AOL

Challenge

Create widespread visibility of AOL’s launch of SafeSocial, a tool designed for parents to monitor their children on social networks in an effort to protect them from cyberbullying, inappropriate discussions and keep them safe from potential predators.

Solution

Create SafeSocial teen internet safety campaign and utilize various tools and techniques to generate mass coverage and a need for AOL’s social monitoring tool:

• News Hooks: Leveraged cyberbullying and “Digital grounding” as a recent trend and showcased SafeSocial as solution for parents
• Nielsen Research: worked with Nielsen to conduct research on teens/parents actions and behaviors in social media. Research findings generated timely news on the subject and was used in all media relations activity

Solution Continued

• Social Media/Internet Safety Experts: enlisted various experts on the issue of child safety, internet safety and offered to media as commentary on the issue
• Desk-side Briefings: met with editors of long-lead magazines to demonstrate SafeSocial and reveal new research on teen/parent social media behavior.

Results

SafeSocial campaign generated more than 100 million media impressions with coverage in such outlets as CBS Early Show, Wall Street Journal, ABC TechBytes, TechCrunch, Parents Magazine, ABC CyberShake Radio and hundreds of local media outlets nationwide.