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PFLAG mobilizes radio ads via Shazam to deepen engagement

New ads for nonprofit Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays use mobile to make the spots interactive, enabling listeners to hear part of a story on the radio and easily link to a video on their mobile device that tells the end of the story.

The first Shazam-enabled radio spots shares the testimonial of a gay woman facing a crisis. During any point in the message, listeners can use the Shazam application to identify the ad and be redirected to a mobile site to view the full video that reveals the conclusion of the woman?s story.

?The stories in these spots are all deeply personal, and they each end with a cliffhanger,? said Robin Heisey, chief creative officer of Draftfcb, Toronto. ?Both aspects make them perfect for mobile ? the mobile device is so personal ? and it is with you everywhere, so it brings an immediacy that the cliffhanger ending really takes advantage of.
 
?Mobile also allows us to tag the content using the Shazam app ? a lot of people think Shazam is only about identifying music, but it works with any audio content ? in this case, spoken word testimonials that has a deeper, richer mobile experience attached to it,? he said.

QR codes drive traffic
Links in the creative direct users to a mobile optimized campaign Web site, stories.pflagcanada.ca, which showcases 14 different real people sharing their own stories and encouraging viewers to support their loved ones who are gay.

Viewers are also asked to upload their own stories and connect to videos created by their friends and family as a way to help grow the campaign.

Three different radio executions will roll out over the next few weeks.

The ongoing multichannel campaign was originally launched last year by Draftfcb Canada.

Mobile activation has played a key role in the campaign from the beginning, with print ads that have provocative headlines terminating in a prominently placed QR code. Similarly to the radio spot, the print ads use mobile to bridge offline and mobile media by encouraging smartphone users to scan the QR code to hear the featured person?s story.

To date, the QR codes have proven to be a significant driver for the campaign.

?QR codes have generated 24 percent of the traffic to the site ? a pretty impressive number when you consider typical usage is around 2 percent,? Mr. Heisey said. ?And the scans are coming from various mediums. Television accounts for the majority followed by posters and then magazines.

?Based on the media placement, it would appear that the QR codes are working across all target audiences and giving consumers a fast, user-friendly way to interact with the content,? she said.

Instant connection
The integrated campaign is running in Canada and includes TV, newspaper, magazines, out-of-home and online.

The goal of the effort is to not only raise PFLAG?s profile and raise money but to encourage people dealing with issues of sexuality to come to meetings.

The organization also wants to reach out to younger people who are coming to terms with their sexuality. This is why it decided to incorporate mobile into its marketing for the first time.

?Depending on the target and category, mobile can be a valuable component for any nonprofit or brand,? Mr. Heisey said.

?With a charity like PFLAG, where we are trying to provide support and guidance, mobile is an obvious fit and it just needed the right creative to create impact,? he said.

?For nonprofits that have a simple call to action, to donate, to support, to contact a helpline, including mobile offers an instant connection with the content that consumers need.?