Good Amplified promotional video, still
NEW YORK – Despite being host to the first session of ad:tech New York 2016’s second day Nov. 3, a Good Amplified executive’s audience was not too tired to hear the ways in which brands can leverage social media for good.
Amber J. Lawson, who is CEO of the YouTube multi-channel network that exclusively caters to non-profits, delivered her "Spotlight on Social Good: Building Effective Social Good Campaigns" seminar to a near full-house of marketers interested in building authentic social good campaigns. In turn, Ms. Lawson’s seminar proceeded to hold court on the main tenets of social good in the social media space, and how brands should navigate social media to create an authentic initiative.
“Which make your nonprofit, and your influencers, and your goals all happy,” Ms. Lawson said.
Social good
Much of the seminar focused on the importance of authenticity in marketing social good, especially to millennials, which Ms. Lawson’s agency has extensive experience in.
For brands looking to participate in social good campaigns, the creative process begins like any other campaign: with strategy. Lawson suggests brands to stand for something they can own, something that is intimately connected with the product or services the brand provides.
She also suggested staying ahead of over brands in the space, and to become a catalyst for long term, sustainable change in one focus area. In concentrating in one area, the brand’s likelihood in achieving measurable impact is increased, which then sets up a foundation for future campaigns and an overall legacy for the brand.
And, guidance that is sure to excite marketers and non-profits alike, Ms. Lawson counseled that, yes, the major step will be to unite business purposes with societal impact.
Case study
In terms of actions steps brands can take, Ms. Lawson advised on native influencer campaigns that exude authenticity. The focus on social good, especially when the campaign is fully integrated, exponentially increases engagement with millennials, according to Ms. Lawson.
Content from the #DonateTheBars initiative
To illustrate this, Ms. Lawson pointed to the #DonateTheBars campaign put on by South by Southwest, in which influencers “donated” the black penumbrae that appeared when mobile users recorded with their phones turned horizontally. The bars would show messages dedicated to three non-profits.
One influencer who participated was Monica Church, a YouTuber with more than 1 million subscribers, who participated on behalf of the Bob Woodruff Foundation for military veteran support.
“With a normal video, you usually have one to two percent engagement,” Ms. Lawson said. “With this video, they had 14 to 15 percent engagement.”
Monica Church also participated
At its conclusion, Ms. Lawson’s presentation proved not only the efficacy of social media as a tool to empower actual change, but also the shifting priorities of younger generations as millennials grow older and shun the negligence and apathy of generations previous.
“What do you want to integrate into your business that would make a difference?” Ms. Lawson said. “And, at the end of the day, let’s go out and do good things!”