The North Face and Polartec Leverage Social Net for 'Eco Champion' Campaign
Contest encourages people to vote through their social networks.
In a joint online campaign created and managed by social media marketer Brickfish, The North Face and Polartec are asking people to submit, and distribute, videos or blogs “showcasing” environmental activists they believe deserve special recognition.
The grand-prize winner of the “Eco Champion” campaign will receive a $1,000 gift certificate to The North Face online store and a $15,000 donation to the environmental cause they choose. The North Face and Polartec will also provide donations to green groups designated by the second- and third-place finishers.
The campaign’s call-to-action for people to submit nominees is just the beginning of a process by which the nominated win votes from the public, said Brickfish Director of Social Media Becky Carroll. “Basically, what is providing the social media piece is the Brickfish platform, which allows viral sharing of content across the Internet,” Carroll said. She said the platform gives participants the tools to share their nominations via sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
Brickfish, with its “viral map” technology, shows how many views the content received at each location across the social Web, “as well as how many people ended up voting for it,” said Carroll. “Winners are chosen based on the viral impact.” Carroll said the system sends a message to those who submit entries encouraging them to share their entries through social network sites. “We give them information on how to get it automatically posted on another Web site, such as links to Twitter it… Any single vote across the social net will count.”
By using the Brickfish platform The North Face and Polartec will get viral distribution of their message and they will also be able to identify “brand evangelists,” said Carroll.
The campaign organizers will pick 25 finalists from the Round One nominees. These will advance to the second round for the final winner selections. Round one of the “Eco Champion” campaign ends March 25. Round two is expected to begin April 15 and end May 13.
