Pro Motion Manages CNN Experiential Marketing Tour, Black In America
Posted on Thu, Apr 01, 2010
In 2008, CNN developed a groundbreaking analysis of the experience of being black in America with a two-night series hosted by reporter Soledad O’Brien. It was a risky move for the cable network – other broadcast news organizations had tried and been widely criticized for their analysis of the African-American experience. However, in an interview O’Brien gave prior to airing, “We were compelled to put into context a lot of the stories about race that we cover daily, but to give them more time and more thought.”
Part one of the documentary focused on the black woman and family, exploring the reasons behind the rising rates of single parenthood, the gap between black and white students in schools, and the ravages of HIV/AIDS on the black family. It also reported on black women in the workplace, the university experience and the black middle class.
In part two, focused entirely on black men, the series delved into issues regarding fatherhood, education, workplace and economic status, as well as rising incarceration rates. But the series wasn’t entirely negative – it also documented the many achievements of black men and the strengths of black fathers in the family unit, including many facts and stories that typically are underreported in the mainstream media.
With an innovative program such as this, CNN wanted to reach out to the African-American community in advance, not only to encourage them to watch, but also to create an ongoing conversation about race to foster greater understanding. CNN charged field marketing experts Pro Motion, Inc., with creating an effective and culturally appropriate outreach program. Having already worked with Pro Motion since 2006 on the highly successful Election Express Yourself Tour, the organizations knew they collaborated well on field marketing efforts.
The Solution
Pro Motion put their creative team to work and developed a “road show” tour, complete with a stage, giant LED screen, computers and CNN.com iReport kiosks. With a Pro Motion field team providing on-site production, the tour traveled to eight historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) across the country, meeting more than 11,500 students from schools including Florida A&M University, Spelman College and Howard University. The students were drawn to the varied opportunities the road show provided them to express their opinions on being black in America. Through iReport, students were able to upload their personal experiences through video, audio, photo or text submissions, with winners at each school receiving production booth with select responses shown on CNN.com.
Live DJs, spoken word contests and step shows at each stop drew large crowds, and the graffiti wall and text-message polling proved extremely popular. CNN teamed up with Essence magazine and Opinion Research Corporation to develop an electronic poll on a variety of issues, and computer kiosks gave students ample opportunities to provide their opinions.
The Results
Pro Motion’s creative tour outreach helped CNN reach new highs in viewership. CNN was extremely pleased with its exceptionally strong ratings for the “Black in America” series. The series averaged 2.1 million viewers for part one and actually rose to average 2.6 million viewers for part two. Compared with viewership for the same time period in 2007, CNN saw a 64 percent increase in total viewers and a whopping 124 percent increase in the key 25-to-54 year-old demographic. The series also helped CNN beat Fox, usually the ratings winner, during the two-night run. In fact, the program was so popular that in 2009, CNN produced “Black in America 2.” Pro Motion President Steve Randazzo said of the experience, “We understand that a brand can’t simply apply the same rules from one cultural group to another and hope to maintain brand integrity, especially when you’re engaging people face-to-face. It was an honor for Pro Motion to put our multicultural experience to work on such a groundbreaking program for CNN.”
Photos
http://www.flickr.com/photos/promotioninc/sets/72157623875825033
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