Writer’s note: This is the first post of a new weekly post, Snaps To:. I will highlight a marketing, advertising, social media, or PR campaign that I find particularly intriguing and stand-out.
For years National Geographic has developed a reputation for being a magazine featuring breathtaking photos and insights into the natural and cultural world. In trying to educate the public about the beauty of the world around them, National Geographic has been trying to inspire people to engage with the world around them.
Recently, National Geographic launched a new campaign called Frame What Matters. Similar to other photo sharing campaigns done by Kodak and Nikon, Frame What Matters relies on consumer participation in order to thrive. According to the website, “For 125 years, National Geographic has been framing what matters, opening a window onto an amazing world with a simple yellow border. Now we invite you to frame what matters. Together we’ll create an evolving snapshot of what matters to the world, and perhaps a renewed appreciation for the planet that supports so many of the things we love.”
In order to participate, consumers must print out a page with a yellow frame on it, cut the frame out, and “frame what matters” to them. They can then upload the picture to Instagram and Twitter using the hashtag #framewhatmatters and any description they want. The picture is then featured on the campaign website.
I want to give snaps to National Geographic. I am all about content creation and consumer engagement (in case you haven’t gotten that from my posts yet). This is a great way to get loyal customers and potential readers involved in an easy, fun way that utilizes social media and individualizes the consumer and what’s important to them. To me, successful marketing is all about how it makes the consumer feel and the resulting response to that feeling. National Geographic has found a way to take advantage of that in a campaign that’s relevant to their brand. I’m excited to see where this campaign goes. What will you frame that matters to you?
