5 Successful Digital PR Campaigns and Why They Worked

In the last couple of years, a lot has happened in the digital PR industry. With so much competition, agencies have to constantly look for new ways to create unique campaigns that stand out amongst the crowd.

Now more than ever, we realise that consumers pay attention to the story behind the brand, which is why offering PR services is so important. With our help, discover five successful digital PR campaigns and find out what made them so great.

Netflix + CO2 emissions

CO2 emissions typically isn’t a particularly attractive topic. But when you combine it with Netflix, you get a spectacular PR campaign. That is exactly what in 2020, digital PR agency Reboot did. They launched an online campaign for an energy supplier information site that showcased how to use data creatively.

The inspiration behind the campaign was a piece of statistic the team had found. It turns out streaming a video for 30 minutes can create CO2 emissions of 0,2 kilograms. Of course, using statistics to create a compelling story is always a challenge, but Reboot managed to do it.

The digital PR agency calculated how much CO2 was emitted for all kinds of Netflix series and made an interesting visualisation to showcase the result.

There are many reasons why the digital PR strategy became a success. Since it was the start of the pandemic and the UK was going into lockdown, it was clear that people would binge-watch Netflix more than before. Of course, using a big brand in a campaign (like Netflix) always do wonders too. When you pair it with green living, it is a story that is almost irresistible.

Guinness Clear

To have a successful PR campaign, you don’t always have to promote your brand directly. An excellent example is the ‘Guinness Clear’ campaign, which was created in 2019. Surprisingly, the famous beer company encouraged its consumers to hydrate and drink Guinness Clear (aka tap water).

The campaign was launched in head of the Six Nations rugby championship and became a success because it showed care about their customer’s wellbeing. Guinness managed to get positive reactions and boost their brand’s awareness without directly promoting their product.

The Cadbury Worldwide Hide

Another unique example of a digital PR strategy is the Cadbury Worldwide Hide campaign, which was launched in 2021. The previous year was all about COVID-19, so brands had to figure out how to create campaigns that work in strange circumstances.

As Easter was approaching, Cadbury created a virtual experience where users could purchase a real Cadbury Easter Egg and then hide it somewhere in Google Maps. After choosing a location, the person could send the recipient a personalised clue. If the recipient found the egg, they got a real chocolate egg delivered to their home.

The goal of the fun easter campaign was to create an experience that could be shared with loved ones even if being together physically isn’t possible.

One week before Easter Sunday, the company had sold out all the chocolate eggs. The campaign worked so well because it enabled moments of human connection at a time when physically it was impossible.

McDonald’s ‘Famous Orders’

People are curious. That is why Instagram is such a success – we love to peek into the lives of others. In 2020, McDonald’s launched a campaign based on this phenomenon. ‘Famous Orders’ showcased personalised orders from rapper Travis Scott and artist J Balvin.

Later on, in 2021, the campaign continued with other celebrities like Mariah Carey, Saweetie, and pop band BTS and became a huge success. After all – everyone has a go-to McDonald’s order, and it is fun to find out what is the favourite of celebrities.

But the campaign didn’t stop there. It evolved even more. McDonald’s now offers celebrity signature orders for customers all over the world. That means you can literally taste the favourite meal of your idol.

Adobe – Create What’s True To You

Is there anything Billie Eilish can’t sell? Probably not. The PR team of Adobe certainly knows it. So in 2021, the company paired up with the famous singer to plan a campaign that focuses on creating. The goal of the project was to grow brand awareness for the Adobe Creative Cloud, which allows users to subscribe to many of the company’s services for photography, video editing, graphic design, and web development.

Adobe had once already launched a campaign with Billie Eilish, which turned out to be a huge success, so the idea was to replicate it and gain a similar result, which was achieved.

The campaign was targeted at young creators, so it made sense to use Billie Eilish – someone who is also you and creative. What made the project interesting is the fact her music video for Happier Than Ever was also made with Adobe Creative Cloud.

Furthermore, Billie Eilish directed the video herself. So in a way, Adobe showed that anyone could have the same tools as the world’s biggest celebrities.

What made Adobe’s campaign so successful is that it offered unique selling points. Their products are accessible to everyone. Whether you are a young student or a superstar like Billie Eilish, you can achieve great results.

Furthermore, their target audience was approached by somebody who speaks the same language. This, of course, can secure the best results.

Conclusion

It is clear that digital PR as a marketing tool is here to stay. Since it is constantly evolving, digital PR agencies have to be on their toes, finding unique ways to promote their clients. A good PR strategy can make all the difference between you and your competitors. By using Digital PR services, your company gets to shine in a new way.

Perhaps your business is the next to be on this list?