and memorable—all of which prove to be effective in a message campaign.
CAMPAIGN STRATEGY | 9
VISUAL IDENTITY The logo is intended to signify the dangers that online users may be putting themselves into by talking to strangers online. The hook represents the various users casting our their “fish bait” for potential online predators, and the arrow cursor represent the online predators. The logo signifies the online anonymity aspect and how catfishing takes place through the web, also representing how anyone on the web can simply “click” on your fish bait and form a dangerous catfishing connection with you.
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It was decided that the campaign would utilize a black and yellow color scheme. These are prominent colors in warning traffic signs, so it will be most effective in cautioning our audience of the dangers behind catfishing. However, this also presents the challenge of making the campaign aesthetic ring true of traffic signage rather than other things that have the same color scheme, such as a bumblebee. In addition to the logo, the FishBait campaign will also utilize this slogan in various visual elements: “You never know who’s going to bite.” This refers to the dangers of online anonymity and how anyone can pretend to be someone else behind a computer screen.
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PRINT MEDIA Print media will include billboards, bus shelters, standard posters, editorial spreads, brochures and postcards. The billboards, bus shelters and posters are designed to raise awareness for catfishing—prompting the audience to ask, “What is catfishing?” The editorials, brochures and postcards, on the other hand, are designed to educate the audience in an attempt to prevent them from becoming a victim of catfishing (or worse, becoming the catfish).
Billboards The billboards are designed to be seen at a distance by fast-moving vehicles. It will utilize minimal text and engaging photographs that reflect the campaign message. Bus Shelters The bus shelters will resemble the design of billboards, but will be in a vertical format. It will attempt to evoke more thought by allowing viewers to interact with the sign. Additionally, it will encourage viewers to visit the website.
Posters The posters will be displayed in most public areas, but primarily on campuses ranging from middle school to college. The posters will have different variations, from photographic to illustrative. It will attempt to raise awareness amongst the students. Brochures & Postcards Brochures and postcards are designed to educate the audience, featuring the spectrum of catfishing, types of catfish, and how to avoid being catfished. These mediums will be distributed for mainly educational purposes.
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PRINT MEDIA
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DIGITAL MEDIA Digital media will include an active website, videos, and various applications through social media websites. Digital media will allow for an easily accessible source of information.
Website The website will serve as the main source of information for the campaign. All print media will include the website. Applications To stand out, we must blend in. By incorporating our campaign into various social media applications (i.e., Twitter, Facebook, Tinder), we can connect with our audience through their means.
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PROMOTIONAL ITEMS Aside from the print and digital materials used to market the campaign, various promotional items will be produced to help raise awareness for the issue. Various marketing give-away items will include T-shirts, mousepads, phone cases, flash drives, stickers and pins. Since the campaign focuses on the main medium of technology and the internet, the campaign will strive to reach its audience through this means, hence the items related to computers.
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PROMOTIONAL ITEMS
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CAMPAIGN STRATEGY | 17
COSTS Item Billboard Bus Shelter Poster Flyer Brochure Website
Specifications 48’ x 14’ 47.5” x 68.5” 24” x 36” 4” x 6” 8.5” x 14” 100 GB
4-week period 4-week period 80 lb glossy 100 lb glossy 80 lb glossy 1 year period
Quantity 5 15 1,500 3,000 2,000 1
Unit Cost $1,500.00 $150.00 $1.20 $0.04 $0.15 $3.49/mo
Total Cost $7,500.00 $2,250.00 $1,801.95 $121.95 $301.95 $41.88
T-Shirt Flash drive Sticker Pin Mousepad Phone case
XS–XXXL 4 GB 2” x 3.5” 0.75” 7” x 8.75” 2.28” x 4.49”
Cotton Plastic 60 lb matte sticker Plastic 1/8” thick cloth Plastic
300 360 5,000 3,000 1,500 250
$7.80 $7.88 $0.04 $0.28 $1.02 $9.99
$2,340.00 $2,836.00 $186.95 $840.00 $1,530.00 $2,497.50 $22,248.18
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SUMMARY If successfully carried out, the FishBait campaign will demonstrate a decrease in the number of catfishing victims and those affected by online predators. However, this might be difficult to measure as many catfishing cases often go unreported. Nevertheless, this campaign will bring attention to the dangers of fostering online relationships with strangers, as users can never be truly sure about who they are talking to through the computer screen.
CONCLUSION | 19
SOURCES 1
Urban Dictionary: Catfish <urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=catfish>
2
Slate: Who Coined the Term Catfish? <slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2013/01/18 catfish_meaning_and_definition_term_for online_hoaxes_has_a_surprisingly.html>
3
Digital Trends: <digitaltrends.com/web/its-catfishing-season how-to-tell-lovers-from-liars-online-and-more/>
4
Boston Globe <bostonglobe.com/ideas/2013/01/27 catfish-how-manti-imaginary-romance-got-its-name/ inqu9zV8RQ7j19BRGQkH7H/story.html>
5
New York Times <topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics people/m/megan_meier/index.html>
6
New York Daily News <nydailynews.com/news/national/craigslist-killer miranda-barbour-claims-men-survived-death-trap article-1.1739570>
7
Huffington Post <huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/02/mindy project-tinder_n_4531625.html>
8
CNBC: Fox Push Limits of Native Advertising <cnbc.com/id/101396196>
9
<bluelinemedia.com> <nextdayflyers.com> <1stpads.com/sections/pricelist.php>
FISH B IT
AMIEL CHANOWITZ TAYLOR FULWILER CHINH TU DES 154 | SPRING 2014