Company Case 12:

LinkedIn: Crushing the white collar stereotype with IMC

Discuss issues of selecting advertising media for the In It Together campaign. How might this process differ from that of campaigns for other companies?

Company Case 12 TV, outdoor, radio, online video, digital display, podcast, search engine, and other media channels. LinkedIn: Crushing the White-Collar Developing the Message Stereotype with IMC As LinkedIn marketers began developing the brand repositioning campaign, they first asked themselves what work meant to them Social media networks seem numberless these days, but only an and how important work is. The company also engaged research- elite few that started in the early days of the World Wide Web ers to ask LinkedIn members the same questions. What they still survive. One of those is LinkedIn, a social media site that discovered astounded them. There were nearly as many unique debuted in 2002. Today, more than just surviving, LinkedIn is answers as there were respondents. As researchers combed thriving. The professional networking social media platform pro- through the data, certain themes began to emerge. For some, vides a venue for companies and individuals to interact in a busi- work symbolizes a sense of purpose. For others, it means a deep ness context. It has grown year after year, amassing more than passion. Some members defined work as a way to give back. Oth- 560 million members in more than 200 countries. Today, only ers viewed work more pragmatically, as a means of providing a handful of social networks are larger. And of the major social Regardless of people's motivations or reasons for working, media platforms active today, none have been around as long as one overriding theme emerged. "No one wants to go it alone." LinkedIn says Melissa Selcher, LinkedIn's vice president of brand mar- But a few years ago, LinkedIn's marketers recognized that keting and corporate communications. "Whatever you're in it their popular professional networking platform had a problem. for, you want to know there is a community of people to help, It had developed an constraining image best described as "the support, inspire, and push you." As the data revealed more and place where white collars meet." Even more limiting. "white more people with nontraditional backgrounds, another theme collar" tended to be defined as "Caucasian," "male," and "old." also became clear. People hold different beliefs about what it What's more, success in this group was defined as "moving up means to succeed. However, regardless of how each person de the corporate Indder." In other words, LinkedIn was perceived fines success, the importance of succeeding seems universal. by the masses as stiff and stoic. This image prevailed despite From these insights, LinkedIn's markotors developed a cen- the fact that LinkedIn's membership spanned a diverse range of tral campaign message. In short, LinkedIn boiled down a laryo people and businesses. As the realization of public perception and complex concept to a simple theme: Success is as diverse as settled in many at LinkedIn felt that the company had strayed the people trying to achieve it. With that, the campaign needed to from its true nature and mission. communicate the professional network's key positioning point- To correct this stereotype, LinkedIn did something it had that LinkedIn provides a community where people meet, under never before done. Although it had traditionally done very little stand, and support each other. And beyond just being a detached advertising, the company launched its first-ever major-media corporation that offers a professional meeting place, LinkedIn integrated marketing campaign. The aim of LinkedIn's "In partners with organizational and individual members to help them Together" campaign was to recast the professional social net- succeed. To establish the partner" image, the campaign needed to work's brand image by sending a message of diversity across show that LinkedIn doesn't want to mold people into something they aren't but rather provides the tools needed for members to forge their own individual paths. In all, LinkedIn and its entire community are "In It Together to create member success. Executing the Theme To bring this "In It Together" positioning to life, LinkedIn's marketers decided to showcase actual members. Stacy Peralta, director for the campaign's video content, explains: I knew from the first reading of the boards that this was one of those rare opportunities. They asked us to tell real stories about real people; they wanted it shot in black and white, and they wanted on ergy, enthusiasm, and candor from the people involved. We found and documented many of the unique people who use the platform We found avant-garde musicians, MMA fighters, physics teachers, animators, chefs, and real-life cowboys, all of whom not only use Linkedin but rave about its effect on their careers. In developing the "In It Together" campaign, LinkedIn in- vited its 11,000 employees to visit a microsite to share why they are "in it." They also asked employees to nominate Linkedin members to be subjects for the campaign's content. Of the LinkedIn members chosen for the campaign--all of whom volunteered to participate without compensation- one thought he was just the recipient of a mass email when he received the invitation. "I'm not the typical financial advisor" said Eszylfie Taylor, founder and president of Taylor Insurance and Financial Services. "I'm still young, I'm African-American And my story is not one that's told commonly." As someone who perceived himself as atypical, Taylor was excited to share the reasons behind what I do and the role I play in people's lives on a grand scale." To monitor the campaign's effectiveness, LinkedIn rolled out the "In It Together" campaign sequentially, with the initial 12-week effort targeted at four core markets-Atlanta, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. It compared outcomes in these markets against performance in control mar kets not exposed to the campaign. It next launched a TV spot during the Golden Globes award show an uncharacteristic media channel and vehicle but one LinkedIn thought perfect for making clear its intentions to shatter current perceptions of its brand image. That first ad, along with other video content, incorporated raw, black-and-white video and stills in a documentary style. The ads featured a variety of real LinkedIn members telling their success stories in their own unique environments. Moreover, LinkedIn created different versions of the ad so that each mar- ket saw an ad featuring people from that market. The simple ad-production approach allowed the powerful message to shine. The "In It Together" message unfolded in bits and pieces across the montage of individuals. "Mixed martial arts is liter ally the hardest thing I have ever done in my life," said member Colleen Schneider, to images of her working out and sparring, "It brings me a lot of pride knowing that I can help expand human knowledge," said physics researcher and lecturer La- mar Glover against a backdrop of formulas on a blackboard. "Being a rancher's not what I do, it's who I am," commented Mike Williams on a cold morning as he herded cattle. "It's pret- ty simple really." Other quotes included, "I'm living my life, doing what I love for a living." "Nobody in my family tried to take that leap of faith-so I decided to do it" and "My defini tion of success is changing lives for the better." The ad continued with responses to a question posed by Ms. Schneider. "What am I in it for?" The answers from various members came quickly.""Cause I believe in science," because it's in my blood," "to crush it, so inspire." "because I love fix. ing problems." "to create magic," "to be a pioneer," and "to do what I love." As the ad came to an end, a voice narrated the con clusive tagline "Whatever you're in it for, we're in it together." The campaign received a considerable amount of attention from the marketing press. Four months into 2018, the Digital Marketing Institute dubbed it one of the top three most creative marketing campaigns of the year. Part of the campaign's impact can be attributed to perfect timing. Shortly before the launch of LinkedIn's message of partnership and trust, the global press re- ported widely on cases of sexual harassment that evolved into the #MeToo" movement. Shortly after the campaign's launch, the world learned of the data breaches involving Facebook and Cambridge Analytica. Although the campaign is still young and Linkedin has remained tight-lipped about measured outcomes the workplace social network has now moved past the opening 12-week phase, in- creasing the campaign's scope across North America, Europe, and India. And even though the campaign has gone global, it remains local by showcasing people and stories from each region. For those unfamiliar with LinkedIn, the campaign introduces the network with the desired image of diversity and partnership. For those al- ready familiar with the brand, the campaign crases undesirable perceptions. Either way, it is likely that Linkedin will expand its membership across ethnicities and career types in the near future. Questions for Discussion 1. Analyze the "In It Together" ads based on the process of creating an advertising message as outlined in the text (see www.youtube.com/user/LinkedIn/playlists). 2. Discuss issues of selecting advertising media for the "In It Together" campaign. How might this process differ from that of campaigns for other companies 3. Based on the information in this case, how might LinkedIn measure the effectiveness of the "In It Together" campaign? 4. Will the "In It Together" campaign be effective? Support your answer Source "Three of the Most Creative Marketing Campaigns of 2018 (So Far)" Digital Marketing busine, May 2, 2018, http:// digitalmarketinginstitute.com/en-us/blog/05-02-18-3-of-the-most- creative marketing campaigns-of-2018; David Cohen, Linkedin's New Integrated Marketing Campaign Seeles to Smash Its White Cole lar' Stereotype." Adweek, January 8, 2018, www.adweek.com/digital linkedins-new-integrated-marketing campaign-seks-to-smash-its- white collar stereotypel: Emily Tan, "LinkedIn Readies Consumer Ads Featuring Real Members," Campaign, June 15, 2018 www.campaignlive. com/article/linkedin.readies.consumer-ads-featuring-real-members/ 1485051; and www.custory.linkedin.com/accessed October 2018