Media Relations, Communications and Social Media Strategy
PROJECT
The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), the largest media event in North America and among the most prestigious auto shows in the world, set a goal to be among the top shows for social media reach and engagement. With a focus on engaging those watching the show from around the globe, NAIAS aimed to boost its social media presence and expand its reach.
The NAIAS team called upon Lambert to create a social media strategy and execution that would help meet these goals. Lambert began its partnership with NAIAS in 2016 to help the show increase its digital presence and grew to lead the show’s communications and media relations efforts since 2018. The Lambert team will also help NAIAS transition its communications and marketing strategy in 2020 as it undergoes its most significant transformation in the last three decades.
Throughout our partnership, the NAIAS social media presence has not only reached billions of followers around the globe but has earned the top spot among similar shows in terms of digital media engagement.
TACTICS
- Content Marketing: Using the rich array of tools afforded by digital platforms, Lambert helps tell the stories of NAIAS partners in vivid detail. For example, NAIAS was the first industry association to deploy Facebook Live and the Facebook Live API to natively stream live content from the show to Facebook – connecting the world to the events at Cobo Center in real time.
- Brand Journalism: Lambert manages dozens of media site visits and produces content for OEM and supplier show sponsors for the NAIAS audience – from CEO interviews to exhibit walkthroughs and beyond.
- Programmatic Advertising: As organic reach is declining on social media, Lambert supports NAIAS by growing its paid digital efforts to supplement organic growth, in addition to refocusing resources on driving conversions.
- Issues Management: Lambert supports NAIAS with social listening and reputation management through a number of challenges ranging from protests to municipal utility outages.
RESULTS
- Over the past four years, Lambert helped NAIAS grow its social media audience by 94% to over a quarter of a million followers worldwide – primarily through organic efforts.
- From 2016-2019, Lambert’s partnership with NAIAS helped earn over 148 million impressions on its own social media properties, in addition to 660,000 engagements and 174,000 link clicks.
- NAIAS tops all other shows in reach, impressions and engagements. A 2019 study by the Detroit Free Press and Talkwalker found that despite having a smaller footprint, NAIAS produces more digital conversation for automakers than CES.
- The show generated more than 3,500 news articles, and over 150 interviews were coordinated for the show’s executive committee (one-third of which were live from the show floor).
