In public relations, it can be easy to get lost in the block-and-tackle programmatic elements of the job; upcoming announcements, pitch schedules, endless award deadlines, reporting… the list goes on and on. It requires organization, attention to detail and discipline, as all of these things are essential when it comes to achieving results for clients. At Voxus, we try to inject originality into even the most basic PR and social activity; whenever possible, we also flex our creative muscles to come up with imaginative ideas for new PR and social media campaigns – on top of our day-to-day programs.
We brainstorm fun, compelling, unconventional ideas. Some might even be moonshots that a client will almost surely reject. The point is, we actively take a step back from the norm, think outside the box, and throw mud at the wall to see what sticks.
The trouble is, some of the best ideas can require tons of extra time, effort and resources from the client and the agency. As many PR pros know, countless would-be game-changing concepts never see the light of day because of time and budget constraints.
But, what happens when a client is actually willing to take risks, invest time and go all in on unconventional campaign ideas?
Let’s take a look at WatchGuard Technologies. In late 2016, our team developed a handful of creative ideas for WatchGuard as potential quarterly PR and social media campaigns. One of our favorite concepts was a fun social media video series designed to parody Jimmy Fallon’s Thank You Notes bit. As a leader in advanced network security solutions, WatchGuard’s Thank You Notes couldn’t be based on any old topic. We worked with WatchGuard’s subject matter experts to develop a series of relateable, sarcastic and punny one-lines about the information security industry.
The resulting video series speaks for itself:
The overwhelmingly positive feedback and engagement WatchGuard has received for its Thank You Notes series is proof of what happens when creative ideas meet the willingness and ability to execute.
You can brainstorm 20 outstanding ideas, but they’re not worth anything unless your clients believe in them enough to work with you to bring those concepts to life.
Do you have that type of agency / client relationship?