We were engaged to create a campaign that encouraged women to share their stories and celebrate their personal triumphs. We wanted the campaign to inspire women to ignore labels placed by others, and redefine how they see themselves.

During our brainstorming, one of the pieces of paper taped to the wall read ‘I Am…’. That’s all it said. And that became the campaign theme.

We decided the best way to spark the conversation was to create a video that leverages the stories of recognizable women and encourages others to share and participate. We also incorporated the women's written 'I Am' statements into promotional graphics for the campaign. The rallying cry for the campaign was the social hashtag #IAm.

Because the campaign was executed on social media, a hashtag that captured the essence of the campaign was a key component of its success. The authenticity of the responses posted on social media also supported the campaign’s success. During the campaign, engagement grew by 236%, and fans + followers increased by 350%. The estimated reach of the campaign topped 382,000. 

Building on the success of the original campaign, additional campaigns were also created to celebrate the strength of the women of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and the strength of women facing breast cancer.

The successful launch of The 5 Hair Archetypes by the CEO of Kibibi Hair, Sharifa Jarrett, had many moving parts: media and college tours, social media, events and email campaigns. Our first step was determining the online audience for the book by analyzing the depth and range of Kibibi Hair’s social media activity. The firm was most active on Facebook, with a high level of engagement, so we made Facebook the center of our social media outreach campaign. 

We also offered a limited –time complimentary preview of the electronic version of the book to help with rankings, and to help obtain reviews. Reviews are critical to helping readers decide whether to purchase.

One of the most important aspects of the campaign was the author. She had to be available (she was!) and willing to share her story in a compelling and relatable way. This included media interviews, signature ‘Sip & Sign’ events and appearances.

As a result, The 5 Hair Archetypes garnered an ever-increasing list of five-star reviews and continues to enjoy steady sales. It has also received international media coverage on blogs and full-page spreads in magazines. As an added bonus, we cultivated partnerships with several leading hair + beauty brands including Carol's Daughter, Dark & Lovely, Creme of Nature, Black Opal and Huetiful.

Arts & Science Council hosted a multi-day cultural celebration, Cultural Free For All, to offer free samplings of local art, science, history and heritage. The Free For All kicked off with a season preview by the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra in Belk Theater. It continued Friday with Culture Feast, an evening of dinner, drinks and unique cultural experiences in the streets of uptown Charlotte, followed by a street party. The festivities wrapped up Saturday with Connect with Culture Day.

Connect with Culture Day featured complimentary admission to museums and cultural activities that brought everything from opera and theatre to clay sculpting and dance closer to where people live. BluePepper Public Relations provided project management services for Connect with Culture Day, which included almost 30 different experiences hosted in more than 20 venues across Mecklenburg County.

Our firm vetted venues, coordinated with vendors, negotiated contracts, communicated with performers, tracked expenses and managed all event logistics to ensure a successful day of cultural experiences. We also facilitated exit surveys with participants, and post-event surveys with performers and cultural facilities. More than 3,000 community members participated in at least one cultural experience during the day, with many noting they participated in two or more activities. The post-event survey revealed 96% of partner organizations would ‘definitely participate’ in future Connect with Culture events.

Lydia’s Legacy had hosted its signature fundraiser, Teal Tea Party, since 2010. In 2015 the organization added a new fundraising event – an annual charity golf tournament. To expand their award-winning events and services, the organization needed to reach and connect with new donors. We managed the communications for both events, shifting the focus from the how and what, to the why. The inaugural golf tournament sold out and raised more than $15,000. The fifth annual Teal Tea Party also sold out, and raised more than $25,000. 

With engaging graphics and a new messaging platform, we helped Lydia’s Legacy pivot their communications to focus on the benefits. To do this, we balanced stressing the urgent need for screenings, treatment and a cure, with the hope of awareness and early detection. We also worked with the organization to develop a new website and promotional and educational materials, to draft a comprehensive communications strategy and to provide social media management.

It’s still early and our team is excited to see how key audiences react to the new messaging and materials over the next few months.

 We're honored to partner with some amazing clients, and referrals account for the majority of our leads and inquiries. This is an absolute testament to our unrivaled service delivery and the greatest compliment of our abilities.