<IF> CODE SCHOOL LAUNCH <THEN> HIVE HELSINKI
Title | <IF> CODE SCHOOL LAUNCH <THEN> HIVE HELSINKI |
Brand | HIVE HELSINKI |
Product/Service | HIVE HELSINKI CODE SCHOOL |
Category |
E01. Integrated Campaign led by PR |
Entrant
|
MILTTON Helsinki, FINLAND
|
Idea Creation
|
MILTTON Helsinki, FINLAND
|
PR
|
MILTTON Helsinki, FINLAND
|
Credits
Joni Räikkönen |
Miltton Oy |
Client Director |
Ville Blåfield |
Miltton Oy |
Director |
Mikko Hakkarainen |
Miltton Oy |
Creative Director |
Elina Niemistö |
Miltton Oy |
Lead Cretive |
Maria Kuorikoski |
Miltton Oy |
Lead Creative |
Marina Lampinen |
Miltton Oy |
Director |
Hanna Lemmetti |
Miltton Oy |
Creative Strategist |
Julius Kontiola |
Miltton Oy |
Strategist |
Sampo Axelsson |
Miltton Oy |
Head of Strategy |
Juuli Laitinen |
Miltton Oy |
Agency Producer |
Tanja Ijäs |
Miltton Oy |
Agency Producer |
Inka Kosonen |
Miltton Oy |
Agency Producer Assistant |
Ella Antila |
Miltton Oy |
Graphic Designer |
Mikael Heikkanen |
Miltton Oy |
Graphic Designer |
Sylvie Daoud |
Miltton Oy |
Communications Specialist |
Anna Hiltunen |
Miltton Oy |
Communications Specialist |
Reetta Wallén |
Miltton Oy |
Communications Specialist |
Tommi Pasanen |
Miltton Oy |
Director, Marketing Performance |
Jari Setälä |
Miltton Oy |
Marketin Performace Specialist |
Markus Wikholm |
Miltton Oy |
Director, Research |
Mihail Donchev |
Miltton Oy |
Social Media Specialist |
Why is this work relevant for PR?
As a strategic choice, we decided to put earned media as our primary media in the launch campaign. The education industry in Finland leans heavily on traditional, prestigious institutions and challenging them with a paid-first approach would come off untrustworthy and commercial. Also, with paid media it would be very costly to convert people, who were not at all interested in coding, into potential candidates – whereas paid media, if done right, has the capability of reshaping mass perception.
Our launch campaign made headlines in virtually every publication of Finland, and kept Hive Helsinki a top topic for weeks.
Background
Finland needed more – and more diverse – coders. It just didn’t know about it. Finnish mobile gaming giant Supercell was to launch an entirely new school, to provide a solution to the increasing lack of coding talent.
Our task was to raise discussion about coding and create demand for an unconventional school, that would both ease coder shortage and challenge the world’s best education system.
Our objectives were clear:
1. Get 2 000 applicants to Hive Helsinki in 2019. The objective was ambitious: 40% over Finland’s most popular programming degree.
2. Make Hive Helsinki known by all of Finland. To reach the applicant target, we needed to engage beyond the tech scene. The awareness objective was 20% and reach objective 5M.
3. 25% of applicants female. Coding is a male-dominant industry (90% of coders in Finland are men) and to solve coder shortage it had to become more balanced.
Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)
The creative concept and all creative executions focused on expanding the perception of coding: what it is and who it’s for. The idea crystallised to a Disney-ish inspiring phrase “If you can dream it, you can code it.
Where many other education programmes paint the potential applicant a clear career path, we did the opposite: we showed various ways to which coding can be applied. From gaming to healthcare to logistics – more or less any industry imaginable. Because opposite to the stereotype of pure maths, coding is basically about problem solving. And as a skill that is applicable anywhere.
- At an emotional level we communicated the endless opportunities of coding
- Our primary rational message was “future-proof career”, since employment security is an important criterion for female applicants
- As an attention-grabber we used Hive’s key differentiators that separate Hive Helsinki from any other school in Finland.
Describe the PR strategy (30% of vote)
Our primary target group was young adults, 18 to 30 year-olds, in Finland. But to truly shake the industry and drive change, we had to speak to everyone.
To form our key insights and strategy, we combined data and findings from École42 schools abroad, Hive Helsinki background interviews and local studies such as Youth Barometer. We identified key drivers and barriers of choosing where to study – focusing on factors that impact how women make their decision.
1. Unconventionally, we decided to build interest towards coding before awareness to Hive Helsinki. Unless Finns first understood the magnitude of coder shortage, they would not consider Hive.
2. In media strategy we chose to emphasize earned media, since in Finland educational credibility cannot be “bought”. Pre-launch, we engaged key stakeholders and opinion leaders.
3. To increase diversity in coding, our communication strategy prioritised channels and messages targeted at potential female applicants.
Describe the PR execution (20% of vote)
Phase 1 / “HIGHLIGHT NEED” / October 2018
Prior to launch, we planned and published an opinion piece in Helsingin Sanomat, where a group of top executives addressed Finland’s coder shortage. It caught everyone’s attention and rose a discussion of the problem’s urgency and possible solutions – and, importantly, called out lack of and need for diversity.
Phase 2 / “OFFER SOLUTION” / December 2018
Plans for Hive Helsinki were revealed at tech event Slush, as Supercell’s response to the recent coder shortage discussion. Simultaneously, our brand film and spokespeople buzzed Hive and busted coding stereotypes. We used leading influencers to reach young women who otherwise hadn’t considered coding.
Phase 3 / “CALL TO ACTION” / January 2019
The applications finally opened. We targeted tactical “apply now”, “try the test” or “applications open” messages to previously engaged audiences. In own channels we increased consideration with testimonials, FAQs and Q&A sessions.
List the results (30% of vote)
1. Over 10 000 applicants
The 2019 applicant target was reached during the first two days of the application period. The applicant objective has been exceeded by over 400%.
2. 40% of target group knew Hive
Hive Helsinki became #1 topic in Finland. Our efforts in earned and paid media reached Finns repeatedly – with a total reach of over 10 million (2X Finland’s population). Hive’s awareness rate among 18-30-yo Finns went from 0 to 40%. And 20% considered applying!
3. 35% of applicants are women
Over a third of Hive applicants are female – multiply exceeding the industry’s gender split (under ten percent).
Bonus: The attention of Hive’s launch encouraged a change in legislation. Although previously impossible, the students starting at Hive are now entitled to student grant.
The journey of Hive has just begun, but we’ve already achieved quite a change in the fields of education and coding.