Overview
Toyota approached IBM Watson Advertising looking to amplify its “Let’s Go Places” tagline. The auto maker wanted to demonstrate its commitment to putting exciting new products on the road, as well as invite the public to take part in shaping the brand’s future.
With a shared belief in innovation and encouraging audiences to be participants rather than bystanders, IBM Watson Advertising and Toyota developed a user-generated content (UGC) program on weather.com that empowered people to get out, go places and enjoy the world around them.
The “It’s Amazing Out There” Toyota Photo Contest enticed consumers to share their favorite photos with us for a chance to be featured on weather.com, win weekly prizes and have a shot at a $15,000 grand prize. Fans could vote for their favorites in categories like Nature, Adventure and Weather, while an acclaimed panel of judges curated the gallery of submissions.
The contest was supported by native ads on weather.com, sponsored posts on Facebook, organic posts across social channels, email blasts to previous entrants, and even on-air cable segments.
Results
The photo contest results were amazing, and continue to snowball year over year:
- Over 66K submissions (65% more YOY)
- 1 in 3 entrants returned (from previous year)
- Page views increased by 166%
- Site visits increased by 155%
- Unique visitors increased by 144%
Focus Area