#UNFCKTHEINTERNET

Title#UNFCKTHEINTERNET
BrandMOZILLA
Product/ServiceFIREFOX BROWSER
Category B01. Social Engagement
Entrant WHALAR London, UNITED KINGDOM
Idea Creation WHALAR London, UNITED KINGDOM
Idea Creation 2 MOZILLA Berlin, GERMANY
Media Placement WHALAR London, UNITED KINGDOM
PR MOZILLA Berlin, GERMANY
Production WHALAR London, UNITED KINGDOM
Credits
Name Company Position
Emma Harman Whalar Management Supervisor
Claudia Fischer Whalar Strategic Partnerships Director
Olivia Stevens Whalar Account Director
Ian Forrester Whalar Research Lead
Chloe Ashe Whalar Research Manager
Greg Haynes Whalar Design Lead
Mark Osmond Whalar Designer
Emily Sharp Whalar Video Producer
Will Rix Whalar Copywriter / Communications Manager
Maryska Grant Whalar Account Manager
Shinjni Agrawal Whalar Account Executive
Robin Karakash Mozilla Marketing Director
Anja Fordon Mozilla Campaign Lead (Brand)
Jennifer Hanrath-Balaco Mozilla Activation Lead

Why is this work relevant for PR?

Mozilla was out to raise awareness about injustice on the internet, via the internet. Using modern word-of-mouth, we activated 46 key influencers to start some trouble. We gathered them from the most diverse corners of the internet and used their distinct voices to spark a profound data debate. This ignited a wave of activism across social media and beyond. As a result we connected Firefox to the discussion and, more importantly, the solution. Our PR did more than raise awareness and shift opinions: it drove downloads of Firefox (+10% increase in one week!)

Background

Situation: For the first time in human history, we live more of our lives online than we do in the real world. Since the pandemic, traffic online has increased by 113%. Meanwhile, the fastest-growing internet currency is our data and it needs protecting. Brief: Our task was to credibly educate on the issues of data protection while also creating awareness for Firefox as the weapon of choice to take back control of our online lives. Objectives: Our goal was to reach millennial Europeans across Germany, France and the UK, increase awareness for Firefox by 15% and increase click-through rates to the Firefox browser by 40-50%. We set out to initiate a positive data protection movement on social media with above industry-standard Engagement Rates. In the spirit of data protection, the entire campaign took place organically on influencers social channels and earned media - without any paid media.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

But how do you kickstart a revolution? With the right people! We gathered forces and — for the first time ever — united 46 top influencers from the most diverse corners of the internet under one banner and single-minded message: UnFck the internet! We found the social leaders, the change-makers, the activists and let their creativity spark the movement and data debate in their communities. With our primary weapon being the creativity of our selected influencers, we provided education on data protection and awareness for Firefox, a browser that puts people before profit. At the centre of that creative storm, we placed an online hub. On that hub, Mozilla laid out tangible actions people can take to clean up the internet, as well as download the Firefox browser and learn more about how internet tracking and data collection works.

Describe the PR strategy (30% of vote)

How do you collect data when you’re against data collection? Our challenge was to drive great results organically - without paid media - and gather as much data as possible whilst also protecting the data of our audiences. We used the power of the niches! The casting of the influencers was key to spark a conversation within diverse communities. Influencers were selected for their strong voices with above industry-standard engagement rates and their diverse backgrounds - e.g. anti-racism trainers, champions of LGBTQ+ rights and female rights activists. We chose Instagram as our battleground: A social platform that is highly visual, known for taking a clear stand on social matters and relevant for our target audience - 22 to 44 years old Europeans weighted in Germany, France and UK. To track uplift in awareness and perception shift for Firefox, we conducted a brand lift study with an independent research partner.

Describe the PR execution (20% of vote)

Implementation: 46 influencers from our key markets created content around the main creative hook and campaign hashtag #UnFckTheInternet using overlays for one consistent look. We left the topic open to interpretation: Influencers shared what “fucks them up about the internet” giving their communities emotional reasons to switch browsers that they can identify with. All activities contained a strong call to action and a direct link to Firefox’s online hub. Timeline: To become an unmissable story, the primary execution was delivered within one week: November 10th-18th, 2020. Followed by international media coverage and additional influencers joining the movement towards the end of 2020. Placement: Our influencers chose between a carousel or video post to feed in combination with an Instagram story linking to our online hub. Scale: We took a long tail scale approach activating within various niche communities. Influencers went beyond their grid, e.g. mentioning Firefox in their podcasts.

List the results (30% of vote)

Reach: 50 million organic impressions from the most diverse corners of the internet weighted in Germany, France and UK. Engagement: 10% engagement rate across all influencer media (against a 1.22% industry benchmark). Sales: 10% increase in global downloads of the Firefox browser though mainly active in Germany, France and UK. Achievement against business targets: After a single week of campaign execution, we outperformed all targets against our main goal “Uplift in Awareness and Education”. 32% uplift in awareness for Firefox (against a 15% target). 139% click-through rate to the browser (against a 40-50% target). 70% of our audience strongly agreed that Firefox protects your data, is trustworthy, and socially responsible.