From its inception, Dow was defined by innovation. Founded by Herbert Henry Dow 125 years ago, the company quickly became an industry leader in producing chemicals, including phenol and indigo dye. After diversifying its focus, Dow would go on to develop essential products like Styrofoam, automobile pistons and even Saran Wrap. And that legacy lives on today. With R&D expertise in everything from appliances to automobiles, food packaging to fiber optics, Dow is continually transforming how people live, work and connect with one another.
We celebrated this history—as well as the innovation still to come in the company’s next 125 years—with an immersive, video-driven experience that spotlights the engine of this ingenuity: Dow’s employees.
Ultimately, we set out to achieve three primary goals: shine a spotlight on Dow’s 125-year legacy of innovation; educate our audience about the company’s transformational R&D that continues today and into the future; and produce poignant, cinematic and journalistic video profiles.
The release comprised nine video profiles, all within a single digital experience. Combining a 1-2 minute doc-style video with snackable written content, each profile was designed to introduce our audience to a different employee from one of Dow’s diverse markets, touching on their role, motivations and approach to innovation. The experience is interactive, allowing users to seamlessly move among different profiles.
The production process for the content was robust. We conceived, shot, scripted, edited and published all the video profiles across three different locations around the world in just a few months. The majority of these videos had to be finalized for a specific date to coincide with the anniversary, so there was no room for production delays.
The final product was a showpiece for these narrative videos. Yet, taken together, the content experience offered a narrative that is more than the sum of its parts. The videos—and the digital hub that hosts them—work holistically to paint a portrait of Dow’s diverse contributions to material science innovation.
The videos and digital experience were promoted across the WSJ network, as well as on YouTube and Twitter in order to meet WSJ readers where they are most likely to engage with video content. Promotions were targeted toward Senior BDMs and those interested in relevant topics such as impactful leadership. The series was promoted from May 2022 through December 2022 and significantly outperformed benchmarks across key KPIs such as page views (1210% of the contracted goal), video views (420% to the contracted goal), and video completion rate (14% above benchmark). Put simply, the experience has resonated deeply with our audience, offering not only an education on Dow’s track record as a scientific leader, but also a broader lens through which to understand the process and possibilities of innovation.
