Ibotta - Best Media Relations Campaign

Company: Ibotta, Denver, CO
Entry Submitted By: Barokas Communications
Company Description: Ibotta, Inc. is a free-to-use shopping platform that delivers cash rewards to its users for making purchases at leading brands and retail partners in-store, on mobile apps or via websites.
Nomination Category: Corporate Communications, Investor Relations, & Public Relations Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Communications or PR Campaign of the Year - Media Relations

Nomination Title: Ibotta Employs Multi-Pronged Media Relations Strategy to Drive Widespread Awareness of Free Thanksgiving Dinner Program

Specify the date on which this campaign or program was launched: October 29, 2020

Ibotta’s largest campaign to-date was coupled with the greatest financial need facing Americans in decades. With this in mind, Barokas began preparation in July 2020 - four months prior to the campaign launch - in order to meet Ibotta’s goals of driving mass awareness of the program through coast-to-coast media/influencer coverage and feeding millions of Americans before Thanksgiving. That said, due to the sheer scale of the giveaway and lack of existing benchmarks for a campaign of its size, Ibotta opted against setting specific coverage goals -- the sky was the limit.

In an effort to drive as much media exposure as possible, Barokas compiled a robust media kit full of compelling material and visuals, giving reporters ample fodder for coverage beyond the singular giveaway. Outreach was rooted in Ibotta’s wealth of consumer insights and shopping data, highlighting findings such as the most/least popular Thanksgiving side dishes, average amount spent on Thanksgiving dinner, etc. Barokas also partnered with Ibotta on a supplemental survey, providing further insight into consumers’ plans and behaviors over Thanksgiving. The resulting findings served as quick write-ups for the press during a busy media season. Barokas then worked with Ibotta to create a shareable infographic as an accompanying visual for stories. Outreach began under embargo two weeks prior to launch day, giving media time to put together day-of coverage and work data into planned holiday reporting. Barokas also offered to provide Thanksgiving dinners to interested news stations, so reporters could get a feel for the giveaway.

Leaving no media relations stone unturned, Barokas spearheaded a series of PR-focused initiatives, including development of a comprehensive media announcement distributed on launch day; embargoed press outreach to national broadcast, business, consumer, trade, and local media; as well as planning and coordination of a series of influencer activations leading up to the campaign and Thanksgiving Day. Additionally, to supplement earned media outreach, Barokas proactively secured several paid media opportunities -- a virtual roundtable with Meredith Publications that allowed Ibotta’s CEO facetime with the editorial teams of well-known lifestyle brands and encouraged coverage from publications historically out of Ibotta’s reach, along with segments on two different syndicated daytime shows with a Tampa Bay NBC affiliate, helping to amplify local market media coverage.

During one of the toughest years on record, Ibotta developed its ‘Free Thanksgiving Dinner’ program as another tentpole in a series of new features and programs designed to help put more cash back in consumers’ pockets at a time when they needed it most. In fact, more than 34 percent of Ibotta’s users (‘Savers’) were either laid off or had their hours reduced as a result of the economic downturn. In response, the campaign was created to help consumers save money heading into a potentially stressful holiday season, while also addressing the food insecurity issue in America. According to Feeding America, more than 50 million people may not have enough to eat, a number that only continues to grow during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

To ensure Americans across the country could enjoy a delicious holiday dinner without the financial burden, Ibotta partnered with well-known brands, including Walmart, Coca-Cola, Campbell’s and Butterball to provide households with a free Thanksgiving meal to feed a family of five. The offer was available to both new and existing Ibotta Savers through Ibotta’s app and its newly launched browser extension. In addition to the giveaway, Ibotta also donated $15,000 to Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization to help provide food to families in need during the holiday season. Ibotta then tasked Barokas with building buzz and driving widespread media coverage around the program to boost brand awareness and redemptions of the special cash back offer among new and existing Savers.

Attached you'll find the press release, infographic, data and visuals referred to throughout the submission. A coverage report with detailed media results has also been included.