Hodges delivers EOP strategy in a multi-channel engagement
Client Goal: Raise awareness and audience engagement through an integrated media relations-social media strategy promoting Federal Realty’s Central Virginia shopping centers.
The Hodges Partnership was retained by Federal Realty—a real estate investment trust that invests in shopping centers across the country—to raise the visibility of two of its Central Virginia shopping centers: Barracks Road in Charlottesville and Willow Lawn in Richmond. To accomplish this objective, Hodges employed an EOP strategy, incorporating media relations (Earned Media), content management (Owned) and online advertising promotion (Paid).
Earned Media. Hodges developed a targeted, creative pitching strategy to secure media placements in prominent local and regional outlets, including consumer news that reached shoppers and industry news focused on food and beverage outlets. The team worked closely with merchants to develop news releases, pitch media contacts and track coverage and devised innovative events that drew coverage, such as the Washington Business Journal, Richmond Times-Dispatch and The Daily Progress.
Owned Media. Hodges created a steady cadence of original content that promoted news and events at Federal Realty properties on the company’s social media platforms. Regular posts on Facebook, Instagram and other platforms – which included stories about merchants, seasonal promotions and campaigns, photos and videos – helped to keep the centers top of mind, drive engagement and increase followers on the platforms.
Paid Media. Hodges leveraged the advertising tools on the social platforms, enabling the social content to be targeted to specific audiences (based on geography, household income and other demographic criteria). This functionality – with just modest investments – helped to amplify the effectiveness and reach of the original posts.
Results
- 196 media mentions from 27 press releases in 2021
- Over 11.5M earned media impressions.
- Secured 8 social media influencer partnerships growing Facebook and Instagram followers by 22-73% across both channels and shopping properties.
Why’d it work?
The EOP paradigm is proving again and again that this integrated strategy is a highly effective public relations tool. The Earned media component helps reach both consumers and important industry audiences in a straightforward, credible way. The Owned element provides complete control over messaging, timing and images and delivers undiluted and versatile content to important audiences. And finally, the Paid leg of the stool helps to turbocharge the strategy so that it reaches the precise target audiences. This fusion of three tactical elements delivers unparalleled effectiveness and maximizes a campaign’s impact over and over. Over the last three years, using this EOP approach, we’ve continued to create a more focused approach in terms of our public relations and social media knowledge, practice and strategies. Our creative output on the content side, coupled with our extensive media list of local, regional and trade contacts, has allowed us to be more strategic and more effective with respect to Federal Realty’s brand awareness. As the properties continue to grow and evolve, so does our approach.