Organization: BlogHer
Campaign: Reach Out
PR Team: Racepoint Group
Launch: October 11
Budget: Undisclosed
Objective: Online women's network BlogHer is planning a six-city “Reach Out” tour to expand the number of its bloggers and boost brand awareness. Starting in Boston on October 11, the tour plans to stop in Washington, DC; Nashville, TN; Greensboro, NC; Atlanta; and New Orleans by October 25. It will host one-day blogging workshops that highlight the benefits of women blogging and being part of an online community.
“We've quantified that we would like to have a couple hundred people in each city, local and national sponsors, and a nice mix of beginning and experienced bloggers,” said BlogHer COO Elisa Camahort Page. “We are also [targeting] student groups to reach a younger demographic.”
Idea: Most of BlogHer's annual conferences have taken place in the Bay Area, with the exception of one in Chicago in 2007. The organization is seeking to involve aspiring bloggers in other parts of the country. “It's more about bringing BlogHer out to community members who find that the annual conference is more of a stretch,” said Camahort Page. BlogHer picked the cities for the 2008 tour in part because of the response to community polling.
Tools: The campaign targets bloggers of different experience levels by operating three separate tracks during the events. The tour features a “blogging basics” program for inexperienced bloggers, an all-day “geek lab” for experienced bloggers, and a custom track featuring city-specific programs for attendees.
Measurement: BlogHer will measure the success of the road show by the number of bloggers attending and the number of sponsors it attracts.
