Experience Design + Creative Strategy
IPG Media Labs + Sony + Kik + One Direction
Shortly into my work exchange at the IPG Medialab, I was brought into a brainstorm with the Director of Partnerships, who was looking for a way to monetize a great idea: a One Direction Kik page. Kik's user base - preteens, predominately girls - overlapped heavily with 1D's fanbase. Sony was an IPG Medialab partner, and they were looking for a way to promote the band's upcoming album.
But how could we turn enthusiasm into profit? I suggested a group-unlock model. Boy band fans are crazy about any personal/'secret' information they can get about the members, and they're a strong community. What if every time "directioners" hit a quota of albums, we released a piece of exclusive content? 1,000 albums bought through Kik might unlock baby pictures, 10,000 a tour of the band's bus, etc.
1 Million installs, 3 Million page visits and a Smarties award later, DIGIDAY lauded the group-unlock mechanism as "a particularly clever promotional twist... nothing like getting an incentivized fangirl to do your marketing for free."