BID TO BE AN ILL-FATED CHARACTER IN GAME OF THRONES
The Challenge: Help Game of Thrones creator George RR Martin find just the right hook to get engage his millions of fans and get them to donate to his favorite charity.
The Solution: A gory death. We came up with the ultimate prize that drove thousands of fans to donate..and even several to bid on the Grand Prize: To be named in the Martin's next volume of Thrones. The contest garnered global media coverage, went viral on social media, and raised a bundle for charity. Here's how Mashable described it:
A gory death at the hands of Game of Thrones mastermind George R.R. Martin can be yours for the one-time price of $20,000. The death will, of course, be of the text-only variety.
The honor is reserved for a top-tier donor on Martin's Prizeo crowdfunding campaign, raising money to support the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary and Food Depot in Martin's adopted hometown of Santa Fe, New Mexico. The winner will choose their character's position in the fictional world (lordling, maester, peasant, whore, etc.) and meet a grisly death that could rival the Red Wedding. If you don't have $20,000 on hand, don't worry. Everyone who donates any amount is automatically entered to win a tour of the wolf sanctuary and take a helicopter ride with the author/murderer-of-all-hopes-and-dreams himself. Other donation tiers include signed maps of Westeros, show scripts and Martin's own hat. Martin and his wife, Parris McBride, have donated money and helped raise funds for the wolf sanctuary for several years. The sanctuary now houses more than 60 wolves and wolf-dogs, including a pack of nine named after the warring continent of Westeros featured in Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series. CONTINUE READING
FASHIONISM GIVES CASH BACK
The Challenge: Launch a completely few fashion retail brand in a crowded category and still make a big splash in the press, on social media, and with new customers.
The Solution: Place a story in the fashion world's most influential publication on Day One to put our client, Fashionism, and its founder on the map. Here's what WWD said: New online marketplace Fashionism.com is giving cash back to its customers via a percentage of the purchase or promotional codes. Anthony Khera, founder of the site and a former Ralph Lauren marketing executive, said the site “rewards those customers who would rather buy at full-price because they don’t want to wait months until there is a sale.” Khera said the site negotiates a commission rate with the brands it works with, and then passes a percentage back to its customers. While the average percentage off is 7 percent, it can range as high as 20 percent for certain inventories or categories that brands want to move out
The Challenge: Launch a completely few fashion retail brand in a crowded category and still make a big splash in the press, on social media, and with new customers.
The Solution: Place a story in the fashion world's most influential publication on Day One to put our client, Fashionism, and its founder on the map. Here's what WWD said: New online marketplace Fashionism.com is giving cash back to its customers via a percentage of the purchase or promotional codes. Anthony Khera, founder of the site and a former Ralph Lauren marketing executive, said the site “rewards those customers who would rather buy at full-price because they don’t want to wait months until there is a sale.” Khera said the site negotiates a commission rate with the brands it works with, and then passes a percentage back to its customers. While the average percentage off is 7 percent, it can range as high as 20 percent for certain inventories or categories that brands want to move out
PRIZEO REDFINES ONLINE CHARITABLE GIVING
The Challenge: Launch a hot new technology company that has devised a whole new way for charities and celebrities to collaborate for good causes.
The Solution: Position Prizeo as major innovators right out of the gate! Here's what The Wall Street Journal had to say:
With the launch of its U.S. site Thursday, Y Combinator graduate Prizeo puts an interesting twist on crowdfunding by selling digital raffle tickets for once-in-a-lifetime experiences with celebrities.
Fred Prouser/Reuters Actor Samuel L. Jackson, who worked with Prizeo to raise money for charity.
The company has raised $2.5 million in seed funding to scale its business globally. Battery Ventures led the financing, joined by William Morris Endeavor, Lady Gaga’s management agency Atom Factory, Edgar Bronfman, ZhenFund (Sequoia Capital’s seed fund in China), the former head of global sponsorships for Visa Michael Lynch, Scrum Ventures in Japan and several others. “We basically tried to find investment from people who understood what we were trying to do…and can help us make this a global phenomenon,” Chief Executive Bryan Baum said.
The West Hollywood startup enables celebrities to use the site to raise money from fans for charities they support. Unlike Indiegogo, Fundly and other crowdfunding platforms, Prizeo built its site specifically to help celebrities put their buzzworthiness and talents to good use. To entice big names, Prizeo recruits celebrities through their agencies, charities and brands they already work with on various philanthropic efforts. CONTINUE READING
The Challenge: Launch a hot new technology company that has devised a whole new way for charities and celebrities to collaborate for good causes.
The Solution: Position Prizeo as major innovators right out of the gate! Here's what The Wall Street Journal had to say:
With the launch of its U.S. site Thursday, Y Combinator graduate Prizeo puts an interesting twist on crowdfunding by selling digital raffle tickets for once-in-a-lifetime experiences with celebrities.
Fred Prouser/Reuters Actor Samuel L. Jackson, who worked with Prizeo to raise money for charity.
The company has raised $2.5 million in seed funding to scale its business globally. Battery Ventures led the financing, joined by William Morris Endeavor, Lady Gaga’s management agency Atom Factory, Edgar Bronfman, ZhenFund (Sequoia Capital’s seed fund in China), the former head of global sponsorships for Visa Michael Lynch, Scrum Ventures in Japan and several others. “We basically tried to find investment from people who understood what we were trying to do…and can help us make this a global phenomenon,” Chief Executive Bryan Baum said.
The West Hollywood startup enables celebrities to use the site to raise money from fans for charities they support. Unlike Indiegogo, Fundly and other crowdfunding platforms, Prizeo built its site specifically to help celebrities put their buzzworthiness and talents to good use. To entice big names, Prizeo recruits celebrities through their agencies, charities and brands they already work with on various philanthropic efforts. CONTINUE READING
Help Kristen Bell Support Invisible Children
The Challenge: Devise a social, digital and press campaign for Kristen Bell's Invisible Children Charity Campaign.
The Solution: Combine social engagement with great digital outreach and press strategy to kickoff the campaign. Here's what USA Today had to say:
Don't you love it when the Internet is used for good?
This week crowd-funding champ Kristen Bell launched a new kind of campaign — and it's one everyone can get behind, not just Veronica Mars fans. Similar to the campaign Samuel L. Jackson promoted a few weeks ago, Bell has teamed with Prizeo to raise money for Invisible Children. You can donate as little as $3 to be entered to win a "date" with Bell to this year's Fourth Estate Leadership Summit.
Two-on-two in LA
The Challenge: Create a campaign to raise awareness of the Gasol Foundation:
The Solution: Combine social media with traditional media to launch the project in a big way. Here's the LA Times had to say:
For a donation benefiting the Gasol Foundation, Pau and Marc Gasol are offering the chance to win a prize package that includes a game of two-on-two in Los Angeles. The grand prize winner (and a friend) will be flown to Los Angeles, provided accommodations and on Sept. 27, will get the chance to participate in a workout, followed by lunch, with the Gasols.
Kristen Bell Supports Invisible Children
The Challenge: Develop a large fundraising campaign around Kristen Bell's Support for Invisible Children
The Solution: Social and Traditional Media in a gamified program that drew thousands of engaged fans to donate. Here's the Huffington Post had to say: After the “Veronica Mars” Kickstarter campaign proved to be a smash hit, Kristen Bell has returned for a repeat charity performance. The sloth-loving actress is offering the chance to win a date with her by donating to a campaign that benefits Invisible Children. The nonprofit helps to rehabilitate children affected by the Lord’s Resistance Army and is working to put an end to the group’s atrocities. After handing over $3, fans will be eligible to be Bell’s plus one at the Fourth Leadership Summit in August –- an event that will address human rights issues while also featuring films, music and TED talks.
The Challenge: Develop a large fundraising campaign around Kristen Bell's Support for Invisible Children
The Solution: Social and Traditional Media in a gamified program that drew thousands of engaged fans to donate. Here's the Huffington Post had to say: After the “Veronica Mars” Kickstarter campaign proved to be a smash hit, Kristen Bell has returned for a repeat charity performance. The sloth-loving actress is offering the chance to win a date with her by donating to a campaign that benefits Invisible Children. The nonprofit helps to rehabilitate children affected by the Lord’s Resistance Army and is working to put an end to the group’s atrocities. After handing over $3, fans will be eligible to be Bell’s plus one at the Fourth Leadership Summit in August –- an event that will address human rights issues while also featuring films, music and TED talks.
Eric Greenberg, College Advisory Expert
The Challenge:
To design an effective media relations strategy to show case Mr. Greenberg's leading expertise as a college adviser, expert on college selection, and personal finance strategies for higher education.
Solution: Place Mr. Greenberg on major local and national broadcast outlets with appearances on WPIX, WNBC, and CNBC’s Closing Bell.
The Challenge:
To design an effective media relations strategy to show case Mr. Greenberg's leading expertise as a college adviser, expert on college selection, and personal finance strategies for higher education.
Solution: Place Mr. Greenberg on major local and national broadcast outlets with appearances on WPIX, WNBC, and CNBC’s Closing Bell.
Dr. David Kloth, Connecticut Pain Care
Solution: Branding Dr. Kloth as an advocate on prescription pain abuse and health care reform, resulting in multiple Fox News, Fox Business, CNN, MSNBC segments, an exclusive New York Times story, AP, Washington Post, Politico, The Hill, BuzzFeed, etc. Op-Eds on CNN.com, Huffington Post, among others.
Dr. David Kloth, Connecticut Pain Care
- Dr. Kloth, pain management specialist and advocate for curbing epidemic of prescription pain medicine abuse epidemic.
Solution: Branding Dr. Kloth as an advocate on prescription pain abuse and health care reform, resulting in multiple Fox News, Fox Business, CNN, MSNBC segments, an exclusive New York Times story, AP, Washington Post, Politico, The Hill, BuzzFeed, etc. Op-Eds on CNN.com, Huffington Post, among others.
The Challenge: To build a credible, and visual story worthy of a major network television consumer segment, for our client, leading podiatrist, Dr. Suzanne Levine.
Solution: Create sexy, yet serious shoe story using satisfied patients for ABC's Good Morning America:
- Dr. Suzanne Levine, podiatrist
The Challenge: To build a credible, and visual story worthy of a major network television consumer segment, for our client, leading podiatrist, Dr. Suzanne Levine.
Solution: Create sexy, yet serious shoe story using satisfied patients for ABC's Good Morning America:
Barry Sloane, Newtek Business Services
The Challenge: Create a pitch that would be viewed with requisite seriousness as a public policy issue by leading print and broadcast journalists, where the positioning had been viewed as far too self-promotional in the past.
Solution: Raina interviewed Barry, learning he had views about timely issues, from health care costs to small business growth challenges, which enabled us to brand him as a leading small business authority, which helped create a widely-used SBA Index. In addition, we provided vital media training that enabled him to talk about timely issues. Among interviews: CNBC, CNN, MSNBC, Bloomberg TV, Street.com, and he was on Fox News and Fox Business nearly a dozen times. Raina also initiated and closed a deal for the client to serve as a weekly Forbes contributor The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Washington Post, and others.
- Harley Lippman – Genesis10
The Challenge: To create opportunities for our client to offer expert commentary on complex business issues for a national and global business audience.
Solution: Design a sophisticated broadcast segment on the advantages of on-shoring on CNBC's "Street Signs" broadcast.