Application for Best New Promotion Activity Herky on Parade Herky

 Application for Best New Promotion Activity Herky Hunt Herky on Parade 2015 IFEA Pinnacle Awards Application for Best New Promotion Activity Herky on Parade Golden Herky Hunt IFEA Pinnacle Awards 1. Overview Information A. Introduction/Background of Main Event Herky on Parade was the largest public art project ever produced in the Iowa City, Iowa area. The beloved University of Iowa mascot, Herky the Hawk, was fabricated into statue form and took on 84 different designs and went on display all over the university campus and three surrounding communities from May through August 2014. The 2014 project celebrated 10 years since the original Herky on Parade took place in the area. Those who were residents in 2004 were familiar with the project and excited to bring it back, though it didn’t take long for those who didn’t live in town the first time to also get excited. The anniversary Parade brought together over 50 local and regional artists, over 60 local sponsors, three municipalities, and a Big 10 university. It became an engine that united residents, visitors, business professionals, and students, building a shared bridge in which all could take part. The Iowa City/Coralville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) was the primary organizer for the program and led the executive committee. B. Description & Purpose/Objective of Promotion Throughout the entire summer, families and individuals were encouraged to visit the statues to complete the entire Herky hunt and take pictures with each one. The Golden Herky was kept a secret until mid-­‐June, so until then, there were only 83 known statues. The purpose was to add an element of surprise to the Parade and keep the enthusiasm just as high mid-­‐way through the project as it was at the beginning. It also provided a new challenge to see who could be the first person to find it in its hidden location. The first person to find the statue (with photo evidence) received a set of 12 collectible figurines and the runners up received an event poster and “I found the Golden Herky” t-­‐shirt. C. Description of What Was Promoted The promotion itself was the challenge of finding an elusive statue called The Golden Herky. This statue in particular was sanded down to be extremely smooth and painted gold to resemble an Academy Awards trophy. The organizers knew it would be a favorite of fans and saw it as an opportunity to engage people in a fun way. D. What Makes it Different? What makes this promotion different than others is that it was an extremely creative way to engage an audience. It required foresight to plan for the completion of the design and discretion in keeping it a secret even after the rest of the statues were unveiled. The logistical aspect of transporting it to its secret location and installing it inconspicuously was also a challenge that made it different than other promotions. E. Target Audience The Golden Herky Hunt’s target audience was any person or family who was knowledgeable of Herky on Parade, particularly those who followed the organizer’s Facebook and Twitter pages. This was the method of announcing the surprise statue and distributing information about the contest. F. Attendance/Number of Participants Not applicable. G. Tie-­‐In to Main Event This promotion was a seamless addition to the Parade as a whole. The statue had a unique design and its own location, just like all of the others. In the end, it was also just as much a part of the Parade as the others and capped off the collection of statues at 84. H. Overall Revenue & Expense Budget of Promotion This specific promotion did not add any expenses not already incurred for the project. The costs for the base statue, artwork, and installation were included in the overall event cost along with the other 83 statues. “I found the Golden Herky” t-­‐shirts were purchased for the promotion, the cost of which was minimal; these shirts were available for sale for anyone who wanted to purchase one after the first 10 individuals received one for free. I. Duration of Promotion The Golden Herky Hunt took place between July 7 and Aug 1, although the duration before it was found was very short. There was talk amongst fans about The Golden Herky before any official information was given, since it was included on the printed posters, but not listed on the guide or website. This provided a great set up for making a formal announcement. The following was posted on the Herky on Parade Facebook page on June 27, 2014: THE GOLDEN HERKY! Lots and lots and LOTS of fans wanting to know when he goes on Parade. We are in the process of finalizing the rules of the game. Those rules will be posted here and our Herky on Parade Twitter account this upcoming Tuesday. As far as when Herky will begin parading somewhere in Johnson County? Hmmm. How about a hint? Sometime before Mongo's birthday. Go Hawks! [This clue was later explained.] Contest rules were announced July 1 and the statue was officially on Parade, ready to be found the morning of July 7. The first person discovered him less than 5 hours later and the runners up were named within 24 hours! The statue remained at its “secret” location until August 1 when it was moved to a more accessible location in closer proximity to other statues. J. Description of sponsor/charity/producing partner and benefits The charity of Herky on Parade as a whole was the United Way of Johnson & Washington Counties, an organization whose mission is to “unite our community to give, advocate and volunteer to create measurable change that improves lives and strengthens our community by focusing on life’s building blocks – education, income and health.” With the funds raised by Herky on Parade, the non-­‐profit was later able to build an endowment for Summerships, a program that will provide 84 summer camp scholarships for children who otherwise could not afford to attend camp. The University of Iowa Community Credit Union (UICCU) was the presenting sponsor of Herky on Parade. Its “members first” philosophy has led to a national Return on Member rank of #1 or #2 for 14 straight quarters, measured against more than 13,000 banks and credit unions nationwide. UICCU exists to serve the community by volunteering time and donating funds to support the local organizations and charities that help its communities thrive. The Iowa City/Coralville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) produced Herky on Parade in collaboration with the University of Iowa. It serves as the Johnson County area's official destination management organization. Its mission is to advance the economic vitality and quality of life for residents and visitors as Iowa’s premier destination. K. Overall Effectiveness of Promotion The Herky on Parade Golden Herky Hunt was extremely effective in continuing the momentum of the Parade since it started two months prior. Curiosity is a big motivator and people wanted to find out where the statue was hidden. Once it was discovered, people made it a point to go to Sutliff Bridge to take a photo. Since the location was not limited to the three municipalities, but instead could have been anywhere in the county, it was also successful in encouraging people to explore areas beyond where they would normally go and appreciate what those places offer. 2. Supporting Questions What challenges/obstacles did you forsee/encounter in creating the idea and how did you handle them? Herky on Parade was a fanatical hit in this community, so the press and public were very anxious to find out any/all information about the promotion. Keeping the details to just a select few people (not even the entire committee knew the location) was key to its secrecy. The next challenge was physically moving a 6’1” statue somewhere in the community without anyone seeing it. Both were well executed and the promotion was wildly successful as a result. 3. Supporting Materials GOLDEN HERKY CONTEST RULES Herky on Parade presented by the University of Iowa Community Credit Union is proudly produced by Iowa City/Coralville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau in partnership with University of Iowa Athletics and the Cities of Iowa City, Coralville, and North Liberty. This contest is created for the sole purpose recognizing a few of our very passionate Herky on Parade statue hunting fans. The contest has no cash value. Participation in this contest is on a voluntary basis. By participating you agree to hold harmless the Iowa City/Coralville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, and all of its Herky on Parade partners, sponsors, and supervisors of all of its activities, any injury caused by negligence or the negligence of a third party in conjunction with this contest. CONTEST WINNER The Iowa City/Coralville Area CVB will reward the first person who presents a digital photo of himself or herself and The Golden Herky in its Johnson County location with a Herky on Parade prize pack that includes a complete set of 2014 Herky on Parade figurines. This prize pack has no cash value. Photo evidence must be provided to any staff person of the CVB at 900 First Avenue, Coralville, Iowa between the Monday-­‐Friday (CST) hours of 8AM-­‐5PM. Immediately upon evidence of a “contest winner”, the CVB staff will notify the public via the Herky on Parade Facebook page, Twitter account, and iPhone/Droid App. CONTEST RUNNER UPS The Iowa City/Coralville Area CVB will reward the second through tenth persons who present a digital photo of himself or herself and The Golden Herky in its Johnson County location with a Herky on Parade t-­‐shirt/poster prize pack. The second through tenth runner up winners may not be part of the same family or group as the “contest winner” or other “contest runner-­‐ups”. These prize packs have no cash value. Photo evidence must be provided to any staff person of the CVB at 900 First Avenue in Coralville, Iowa between the Monday-­‐Friday (CST) hours of 8AM-­‐5PM. Immediately upon evidence of a successful “contest runner up”, the CVB staff will notify the public via the Herky on Parade Facebook page, Twitter account, and iPhone/Droid App. Contact the CVB at 800.283.6592 or [email protected] for additional questions. Photos Measurable Results Tangible Results: The insights on the following pages outline the reach for a number of Facebook posts related to the Herky on Parade Herky Hunt. The first post made to announce the beginning of the hunt reached over 2,500 people and had over 1,500 post clicks (63%). The interaction we found (likes, shares) was also very high, and the July 8th post congratulating all the winners had a reach of over 4,700. The photos we shared from those who visited the statue were also well received and enabled people to contribute to our page. Intangible Results: The Golden Herky Hunt introduced a new element to the Herky on Parade project that brought so much excitement to the event’s followers. The photos generated tell people’s stories – stories that were personal to them allowed for the sharing of experiences. This statue was particularly special and families thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of finding it. Facebook Post Insights Post Posted Post Reach Post Impressions Engaged Users A 07/07 7:51am 2515 5917 487 B 07/07 12:08pm 2375 4724 479 C 07/07 1:18pm 1705 3530 295 D 07/07 2:47pm 1287 3458 215 E 07/07 3:09pm 1961 4183 328 F 07/08 6:11am 705 1458 41 G 07/08 6:12am 4788 9067 776 H 07/08 7:47am 417 815 41 I 07/08 7:48am 585 1192 60 J 07/08 7:49am 581 1145 59 K 07/08 2:54pm 467 987 28 L 07/10 9:55am 332 783 24 Post Impressions: Number of Times a Post is Displayed (Total Count) 10000 8000 6000 4000 2000 0 Post Impressions Lifeqme: The number of impressions of your Page post. (Total Count) A C E B D F I J G H K L