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Company: M:7 Agency, Beaver, PA
Company Description: M:7 is a digital PR and marketing firm that uses a modern-day, full-service outlook. Built for leaders who are ready to win, the firm provides an omni-channel approach offering clients integrated and innovative solutions. By developing cutting-edge strategies, 1-OAK creatives and powerful narratives, M:7 enables clients to stand out from the white noise with our nationally recognized campaigns.
Nomination Category: Marketing Campaign Categories - Industry
Nomination Sub Category: Marketing Campaign of the Year - Education & Training
 Nomination Title: Allegheny Intermediate Unit Recruitment Campaign
- If you are providing written answers to the questions for this category, you must answer this first question: Specify the date on which this campaign or program was launched:
Jan. 24, 2022
- Which will you submit for this nomination, a video of up to five (5) minutes in length about the nominated campaign or program, OR written answers to the questions for this category? CHOOSE ONE:
Written answers to the questions
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the nominated video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video.
- If you are providing written answers to the questions for this category, you must answer this second question: Describe the genesis of the nominated campaign or program: the reasons it was initiated, the challenges it was created to address, the problems it was developed to solve, etc. (up to 250 words):
Total 116 words used.
In late summer 2021, M:7 partnered with the Allegheny Intermediate Unit (AIU) to launch a marketing campaign to encourage a wider, more diverse pool of candidates to apply for a series of educational support positions at their early-childhood education facilities. Their facilities serve many children with special needs and, in some cases, communities with predominantly low-income families.
Traditionally, these positions have lower pay and require a lot of work and dedication. The organization struggled to fill these positions with qualified candidates and to have a diverse pool to choose from. At a time where the facilities were regularly having to shut down due to staffing shortages, time was of the essence to increase recruitment efforts.
- If you are providing written answers to the questions for this category, you must answer this third question: Describe the development of the campaign or program: the planning process, the goal setting, the creative and media development, the scheduling, etc. (up to 250 words):
Total 209 words used.
The M:7 team held two virtual onboarding sessions with the AIU team to understand the organization’s new strategic plan and to evaluate all marketable assets that could be used in the campaign. With a budget of approximately $150,000, the campaign initially was intended to have three mediums: television commercial, billboard and bus wrap advertisements. However, with M:7’s consultation and strategy, M:7 advised the AIU to focus on developing a 30 and 60 second commercial and creating a series of high-impression billboards. The bus routes would not reach the target audience and wouldn’t be the best use of funds.
Through a storyboard session, M:7 proposed basing the campaign around a nugget of conversation that developed in the onboarding phase. An AIU leader mentioned the nature of the work these educational support personnel perform, and shared a story about how one paraprofessional taught a child who struggled with expression to say “I love you” to their mother. That vignette inspired M:7’s creative team to construct a script and storyboard to share this story as a motivator to encourage education professionals to apply for these positions. The ensuing commercial that was created inspired the billboard design, using some of the most compelling visuals from the shoot.
- If you are providing written answers to the questions for this category, you must answer this fourth question: Outline the activities and concrete results of this campaign or program since the beginning of 2020. Even if your initiative started before 2020, limit your response to activities and results since the beginning of 2020 only (up to 250 words):
Total 158 words used.
Following all consultations, M:7’s visual team undertook a three day photo shoot and one day of filming. Those visuals were parlayed into a 30 second commercial, a 60 second commercial and a 4-week billboard campaign.
The commercials performed extremely well. Between Jan. 24, 2022 and Feb. 20, 2022, the spots appeared on 24 networks, and were targeted towards the following demographics: ‘Women with Children under 18,’ ‘Young City Solos,’ ‘Promising Families,’ ‘College Degree / Grad School Degree,’ and ‘Parents with Children.’ In total, there were 722,687 impressions served and 649,399 completed views. On average, each member of the target audience saw the commercial 4 times. Following the commercial airing, there were 1,208 immediate visitors for a total of 5,020 visits to the AIU website. About 26% of visitors proceeded to the application page. The four-week billboard campaign resulted in just shy of 1 million weekly impressions over four locations.
- You have the option to reference here any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
Total 27 words used.
In addition to the commercial and billboard design, we are submitting our creative brief developed for the AIU, our billboard proposal and analytic reports for the commercials.
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