340x340-dell-logoWe created and managed this $8M reality show and contest on YouTube and Facebook

Working for Dell’s Small Business segment, we served as project manager for the $8 million America’s Favorite Small Business contest on YouTube and Facebook, which culminated in a six-part online reality show that I managed. This required blazing a trail that we at Dell had never considered: Creating a program/contest and reality show that lived exclusively in social media.

What was our role?

This truly was our baby for almost a full year. As project manager and lead, our responsibilities included:

  • Creating and refining the concept
  • Leading multiple creative and media agencies, as well as working with representatives from Facebook and Google/YouTube
  • Securing multi-million-dollar partnerships with Microsoft and MasterCard
  • Managing the $8 million budget
  • Fine tuning the concept in mid stream. e.g., Employing guerrilla marketing tactics for a last-minute boost
  • Assisting in the production for the six episodes of the online reality show
  • Managing and reporting to senior executives weekly on a broad set of metricsSPOILER ALERT: America voted Shwood as America’s Favorite Small Business. The company is a small business in Oregon that makes awesome wood-frame sunglasses out of unusual cuts of wood.

How did it go?

We exceeded every metric established for this very high-profile project. This slide/image offers a nice summary of the success metrics (click for a full-sized view of the slide).

See the project in action

Watch the 60-second video highlighting the contest:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6i0skt0KmA?rel=0&w=640&h=360]

Here is one of the inspirational small-business videos we had created (3:57):

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-ltwHXCYYs?rel=0]

Here is Episode 1 of the reality show (4:25)

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLOPDQbVbys?rel=0&w=640&h=360]