Objectives

Thought leadership may inspire the world, but lives aren't changed through thought alone. It takes real action to alter the lives of communities and yield a measurable impact. Focusing on real action over thought alone is a pillar Salesforce.Org stands by, and it's what they were looking to leverage to stand out from their parent company's umbrella, Salesforce.com. They wanted to create a tentpole narrative and platform; that combines the pillars of philanthropy and "good business" and amplifies their message of capitalism for good. 

Strategy and Execution

If you want to get to the "real action, " you have to begin with the people on the ground–not at the top. And that's where Salesforce.Org and iHeartMedia started––focusing on the community leaders from the non-profit sectors like education and other disciplines. But that was only step one; to meet action with impact, we needed to highlight them and their efforts on a massive platform. 

iHeartMedia launched a new original podcast in partnership with Salesforce.Org that answered all of their core objectives––most notably the ability to create a brand-shifting narrative touchstone. Force Multiplier; Action Meets Impact was hosted by the cultural critic, futurist, and activist, Baratunde Thurston. At its core, the podcast is about changing the world, one relationship at a time, and inspiring current Salesforce.Org clients and general listeners to enact their plans of action. 

The podcast was consumable everywhere podcasts are available and accompanied by a microsite where listeners could learn more about their guests within each episode and dive into how their actions have created lasting impacts. 

Results

Force Multiplier was a massive success for Salesforce.Org, featuring 12 of their current clients, totaling over 514k downloads, and delivering over 49M+ impressions––far exceeding expectations. 

• Leveraged iHeartMedia's massive reach and experienced creators and Salesforce.org's trusted customer relationships to tell compelling and inspirational stories that spotlight the exponential impact we can have on the world by working together. We created an award-winning show that established a fan base setting the stage for more stories in season 2. 
• We highlighted over 12 Thought Leaders and C-suite executives from across the public, private and nonprofit sectors like Feeding America, Goodwill, Cal State University, Patagonia Provisions, Unicef of Switzerland and more. They all joined the conversation and shared how they are forging partnerships to tackle some of the toughest challenges facing us today.
• Tapped into a powerful storyteller with an already established fanbase in the CSR space for the host of the series. Baratunde Thurston is an Emmy-nominated host who has worked for The Onion, produced for The Daily Show, advised the Obama White House, and wrote the New York Times bestseller How To Be Black. He’s the executive producer and host of How To Citizen with Baratunde which Apple named one of its favorite podcasts of 2020. He has the seriousness of a journalist with the humor of a media personality. Baratunde was listed #2 on Rocket Social Impact’s Purpose Podcast Round-Up report, solidifying him as the perfect host for Force Multiplier.
• Force Multiplier also received the Icon Award for Social Impact.

Media