The Economist: Thinking Spaces reached a new smart, digitally savvy audience and gave them the opportunity to share the places they go to think. The campaign launched with a location-based iPhone application, interactive website and Facebook page all of which allow people to find out where other Economist readers go to think and to share the spaces where they get their ideas.
The campaign increased the momentum of The Economist brand across Europe. By allowing an existing and developing community to create a world tagged full of their favourite thinking spaces, The Economist showcased how the diversity of its readership reflects the breadth of The Economist's thought-provoking content.
Spaces were uploaded from all over the world from a total of 100 countries. The top city destinations for spaces include Amsterdam, Istanbul, New York and Berlin, while the top three countries for 'Thinking Space' locations were the US, UK and France. Half of spaces were in urban locations and half in remote settings such as mountains, lakes or rivers. More than 2000 users uploaded 1500 spaces; the iPhone app was downloaded more than 8000 times.
The Economist: Thinking Space Facebook page has more than 40 000 fans with 8m post views and a potential reach, through friends of fans, of over 13m. The majority of the fans are based in Italy, Turkey, Spain, Germany, France and Sweden; the top cities where fans live are Istanbul, Warsaw, Madrid, and Stockholm but also further afield, with Taipei and Dhaka making the top ten list.
"Online communities built up through The Economist's social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, and through its debates, community pages and blogs on www.economist.com, have allowed us to strengthen our relationship with readers whilst simultaneously reaching new audiences. Thinking Spaces is a great example of this, with the Facebook page continuing to grow organically following the initial campaign" says Susan Clark, group marketing director and managing director for Europe, Middle East and Africa.
You can explore and share the e-book at the link below and learn more about the campaign on YouTube
www.thinkingspace.economist.com/e-book
Following the success of the Thinking Spaces campaign The Economist Group has now launched a specific strategy in Europe's northern markets to identify and reach this diverse audience. New brand activities, with a hyper-local approach, begin this spring with a campaign in Hamburg, Germany.
