Company: The Thomas Collective, New York, NY, U.S.A.
Company Description: The Thomas Collective is a consumer product marketing communications firm. Founded by Pamela Thomas in 2005, the agency is best known for their Green Room approach: a proprietary creative process that uses right-brain creativity and left-brain strategic thinking to develop campaigns. The firm specializes in public relations, new media, special events, brand development and visual communications.
Nomination Category: Communications & Marketing Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Communications or PR Campaign of the Year - Marketing - Consumer Products

Nomination Title: Sleep Pink

In up to 525 words, tell the judges about the nominated campaign: its genesis, development, planning, commission, and performance to date:

Estroven, a portfolio of all-natural menopause relief products, tasked The Thomas Collective (TTC) with developing a communications campaign to help re-launch their Nighttime product, formulated to relieve hot flashes and night sweats. The brand asked that the campaign create product awareness with the target and include programming to build retailer relationships.

Since Nighttime was a re-launch—as opposed to a new product—TTC knew the solution needed to create context for the product. The third quarter re-launch proved opportune, as the timing provided a means to not only create awareness of the new product, but also support a cause important to the target.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and TTC recognized that menopause-aged women represent a large segment of breast cancer sufferers, with a woman’s risk of breast cancer tripling from her thirties to her forties, and quintupling from her thirties to fifties. By addressing this risk and bringing menopause-aged women together, Estroven could build an organic network of evangelists while supporting a good cause.

This sparked the creation of Sleep Pink, an initiative inviting women to raise funds for breast cancer research by “Sleeping Pink” and throwing pink-themed parties in October. The program raised awareness of Estroven Nighttime by bringing menopause sufferers together for sleepover-style parties, while reinforcing the brand’s commitment to women’s wellness through the charity component.

To encourage participation, TTC partnered with the Avon Foundation for Women, a non-profit organization which funds breast cancer research and access to care. For every party photo submitted to Estroven’s Facebook page, Estroven made a $100 donation to the Avon Foundation. TTC developed a microsite to house information for Sleep Pink parties, including downloadable invitations, menopause-friendly drink and food recipes, as well as décor and entertainment ideas.

With a limited budget, every channel of communication was leveraged, including promotions via an interactive sweepstakes, robust social media programming and an independently produced television segment that ran on major cable networks to create a call to action for Sleep Pink parties. Sleep Pink-themed retail displays with product offers were used to create visible programming at Walgreens stores nationwide and specially marked Estroven packages were available at other retail outlets.

To generate digital buzz for the campaign, TTC partnered with 40+ female lifestyle bloggers who wrote about their own pink pajama parties. Estroven also challenged television anchors to wear bright pink robes during their broadcasts—fodder to discuss the initiative—in exchange for donations made to Avon. Twelve television personalities participated in markets from Chicago to Baltimore, helping to create awareness and drive traffic to the website.

While the program garnered over 73 million media impressions for the product, it also created engagement for consumers, increasing unique visitor engagement on Estroven’s Facebook page. Importantly, the initiative drove sales: the Estroven portfolio increased 123% at Walgreens nationally during the month of October and built relationships with key retail customers.

Finally, Sleep Pink created relevancy for the menopausal target, initiating conversations on prevention, and creating communities celebrating survivors of the disease. The initiative is now moving into its second year, and both Estroven and TTC are working to grow support of the foundation’s mission.

Provide a brief biography of the person or persons who lead the team that created and carried out the nominated communications campaign (up to 125 words):

Pamela Thomas, president of The Thomas Collective, is responsible for overseeing brand strategy for the firm’s companies. She served as a consultant for two federal agencies before joining one of the largest independent PR agencies in New York City as senior vice president; during her ten-year tenure there, she oversaw multiple award-winning campaigns for mature and emerging brands.

Thomas has executed campaigns in 12 countries, including the creation of a tropical reef internship, the world’s first in-flight fashion show, hosted 50 radio DJs in Dublin for St. Patrick’s Day, and put television broadcasters in skirts for charity.

She is an advocate of discovery, a passion she shares with her daughters. She resides in Brooklyn, NY, where she can be found planning her family’s next adventure.