13: Launch! msnbc.com’s First-Ever Branding Campaign
- Page ID
- 24316
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- 13.1: Chapter Introduction
- This page outlines the launch of msnbc.com's inaugural branding campaign on April 2, 2007, highlighting the "Fuller Spectrum of News" theme. It details the extensive planning by the SS+K agency and serves as a portfolio of the campaign's various executions across TV, print, and online media, marking a significant milestone for the network.
- 13.2: msnbc.com - A Campaing Portfolio
- This page describes a campaign to enhance msnbc.com's brand image using various strategies, including traditional media and innovative methods like an in-cinema game. The campaign was managed with a status chart for coordination and tracking progress. It began by focusing on logo development as a key element of the branding strategy.
- 13.3: Logo
- This page details the rebranding of msnbc.com, focusing on a new logo that improves its online appeal. The campaign strategy involved teamwork from Danielle, Katie, Catherine, and Gina Stikes, utilizing a press release and an exclusive Wall Street Journal interview to maximize visibility and generate excitement around the launch.
- 13.4: Print
- This page details SS+K's media strategy focusing on print ads to reach the News Explorer audience. It highlights the design of visually appealing ads that align with magazine editorial content and the role of Media Kitchen in securing one-third-page vertical placements. The approach aims to boost reader engagement and brand messaging through cohesive integration of advertising and editorial elements.
- 13.5: TV
- This page discusses a television spot that was vital for launching a campaign targeting the News Explorer, presenting a "fuller spectrum of news." Television is highlighted as effective for broad audience reach despite media fragmentation. The campaign featured tailored creative materials, including the thirty-second “Spectrum” anthem and two ten-second spots, “Spectrum Rain” and “Spectrum Wall,” which illustrated the spectrum concept and functioned as online video prerolls.
- 13.6: Online Banners
- This page details an online campaign designed to engage audiences through interactive banners with the theme "Dive In. Swim Around." Various formats like "Subdivide," "Page Flip," "Helix," and "Keywords" featured unique animations and interactions. Banners were placed on prominent websites including ESPN and The Weather Channel. After an intensive launch, the campaign evolved, introducing lasting marketing elements that have remained accessible on msnbc.com since its launch in April 2007.
- 13.7: Screensaver
- This page discusses the NewsSkimmer screensaver, which displays customizable live RSS headlines from msnbc.com during computer idle time. It highlights the collaboration between SS+K and BEAM Interactive in creating promotional banners for the product. Additionally, it mentions a video featuring insights from Amit Nizan, Matt Ferrin, and Sam Mazur regarding NewsSkimmer.
- 13.8: NewsBreaker Game
- This page describes the creation of "NewsBreaker," a game by SS+K and Fuel Industries targeting casual gamers in the News Explorers demographic. Modeled on a classic "brick breaker," it allows players to gather news stories and engage with msnbc.com content. The page emphasizes the campaign's novel strategy of balancing risk and marketing objectives, as msnbc.com sought to assert its leadership in technological engagement amid uncertain audience responses.
- 13.9: NewsBreaker Live
- This page discusses the conclusion of a campaign in June that introduced NewsBreaker Live, an interactive cinema game launched in Los Angeles. It later expanded to other cities and allowed audience interaction through arm movements to control the screen. Developed by SS+K and the Brand Experience Lab, the campaign aimed to reinforce brand messaging through media buys. Ongoing public relations efforts, led by Danielle Tracy with support from Katie O’Kane, focused on promoting the msnbc.
- 13.10: E-mail Blast
- This page discusses an e-mail blast by SS+K aimed at New Yorker readers to promote the NewsBreaker Live event in White Plains, New York. It highlights the added-value campaign linked to print advertising, encouraging recipients to visit a specific URL for more engagement.
- 13.11: Spectrum Home Page
- This page covers the "Spectrum Page" on msnbc.com, highlighting it as a central hub for the campaign with access to TV spots, NewsSkimmer downloads, and games. It also includes a detailed timeline of the collaboration between SS+K and msnbc.com, from the initial pitch to the launch of their first branding campaign.