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VOLUME 43 | ISSUE 5 | SEPT/OCT 2024
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2024 MCA AWARDS

The Wildcards Campaign: A Bold Leap into Brand Awareness

Best of Show

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By Molly Dall'Erta
COLUMN
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From left to right: Wendy Simmons, Principal Marketing Strategist, and Allison Tivnon, Pursuit Strategist, with Middle of Six located in Tacoma, Washington, proudly showcase their 3 MCA Award of Excellence trophies and the 2024 SMPS MCA Best of Show award for Middle of Six’s Brand Awareness Campaign entry entitled “The Wildcards Campaign” they received during the MCA ceremony which took place at Amplify A|E|C in Salt Lake City on July 25, 2024.
What marketer hasn’t spent time around the watercooler commiserating about a colleague who wrote a novel’s worth of content for a half-page of space in a proposal? Or the outlaw staffer who ducks out of every interview rehearsal only to reappear day-of–overly confident in their ability to ‘wing it’? We’ve all worked with folks who unknowingly make the process of procurement a wild ride to the finish line. Through The Wildcards creative campaign, the team at Middle of Six landed on an outlet for some well-earned belly laughs and collective empathy.
In this multi-pronged, mixed-media campaign that straddles the real world and online realm, Middle of Six embarked on a mission to set The Wildcards free. Through irreverent illustrations and on-the-nose descriptions, they developed a mix of print media and online content—all carefully timed to enter the market after a period of ‘Coming Soon’ build-up. As their metrics show, the response and return on investment far exceeded expectations. These little AEC industry darlings will live forever online and appear on beverage coasters now settled in conference rooms across the country. And in doing that, Middle of Six accomplished exactly what they set out to do: raise their company’s brand awareness, call out behaviors that can disrupt efforts to win the shortlist, and do so with humor and an acknowledgment that under a deadline, we’re all a little wild.

The campaign unfolded in three distinct phases: hype building (pre-campaign launch), launch, and maintain (post-launch). Beginning with a clever pre-launch teaser, the team carefully built anticipation before rolling out the full campaign, ensuring that every aspect was perfectly timed and executed.

The Wildcards Campaign utilized a mix of print and digital strategies to reach AEC professionals across the nation. The centerpiece of this initiative was a series of irreverent illustrations that humorously depicted common disruptive behaviors in the workplace. These illustrations were featured on coasters—180+ sets delivered to marketers nationwide—serving not just as conversation starters but as tools to address serious issues in a lighthearted manner.

In addition to the print materials, a dedicated webpage hosted engaging content, including an embedded video, and social media platforms became vibrant avenues for interaction. With 11 strategic posts on social media, Middle of Six harnessed the power of influencer marketing, collaborating with AEC marketers to amplify their reach and engagement.
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The Wildcards Campaign had a clear marketing objective: to boost brand recognition and market share by demonstrating excellence in design, messaging, digital marketing, and social media prowess. With a budget of $5k and 1,000 staff hours dedicated to concept, messaging, design, and execution, the campaign aimed to make a lasting impact.
Market research played a crucial role in shaping the campaign. A focus group of AEC marketers was assembled to solicit real-time responses to key elements of the campaign. They then fine-tuned their social media messaging and leveraged their input using ‘influencer marketing’, equipping them with content for their own social media channels.
The target audience was composed of AEC marketers, technical staff, and leadership. The audience disciplines were broken down by the following: 20% architectural firms, 35% engineering firms, 35% general contractors, and 10% AEC-related contacts.
Cloaked in humor, the Wildcards served as both an educational tool and a vehicle for brand messaging. They help teams explore a sensitive subject—disruptive behaviors that can adversely affect proposals and interviews—in a lighthearted, productive way. The messaging resonated well, highlighting the delicate balance between humor and seriousness, which ultimately contributed to its effectiveness.
They help teams explore a sensitive subject—disruptive behaviors that can adversely affect proposals and interviews—in a lighthearted, productive way.
The results of the Wildcards Campaign were nothing short of spectacular. Metrics across all platforms showed significant growth. During the two-month period surrounding the campaign, LinkedIn content impressions surged by 300%, while content reposts skyrocketed by 1,150%. The follower growth on LinkedIn was equally impressive, with an increase of 106%.
Instagram also saw substantial engagement, with a 12.9% rise in content reactions and a remarkable 72% increase in content impressions. Meanwhile, website analytics reflected a 33.5% growth in unique visitors and a 4% boost in average session duration, indicating that the campaign successfully drew interest and kept audiences engaged.
By combining creativity with insight, Middle of Six has set a new benchmark for mixed-media marketing, proving that sometimes, a little humor can go a long way in fostering connection and understanding.
MOLLY DALL’ERTA, is Director of Member Recognition and Programs with SMPS HQ. She supports the recognition of SMPS members, chapters, and firms for their achievements and excellence in A/E/C marketing and business development.
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