Objective:
- Build a mobile subscriber list
- Engage viewers before they leave the theater
- Get people to click through to sign a petition
- Stop the slaughtering of more than 20,000 dolphins and porpoises in Japan
Technology Solution:
TakePart and Participant Media selected Waterfall Mobile's Msgme platform to power the mobile campaign for “The Cove.”
The Msgme platform empowers carriers, brands, agencies and technology companies to manage digital messaging and subscribers across mobile and social channels, including SMS, MMS, mobile apps, voice, Facebook and Twitter. Msgme enhances these channels by coupling seamless integration of mobile web, video, coupons and QR codes, with direct targeting tools such as location, demographic and user preferences.
With help from Waterfall Mobile, TakePart and Participant leveraged the power of Msgme to create a broad-based mobile subscriber list and widely distribute news and information about “The Cove” with ease.
When viewers of the film texted in to the short code (“text DOLPHIN to 44144”) they joined the mobile subscriber list. After opting in to the list, texters were sent a message with a link to sign a petition to shut down “The Cove,” which was later sent to President Obama and the Japanese Ambassador to the U.S., Ichiro Fujisaki.
Campaign Results:
The mobile subscriber list was then used to keep people engaged with the cause in the race to shut down the cove.
The campaign experienced a remarkable conversion rate during the first weekend of domestic release, with a nine percent opt-in rate of moviegoers texting DOLPHIN to 44144 after seeing the message on screen. This is an unusually high conversion rate for an opt-in program.
Additionally, 29 percent of those who subscribed also clicked through on the reply text to the petition supporting the closing of the cove.
While in theaters, the documentary continued to motivate nearly one in ten activists to turn on, text in and speak out against the slaughter of dolphins in a Japanese village during its closing credits.
TakePart and Participant Media added tens of thousands of mobile subscribers to its mobile list from “The Cove”’s first week in theaters through the recent release of the DVD. As more and more people watched the documentary on DVD and heard awards season buzz, the number of mobile subscribers continued to grow.
Oscar Night & Beyond
On March 7, 2010, “The Cove” won the Oscar for Best Documentary at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards. When their names were called, the filmmakers brought a sign with them to the stage that read “Text DOLPHIN to 44144.” “The Cove” subject Ric O’Barry briefly lifted the sign while director Louie Psihoyos was giving his acceptance speech.
Although the sign was only onscreen for a few seconds before the Oscar telecast producers cut away, a new phase of the mobile campaign had begun – one that further demonstrated the unifying power of mobile marketing.
After an initial spike in text-ins to the “Cove” list, new subscriptions grew substantially during the hours after the Oscar telecast. This was due to an impromptu grassroots digital activism campaign that took root on Twitter and other social media platforms. Seizing on the fact that the Oscar telecast had cut away from the sign – and cut off Mr. Psihoyos’ acceptance speech – citizen activists tweeted and re-tweeted variations on the phrase “Text DOLPHIN to 44144” to spread the message of “The Cove.”
In the days that followed, “Text DOLPHIN to 44144” received tens of thousands of tweets, retweets, Facebook mentions, blog posts and mainstream media stories. Even Ellen Degeneres tweeted about it from @TheEllenShow, setting off a new round of subscriptions from her 4.3MM followers.
Within days of the televised broadcast, subscribers to “The Cove” mobile marketing list had nearly doubled – a +88% increase. Seizing the opportunity, on March 10th, a message was sent to subscribers pointing to Louie Psihoyos’ speech he would have delivered if he had time. Nearly 8% clicked through to watch the YouTube video.
The visibility surrounding “The Cove” has put continued pressure on Japan, and the Oscar win has brought international scrutiny to the issue.
“The Cove” was the first time TakePart and Participant have so prominently featured a mobile campaign as an in-theater call-to-action. Since the successful campaign and amazing feedback, Participant Media plans to use mobile for many of its projects and is currently certifying a dedicated short code.
All goals set for the campaign were successfully achieved.
Key Impacts:
- Participant Media added tens of thousands of subscribers to its mobile list (and it's still growing ).
- The results proved mobile is a viable platform for Participant Media, which is now using it for additional projects and is setting up a dedicated short code.
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