Event Marketer Summer 2023 - 27

Every second, an average of two people ask
Reddit communities for a recommendation,
and receive an average of seven personalized
responses in return. Therein lies the brand's
point of difference: While other social networks
are letting algorithms run the show,
the power of Reddit lies in the autonomy,
and anonymity, of its users. And with
connection and discovery propelling the
platform, there are armies of them. Reddit is
home to more than 100,000 culturally savvy
subreddit communities that rally around
shared interests and passions, making it a
place where just about anyone can " find their
people. "
Last year, that notion prompted the
STEP INSIDE: At Cannes, the Reddit Explorers Club enticed
creatives with consumer-style engagements that showcased
Reddit's unique storytelling and collaboration opportunities.
launch of a " Find Your People " television
and OOH consumer campaign (R/GA
handled). But the tagline, which spoke to
the core of what distinguishes Reddit, was
too good for a one-and-done program.
So when the company embarked on a
mission to introduce itself to prospective
brand partners, that mantra led the charge-
all the way to the global stage at the Cannes
Lions International Festival of Creativity and
CES. All Reddit had to do was convince marketing
and advertising's biggest players that
tapping into its self-selecting audience could
be their greatest weapon.
Using community as its North Star,
Reddit and experiential agency partner
Giant Spoon took on the preeminent
events to illustrate to potential partners how
redditors influence and inspire, and how their
brands could leverage the untapped power
of finding their people. The 2022 Cannes
sponsorship served as the first touchpoint of
what would ultimately become a multichannel,
b-to-b-to-c Find Your People campaign
anchored by an experiential strategy that
transformed the brand's digital product into
a living, breathing representation of the platform,
and the people that power it.
" CES and Cannes offer really valuable
opportunities to connect with our peers and
clients, and this is especially true for an event
like CES, which always sets the tone for the
year ahead, and Cannes being the midway
point of the year, " says Caroline Absher, head
of event marketing and industry marketing
programs at Reddit. " These tentpoles are
also gathering places where our industry
can come together to find out what's new
and what's next, and it's where we can bring
to life Reddit's amazing communities and
showcase the immense value for marketers
and brands alike. "
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As a Cannes first-timer, Reddit could
have focused on the tactical aspects of
its sponsorship experience, dubbed the
" Explorers Club, " before tackling anything
else. But that's not how the company rolls,
whether it's the first time activating at an
event or the hundredth.
" Reddit always comes to us with a really
comprehensive set of goals that range from
the necessarily tactical to the deeply theoretical,
and that's what makes the programs
so rich, " says Monica Herman, vp, group
creative director at Giant Spoon. " We always
start with the latter. We know we're going to
get to the logistics, but we start with a deep
dive into that core messaging, and through
that, we establish a conceptual hierarchy that
becomes the basis for everything we do. And
that's key. "
Reddit may operate on a " Karma "
points system, but its marketing strategies
are never left up to fate. That may explain
how the brand ultimately smashed its campaign
KPIs-and earned this year's Grand
Ex award. Now, settle in as we take you on a
journey through the touchpoints and tactics
that earned Find Your People an " upvote "
across the board.
MANIFESTING THE PLATFORM
For the unacquainted, Reddit's diverse array
of users, communities and conversations
might feel like the Wild, Wild West. So the
brand leveraged its presence at Cannes to
guide the creatives in attendance through the
ins and outs of the culture-forward platform,
the unique storytelling and collaboration
opportunities it offers and, naturally, how to
find their brand's people.
Attendees were lured to Reddit's footprint
with the help of mini suitcase installations
sprinkled along the boulevard,
pointing them toward the activation. Then,
upon arrival at the Reddit Explorers Club,
they were greeted by a towering installation
of suitcases, as well as a giant, real-time
" Comments from Cannes " billboard featuring
a series of thought-provoking statements
that passersby could vote on by pressing a
button on either an up or down arrow-a
tangible taste of how users interact on
Reddit.
Inside the two-story, lodge-inspired
space, Reddit's multifaceted " community of
communities " -and strategies for engaging
them-were placed front and center. Visitors
navigated the experience with the help
of dedicated Explorer Guides as they ventured
through the physical manifestation of
the platform and partook in consumer-style
engagements that served as ad solutions in
disguise.
Located on the ground level of the
Explorers Club were the Den of Discovery
and Cartography Corner, both designed to
provide marketers and advertisers with an
understanding of the brand, and inroads to
discovering, and authentically communicating,
with the right Reddit communities. The
Den encompassed a museum-like treasure
trove of Reddit artifacts and data points, all
playing into the brand's irreverent persona
and propensity to forecast trends. Think: A
photo-worthy installation dedicated to the
famed, flame-engulfed " This Is Fine " meme,
and a wall of bananas signifying the " banana
for scale " internet phenomenon that got its
start on Reddit.
SUMMER 2023 EVENT MARKETER
27
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Event Marketer Summer 2023

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