If you watched the Golden Globes this year, you probably saw the commercial of an unlikely advertiser — LinkedIn. Known as the silent player when it comes to marketing, LinkedIn released its first TV commercial in another showbiz platform — the Academy Awards — in 2016. That campaign positioned LinkedIn as the face of corporate professional networking. It’s been two years since then, and it looks like LinkedIn is ready for another shift in focus. This time to their audience with a new integrated marketing campaign and the question, “What are you in it for?”
LinkedIn: We’re #InItTogether
It’s no secret that LinkedIn connects with white-collar workers, attracting professionals in fields such as IT, financial, and software development. Meanwhile, there are millions of independent professionals in other areas like fitness, creative arts, and sciences. These professionals are active on Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat building their fan bases and are less aware of LinkedIn’s role.
LinkedIn kicked off its latest integrated marketing campaign with its commercial, “In It Together.” This Globes-debuted campaign intends to tell the story of “different versions of success.” As a 12-week integrated marketing campaign, In It Together is targeting Atlanta, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. We’ll determine the success of LinkedIn’s integrated campaign by studying activity in the target markets and professional subjects it’s targeting.
The video-rich campaign was shot in a raw, documentary format, showcasing professionals from a wide variety of fields, like nonprofits, culinary, martial arts, ranching and other self-employed creative professionals to join the platform and make most of the connectivity the brand offers.
Integrated Marketing Campaign
In true integrated spirit, LinkedIn rallied both online and offline platforms for its 12-week integrated campaign. Channels included digital, paid social, video, and outdoor, radio, podcasts, and SEM. It first introduced the campaign to its employees in November 2017. This is important because the teams work in sync towards the campaign goals and objectives. LinkedIn employees played an active role in choosing members to feature in the commercial. At the same time, LinkedIn also ran an internal campaign by creating a microsite for employees. The employee’s role was to share why they’re “in it.” This made them candidates to be featured in the campaign.
Apart from the employees, the company’s offices are physically participating in the campaign as well, featuring images of members with their reason to be “in it.”
The integrated marketing campaign touched all aspects of communications, both internally to staff and executives and externally to members and potential members. So far, this is one of the best integrated campaigns released in a while.
The goal of the integrated campaign was to reposition the offering of a company that is already undoubtedly the best professional networking site and shift focus to their audience. The efforts have been significant; now it’s time for the stats to speak for the success.
What did LinkedIn do well at, and what aspects could LinkedIn have executed better? After all, we’re all #InItTogether.