Chicago-based TV station WGN America was looking to boost ratings with a younger audience. Although it refreshed its content with shows such as “South Park" and ‘Entourage," its ratings were lagging. Story’s challenge was to drive offline behavior—namely, tune-in—by developing engaged online communities. Story approached WGN America with a focused plan to use the power of social media—with Facebook, Twitter and YouTube playing crucial roles—to drive viewership to a single show: “How I Met Your Mother." Story proposed a three-stage campaign to grow ratings and amass awareness with an efficient and flexible use of hypertargeted media and engaging content focused on empowering the show’s “SuperFans," which would help the content spread to the traditional and casual fans.FACEBOOK - http://fb.me/MeetAtMacLarens The “Meet at MacLaren’s" Facebook Page is a thriving hub of content and conversations . The audience-management efforts have earned total engagement rates of 10 percent to 20 percent on any given day—unheralded compared with many well-known brands that earn less than 1 percent. For International Suit Up Day—a fan-created holiday centered on one of “How I Met Your Mother’s" biggest inside jokes—Story championed a social celebration by asking fans to submit photos of themselves in a suit - http://j.mp/VLh7CQ. For a Thanksgiving-themed HIMYM marathon on WGN America, considerable buzz and user content was generated on Facebook during the days leading up to the on-air event. A Best Slapsgiving Memes photo-album feature used a popular type of content on the page (show-related meme photos) for an album continually updated with new fan-created images - http://j.mp/124aYam. TWITTER - http://j.mp/115A3l5 Besides being a hotbed of conversation about all aspects of the program, the @MeetAtMacLarens Twitter account has amplified WGN America broadcasts by engaging with rabid fans in real-time, on both coasts, while episodes are in progress. To date the account boasts over 103,000 fans. @MeetAtMacLarens also dominates the discussion at peak hours—when new episodes air on CBS. By not limiting the page’s purview strictly to WGNA’s schedule, the handle serves a higher purpose and, in the process, emboldens the WGN America brand’s authority to publish. YOUTUBE - http://j.mp/14p9cPP The show’s biggest SuperFans were recruited to help create and spread great show-related content. For How I Met Your Mother, this included getting them together at the pub that inspired the show to engage in a roundtable discussion about their favorite moments from the program. We also produced content inspired by the program at various other show-related locations around New York City, all viewable at the Meet at MacLaren’s YouTube page. RESULTS - More than 1,947,000 Likes and 100,000 followers in less than 24 months. - More than 280 photos were received and utilized in compelling on-air television spots and posted in a comprehensive Facebook album. - The Best Slapsgiving Memes photo album netted a total combined engagement of 33,000+ Likes, 400+ comments and 7,000 shares across 41 photos. - The Thanksgiving Day “Happy Slapsgiving" post received 61,734 Likes, 382 comments and 13,088 shares—by far the page’s most successful post ever.
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/meetatmaclarens Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/meetatmaclarens YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/meetatmaclarens
