How Campbell’s and GSK’s multi-platform campaigns achieved authentic audience responses

Quality content is always a must for marketers, no matter the format, channel or campaign. However, several factors must be considered when the marketing team ventures into video.

For example, key challenges vary from deciding whether talent is a good fit to crafting messaging that will resonate throughout an entire campaign, managing how all those pieces fit together and determining which content will work best on which channel.

By approaching campaigns with a digital-forward, multi-platform mindset, marketers can develop campaigns that resonate with their target audience no matter where they appear. They can lean into the messaging style that fits whatever format is used, leverage the talent that fits the brand/messaging and lean on partners for additional resources.

Campbell’s leveraged Lifetime to deliver diverse, inclusive and emotional storytelling

Last holiday season, Campbell’s had a story to share to reflect and resonate with diverse families coming together to share holiday meals. However, Campbell’s needed to find talent to authentically bring the story to life and ensure the campaign messaging appeared in the right places.

Campbell’s worked with Lifetime, collaborating with Best Buddies, for a heartwarming, engaging and deeply personal campaign that truly connected with audiences. While the campaign spanned numerous activations, the spotlight was the extended commercial, ‘Spoonful of Joy,’ inspired by a mother’s love for her autistic son and dedicated to children everywhere who find confidence, connection and joy through cooking.

Maura O’Donovan, vice president of partnerships production at A+E, worked with Campbell’s to create a shortlist of talent her team had previously worked with or knew would resonate with Campbell’s consumers. For example, Buddy Valastro and Tatyana Ali jumpstarted the campaign with TikToks featuring holiday recipes using Campbell’s products — telling the story in a way that uniquely appealed to TikTok viewers.

“Tailoring the creative to the platform is something that A+E strives for with these multi-platform campaigns to engage those audiences with the right creative that will resonate for them on that platform — something all marketers should consider,” said O’Donovan.

Furthermore, emotional content often must tread a fine line between what will resonate with consumers of different types and backgrounds.

“We brought in partners — Best Buddies, Positive Pathways of NJ and Diversability — to help make that story authentic, as we were initially fearful when talking about neurodiverse stories and what the general audience would say,” O’Donovan said. “But we saw instant reactions of positivity with so many parents relating to it because we told something to both the head and the heart that worked across a wide variety of groups and demographics.”

The campaign delivered on key messaging: Campbell’s Soup helps make meals with ingredients on hand, it’s a relevant brand and people are proud to use it. Over 9-in-10 respondents appreciated the diverse, inclusive and authentic storytelling with increased unaided brand awareness by 69 points.

GSK used a raw storytelling approach to raise awareness

While GSK was newer to focusing on more digital campaigns, it had an important message to convey to the public. So, GSK sought expertise to find an audience that resonated with its message.

To spread awareness around GSK’s Ask2BSure meningitis initiative, it sought out A+E to build a diverse, custom, creative partnership across digital, social and linear footprints. The campaign educated audiences while telling real stories about parents’ experiences with teens with meningitis B. The digital-first initiative featured Lifetime’s Melissa Joan Hart and Ask2BSure’s spokesperson, Soleil Moon Frye, across inspiring, raw and educational stories for audiences to learn more about meningitis B.

“Our audience profile fit well with the GSK target,” said Becky Miller, senior director of ad sales research at A+E. “We knew they were targeting women who are parents to teens and college-aged children, which is exactly who we have at Lifetime. Plus, 86% of those women agree it’s important to follow the vaccination schedule for children recommended by the CDC. So, all those factors contributed to why GSK chose Lifetime and felt confident that this was the right place for its campaign.”

The team developed a staggered, multi-platform campaign that began on a dedicated digital hub, then moved to several other digital and social channels and platforms before finally leading to linear. Viewers exposed to the campaign on only one platform produced a significant, double-digit brand lift, and this was even higher when viewers were exposed to the campaign on two or more platforms. Additionally, the campaign produced strong emotional reactions from viewers, prompting action and discussion around the meningitis B vaccine, and brand awareness for GSK increased by 24 points.

Putting it into action: Identifying the right partner

Leading with multi-platform creative ideas helps marketers develop campaigns that will resonate with audiences regardless of the platform on which they appear. Miller and O’Donovan also offered several other tips for creating campaigns.

“Campaigns that include A+E talent perform over 20% higher on key brand metrics,” said Miller. “So, that’s 20% higher on awareness, favorability and likelihood to recommend with our viewers — and it’s approximately 14% higher on purchase consideration. We know that talent-led creative works for us and we have proof based on those results.”

So, by leaning on a partner who can offer talent and help produce talent-led campaigns across multiple platforms, marketers can create more impactful campaigns and utilize resources they otherwise wouldn’t have access to.

“Make sure the partner has access to talent that will work with your brands and who you can actually work with,” O’Donovan said. “Find a transparent and personal partner who will be there for you and give you all the information they have. Make sure the team producing it is there to provide that white-glove customer service — like we do at A+E.”

Marketers are engaging in multi-platform campaigns with video at the center and finding great success by focusing on storytelling first. By crafting authentic, emotional stories that resonate with audiences and finding the best formats to support those, marketers are securing a trustworthy spot with their audiences.