espnW is a voice for the woman who loves sports. Founded in July 2010, espnW lives across television, films, events, digital and social platforms. In 2013, espnW tasked NYC ad agency The Concept Farm to find a way to connect with their audience on a deeper digital level than ever before by building brand awareness and loyalty throughout the entire summer and beyond. The answer? 98 Days To Shine — an integrated social media campaign that challenged fans and athletes to shine all summer long, from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The campaign included daily photo challenges, motivational quotes, Do It Yourself projects and professional athlete integration. 98 unique photo-based challenges served as the core of the campaign, providing inspiration and motivation to document their journey — from workouts to athletic gear to favorite sports memories. Participants were encouraged to check out Twitter and Instagram for the daily challenge, snap their photo and tag it with #98DaysToShine. espnW's Facebook and Pinterest communities were used for additional amplification. Pro athletes, universities, teams brands and fitness enthusiasts alike took on the challenges. Daily winners were selected based on the user’s overall spirit of the contest, style and creativity. Winners earned W t-shirts and iPods and one-on-one Google+ hangouts with sponsoring pro athletes, including WNBA star Skylar Diggins and Olympic champions Summer Sanders and Kerri Walsh Jennings. The grand prize winner earned a VIP trip to NYC to attend the US Open after completing all 98 challenges. By Labor Day, W had winners representing 30 states and nearly 9,000 user generated photos on espnW.com. The hashtag #98DaysToShine reached over 17 million social users, increasing espnW’s social footprint by 24% on Twitter and 7,500% on Instagram. GOAL: Develop an integrated social campaign that connects the espnW brand with fans on a deeper level than ever before. Build brand awareness and loyalty through 98 days of challenges and content that empowers fans to shine and gets them engaging with espnW throughout the entire summer and beyond. CONCEPT: The summer is always too short, but this year there’s a way to make every day count. #98DaysToShine will inspire, motivate and challenge women to show us what they’re made of as we put them in the spotlight all summer long. CAMPAIGN DATES: May 27 - September 2, 2013 RESULTS: • By Labor Day, W exceeded expectations with 98 winners representing 30 states and nearly 9,000 user generated photos on espnW.com • The hashtag #98DaysToShine reached over 17 million social users • Increased espnW’s social footprint by +24% on Twitter and +7,592% on Instagram • Instagram Likes on @espnW #98DaysToShine photos: 19,925 • Instagram Comments on @espnW #98DaysToShine photos: 847 NOTEWORTHY INFLUENCERS/PARTICIPANTS: @JeanetteJenkins (Top celebrity trainer): 261K followers @the_healthy_me: (Fitness enthusiast) 64K followers @USA_Volleyball (Official team account): 55K followers @SarahSpain (espnW writer): 44K followers @SummerSanders_ (pro athlete): 41K followers @ASAUSASoftball (Official USA softball team): 40K followers @jessmendoza (pro athlete): 37K followers @JulieFoudy (pro athlete): 34K followers @VarsityUpdates (Varsity Brands): 30K followers @ggboxing (Golden Girl Promotions): 28K followers espnW celebrated the success of 98 Days To Shine with a finale event in New York City, hosted by top female pro athletes. Hundreds of the best photo submissions lined the gallery walls. A screening for guests of the hit original film series "Nine for IX" included a Q&A with Olympic gold medalist and "99ers" team captain Julie Foudy, bringing the 98 days of hard work to a close. Most importantly, the 98 Days To Shine campaign established a unique connection with the target, creating an army of new espnW loyalists who continue to amplify the brand well beyond the Summer of W.
Demo gallery link: http://client.conceptfarm.com/98daystoshine/
