#WorldsToughestJob Media Strategy

American Greetings Cardstore decided in the Fall of 2013 that it would take its traditional marketing budget and go online instead. This was the beginning of the cards company’s journey in digital media. For Mother’s Day it offered a unique job opportunity to over 15 million viewers and 12 people applied to the job posting.

Aside from the video being posted on all of the brand’s social media sites, it was also viewed on popular media like ABC’s Good Morning America, NBC’s Today Show, and Fox News Fox & Friends. In addition to news, talk shows like The Ellen Show were also one of the video’s biggest contributors when it came to adding fame. Both online and off, this brand was gaining viewership.

Social media and television go hand in hand because they both have a common goal to generate trending news.  When something is creating a buzz online, it usually ends up on your television screen and vice versa. This is great for branding; you get the best of both worlds if you work to get your video noticed. Which American Greetings’ Cardstore.com did just this– and it worked.

American Greetings launched the video on popular social media sites. The brand first uploaded the video on YouTube, then pasted the link on the companies’  Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Google+ and their personal blog. Social media can be easily accessed and is a quick way to post to the public. The more the public knows about you the more likely well-known media will too. This also allows viewers to interact with you and it gives them some distinction of who you are.  Always make sure that the video is bringing the viewer back to your site and that you are giving them the opportunity to share it by providing “social sharing buttons”.

American Greetings used humor and tears to attract a target audience that was broad enough to include anyone who has a mom (and can afford a monthly subscription for the companies’ services). The campaign ran one month prior to Mother’s Day, reminding the target audience to send their mothers cards.

The video was so well received and viewed, that American Greetings added it to the online e-card choices to send to mom’s on mother’s day. I would consider that a success.