Our Work
Reader’s Digest Prop My Photo
Background
In 2008, media stalwart Reader’s Digest approached Buddy Media with a daunting task: update the image of the periodical by increasing web presence and brand awareness amongst the predominantly young audience of Facebook users. While Reader’s Digest was a ubiquitous name in the 20th Century, the majority of young social networkers had no awareness of the brand or its history. Buddy Media tackled the job and promised an engaging app-vertisement designed to deliver social brand advocates who evangelize the brand through frequent activity on the Facebook Reader’s Digest Prop My Photo application.
Objectives
- Introduce the Reader’s Digest brand to an audience of young Facebook users
- Develop an engaging photo editing app-vertisement designed to attract repeat visits
- Create a photo contest intended to spread the application socially, while providing a platform for a dynamic interface that allows Reader’s Digest to change contest themes monthly
- Deliver a loyal audience of social brand advocates by driving unique visitors to the Reader’s Digest Prop My Photo application
Solution
Buddy Media designed the Reader’s Digest Prop My Photo Facebook app-vertisement to reach a wide audience of social networkers with content and functionality that is both engaging and social. A simple drag and drop UI allows users to decorate their personal photographs with a variety of images including costumes, accessories, and editable text speech balloons. Users can send their creative work to friends or submit their ‘propped’ photos to Reader’s Digest’s themed monthly photo contests. Users are encouraged to return to the application often to vote for their favorite photos, empowering them to make an impact on the social media driven contest.
In addition to the development of the app-vertisement, Buddy Media spread the brand’s message across the social graph through a highly targeted Facebook marketing campaign that pinpointed users within Reader’s Digest’s desired audience demographic. Buddy Media overdelivered on RD’s engagement goal and the application continues its consistent accumulation of loyal users every day. As a result of Reader’s Digest’s increased web presence, its audience of new brand advocates has steadily grown to include thousands of younger users who might have remained oblivious to the RD brand and its unique collection of content.
