As the exclusive launch partner of INSTANT -- Time Inc.'s new video platform dedicated entirely to social media celebrities known as "the new famous" -- Degree Women tapped the editorial brand to conceptualize and produce a six-month series of native and branded videos that increased awareness among millennial "Movers" that Degree was the brand to fit their active lifestyles.
Recognizing the value of INSTANT's fresh storytelling lens, social-first distribution, and unprecedented talent relationships, Degree Women seized the opportunity to reinvigorate current consumers while also reaching new audiences through aspirational and motivational content that encouraged millennial women to keep moving and #SeizetheMotion.
To increase awareness and brand affinity of Degree among millennial women, INSTANT and Time Inc. devised a multi-platform, cross-media campaign that incorporated the following:
-15+ fitness/movement-focused digital stars
-135 bite-sized videos that lived on Instant.me, INSTANT's social channels, and the influencers' social channels
-Event activation at Vidcon 2016
-Inclusion in the People and Entertainment Weekly editor's letters
-Touts, featured articles, and a homepage takeover on People.com
Using INSTANT's launch as a catapult for the #SeizetheMotion campaign, Degree Women was a co-sponsor of the People, Entertainment Weekly, and INSTANT Interview Stage at Vidcon 2016, which featured three days of interviews with the biggest names in digital and social media.
To reach millennial women with varied backgrounds and passions, INSTANT produced a wide assortment of movement and fitness-focused bite-sized branded and native series including:
-Dance Off: Pro dancers taught fans full routines over the course of one week
-Fit Club: Celeb trainer Jen Widerstrom (of The Biggest Loser fame) inspired fans to try a new fitness move every day for two months
-YOLO Challenge: You only live once, so seize the day and try it all. Stars were faced with adventure challenges of a lifetime
-My Motion Diary: Spend a day in the life of "__". This series revealed your favorite influencers' days in three stunning parts
Featured talent included:
Celebrity trainer Jen Widerstrom, synchronized swimmer and Britney Spears backup dancer Deirdre Barnes, Dancer and The Amazing Race winner Dana Alexa, Dancing With the Stars pros Emma Slater and Lindsay Arnold Cusick, actress and dance Rachele Brooke Smith, dancer KK Harris, pro skaters Amy West and Michelle Steilen, surfers Sage Erickson and Tia Lye Blanco, and professional rock climber Sasha Diguilian.
INSTANT and Time Inc.'s superior storytelling abilities, unique talent relationships, and distribution at scale were the secret sauce in making Degree Women's #SeizetheMotion campaign unique.
With more than 45 million total videos, Degree Women and INSTANT's #SeizetheMotion campaign was a success. More importantly, the content reached the target demographic (U.S. domestic women, ages 18-34) and resonated with its audience – the digital stars saw an average engagement rate of 14% on their posts (compared to the 2% and <1% average on Instagram and Facebook/Twitter, respectively). In addition, INSTANT's social posts saw a 4% average engagement rate across Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter – nearly 10x the media industry standard.
To measure brand awareness and affinity, Degree Women and INSTANT tasked MetrixLabs to run a third-party study. Highlights included:
•Consumers are more likely to buy Degree because of the content they saw on INSTANT
•Degree non-users think the content is informative and there is a good fit between the content and the Degree brand
•Even a single branded ad exposure helps keep Degree top of mind for Degree non-users
•Exposure to "Dance Off," "Fit Club" and "Yolo Challenge" is associated with lifts in overall opinion of Degree
•Exposure to "Fit Club" and "My Motion Diary" is associated with stronger brand interest and brand consideration based on the Degree-related content
