Driving Positive Change Is Never Easy | Learn How Impact Awards Winners Do It 👏

Driving positive change is never easy – companies, politicians, citizens and more have tried it, but in reality, it can take years to make it happen. It is just like raising a child, it takes years to teach them how to walk, how to talk, how to read; the same happens when trying to change people’s behaviours or perspectives. 

Making it happen, doing it right and making it meaningful takes time. Learn from the stories of Impact Awards winning campaigns who have shown that time is key for creating positive change.

You can’t imagine the Rewards by Barbarian, AdCouncil and AdoptUSKids

Last year, Barbarian partnered with the AdCouncil and AdoptUSKids to help teenagers in foster care find their new homes. To showcase their work, Barbarian created an emotional video that followed the life of an adopted teenager connecting with his new family. This first campaign primarily focused on deeper emotional connections tied to this rare, yet vital stage of adoption. 

For the 2021 Impact Awards, Barbarian built on their previous campaign with a second phase, where they not only told the story of a child meeting his new parents, but showed how the connection to their new family evolved over time. This story was told through a short film about the relationship between a mother and her adopted teenage daughter over the course of one year. The campaign was a success, and Barbarian saw a spike of 1.8M visits to their site, compared to 353K visits from their previous campaign.

Barbarian, alongside the AdCouncil and AdoptUSKids, won again at this year’s Shorty Impact Awards, demonstrating that a compelling strategy to change the world’s perspective can help create the change we want to see.

Silent No More – Giving voice to mental illness by Our Better World

For the past few years, Our Better World, Singapore International’s digital storytelling initiative, has dedicated themselves to reducing the stigma towards people with mental health conditions. In 2019, they focused on mental health in youth, and in 2020 they turned their attention to caregivers and awareness, with three vital goals:

 To accomplish this, Our Better World told three incredible stories about mental health caregivers from Singapore, Indonesia and India. The campaign racked up over 4 million views across multiple social media platforms, and, more importantly, raised awareness and encouraged people to seek support. One of the caregivers affected by the campaign said, "For the first time I saw a story talking about caregivers, which is often an ignored element,” while another said, "There is help (for caregivers), and it is not a crime to seek help as a caregiver." Because of their impact, Our Better World was shortlisted in this year’s Shorty Impact Awards.

OUTLOUD: Raising Voices by JJLA

 Last year, OUTLOUD: Raising Voices was set to showcase LGBTQ+ musicians during a live event concert at SXSW. But then…COVID hit and the festival was cancelled. With the world flipped upside down and no end in sight, OUTLOUD decided to turn their idea into a groundbreaking Facebook web series that featured the best PRIDE performers. As the organizers stated, “The series showed that even in a time of separation, the LGBTQ+ community could still come together to celebrate PRIDE in a unique and innovative way!” Their series, which surpassed a million views across its nine episodes, won Silver in 2020. 

This year, OUTLOUD partnered with Pride Live and Stonewall day for a three-day livestream concert on twitch, showcasing some of the most talented LGBTQ+ performers around the world. The show amassed millions of views and became the most watched live music experience on Twitch. Additionally, OUTLOUD gave a platform to some amazing non-profits and raised money for pride organizations all around the country. Their efforts this year earned them another Silver in 2021. We can’t wait to see what they do next year!

Throughout these campaigns, we see persistence, and a well-thought strategy that’s applied year over year; with the purpose of using time for reminding people about the things happening around them. 

These campaigns were all winners at this year’s Shorty Impact Awards for demonstrating outstanding engagement, creativity, strategy and impact. Take a look at the full list, and learn from the most impactful companies of 2021.

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Who are the Impact & Phenom Awards winners?

After many weeks of judging, and a week of celebrating the short(y)list, the final announcement has commenced!! 🥳 

The 2021 Shorty Impact Awards winners have been selected by top experts in the industry for demonstrating excellence in creativity, engagement, strategy and impact ✨ As for the Phenom Awards, winners were selected by our special Phenom jury, who evaluate individuals and teams in accordance to their leadership, creativity, and impact. Awards are categorized as Grand, Gold and Silver: 

Congratulations to all brands, agencies, nonprofits, individuals and teams whose efforts from 2020-2021 drove positive change in our world. This year’s Shorty Impact Awards and Shorty Phenom Awards winners are [Drum roll 🥁] :

GRAND 

GOLD

Animal Rights & Welfare

Conservation and Preservation

Gender and Equality 

Racial Justice

Social Justice & Human Rights

Sustainability & Renewable Energy

SILVER

Arts & Culture

Conservation & Preservation

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Gender Equality

Grassroots Efforts

Humanitarian Aid & Developing Nations

Public Safety

Youth & Family

Public Health

Racial Justice

Reproductive Health

Self-Defined

Veteran Service & Support

GOLD

TikTok

SILVER

Emerging Platform

Multi-Platform

Twitch

GOLD

Call to Action

Chatbots

Fundraising

Live Events

Real Time Response

User Generated Content

SILVER

Call to Action

Fundraising

Live Events 

Television

SILVER

Clapback

Single Post or Activation

GOLD

Brand Partnership

Entertainment Partnership

SILVER

Brand Partnership

Celebrity Partnership

Entertainment Partnership

Influencer Partnership

Non-Profit Partnership

Self-Defined

Communications Team

Community Team

Social Media Team

Large Agency

Mid-Sized Agency

Small Agency

Large Brand

Mid-Sized Brand

Small Brand

Large Non-Profit

Mid-Sized Non-Profit

Small Non-Profit

Learn more about this year’s winners’ campaigns on our site. The Shorty Awards is celebrating all winners through Twitter, and Instagram. Go celebrate with us and share, re-share, tag, repost and enjoy!

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Top trends from the 2021 Impact Awards

The Shorty Impact Awards exist to honor the brands, agencies and organizations who have used social media to improve society. Socially conscious campaigns are recognized for their creativity, strategy, engagement and overall impact.

We are honored to unveil the trends found amongst our 2021 Impact Awards shortlist recipients along with the key insights on what made these campaigns successful.

Mental Health – one of the biggest crises from 2020 to present 🧠

We live in turbulent times which were further exacerbated by the pandemic, and issues surrounding mental health needs have become more than critical. This year, we saw many brands raise their voices to address how mental health is just as important as physical health and spoke out against harmful stigmas. Mental Health America explains that with the persistence of the pandemic, mental health problems continue to rise, making 2021 the year with highest anxiety and depression issues. Our Better World did right with their “Silent No More - Giving Voice to Mental Illness'' campaign. In 2020, their focus on mental health shifted from education to storytelling. Through a series of videos, they raised awareness on mental health, increased worldwide empathy for caregivers, and informed the caregivers about the resources and support available to them. This campaign taught us that it’s not enough to just talk about mental health, but taking action is even more important.

Rising support for LGBTQ+ communities 🏳️‍🌈

This year we’ve seen an increase in the work created to raise awareness not only about being inclusive, but also about support and health education for LGBTQ+ communities. An example of a company that took a step forward to raise the voices of the LGTBQ+ community is JJLA with OUTLOUD: Raising Voices. They partnered with Pride Live to livestream a 3 day music concert on Twitch. They created a space and platform for discovering LGBTQ+ musicians and artists across the country. This campaign was all about connecting, raising awareness, and giving people the chance to celebrate Pride with pride! 

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion 👏🏻👏🏼👏🏽👏🏾👏🏿

It’s no secret that the approach to and importance of DEI initiatives in companies has seen a major uptick in recent years. Getting it right is hard, but getting it wrong comes with serious repercussions. This year we saw a big push into spreading the message of inclusivity, equality and diversity. How can we do this right? Crayola is a great example – with the strong belief that children should be able to accurately color themselves the way they see themselves it in the outside world, Crayola created a new color palette that could accurately represent the diverse world that we live in. For the launch, they released their #TrueSelfie campaign with the premise that teachers would use the new color palette for self-portrait exercises with their students. #TrueSelfie highlights the beautiful, unique, truly representative and inclusive portraits drawn by children.

Other shortlisters represented the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion by talking about equal rights for women, increasing cultural understanding, and more. In today’s world, it is crucial to be inclusive, diverse and open-minded to create respect and to be able to represent the world that we want to live in.

Influencer and Creator marketing – a pandemic boom 💥

For companies, it can be difficult to connect with their social audiences without the help of influencers and creators. Now more than ever, it's crucial to use real people to generate emotion, drive change and raise awareness on causes that matter. ATTN: did it right with TikTok for Good, a new channel featuring top influencers, celebrities and creators supporting and fundraising for the causes they care about the most. TikTok for Good represents a global impact hub that amplifies the voices of creators who take real action to generate change.

The pandemic is here to stay 😷

From awareness to education, we’ve seen many brands create compelling, meaningful and innovative campaigns from the onset of COVID-19. This year, we saw a shift in the way that brands talked about the effects of the pandemic. We saw them creating awareness about other public health crises brought on by COVID, such as mental health issues and other serious side effects. One example of this work is from shortlister Warner Media, which created an impactful PSA for a mask and vaccine education initiative called “It’s Up to You”. “Mask Up America” campaign’s purpose was to increase the number of vaccinated people and to create a more unified global community for the future.

As companies, it’s up to us to set examples and try to make positive changes to our world. Take a look at this year’s Shorty Impact Awards shortlist to see who has inspired us this year. Winners will be announced on November 9th. 

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The 2021 Impact Awards shortlist is out!

The Shorty Impact Awards, honoring social good on social media, is kicking off celebrations with the release of the 2021 shortlist! Read on for more details about the online ceremony and learn how you can join us in recognizing the most impactful social campaigns of the past year. Be sure to tune in to this week’s episode of Shorty Stories: LIVE, featuring Laurie Keith, VP of Media, Social & Emerging at AdCouncil; Dmitrii Osipovskii, Interactive Creative Director at PPK and Adele Mulford, Director, Creative at Make-A-Wish; who will be sharing their expertise on the social impact space on social media. Tune in on Twitter this Thursday, October 4th at 4pm EDT/1pm PST. 

After many rounds of judging and  debates, the Shorty Impact Jury has come to their conclusions!  We are excited to announce the most creative, strategic, engaging impact work that made it to the 2021 shortlist: 

Arts & Culture

This award honors cause-related campaigns on social media that highlight, support and/or bring attention to Arts & Culture. Examples include, but are not limited to, exhibits, museums or other cultural institutions, artists, artwork or initiatives that inspire artistic creation.

Civic Engagement

This award honors cause-related campaigns on social media that highlight, support and/or bring attention to Civic Engagement. Examples include, but are not limited to, a program, project, or initiative that encourages the public to engage in any aspect of the political process or issues of public concern.

Disability Awareness

This award honors cause-related campaigns on social media that highlight, support and/or bring attention to Disability Awareness. Examples include, but are not limited to, a program, project or initiative that educates the public on disabilities and/or provides opportunities and equity for the disabled.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

This award honors cause-related campaigns on social media that highlight, support and/or bring attention to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. Examples include, but are not limited to, initiatives that promote inclusivity and equity for people with different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives and create collaborative, supportive and respectful environments.

Gender Equality

This award honors cause-related campaigns on social media that highlight, support and/or bring attention to Gender Equality. Examples include, but are not limited to, equal pay, equal job opportunities, equal representation in a company, executive team or board, equal access to healthcare and equal opportunities for participation in sports.

Education & Community

This award honors cause-related campaigns on social media that highlight, support and/or bring attention to Education & Community. Examples include, but are not limited to, initiatives where schools, family and communities work together to address educational success inside and outside the classroom and more.

Financial Literacy

This award honors cause-related campaigns on social media that highlight, support and/or bring attention to Financial Literacy. Examples include, but are not limited to, financial management, budgeting, investing and initiatives that support informed and effective decision-making concerning financial resources.

Public Safety

This award honors cause-related campaigns on social media that highlight, support and/or bring attention to Public Safety. Examples include, but are not limited to, initiatives carried out or promoted by a public agency for public purposes involving, directly or indirectly, the protection, safety, law enforcement activities, and criminal justice system of a given community.

Youth & Family

This award honors cause-related campaigns on social media that highlight, support and/or bring attention to Youth & Family. Examples include, but are not limited to, protecting at-risk youth and providing the civil, legal, educational, and institutional support that they need to lead positive, productive lives and/or providing guardians with supportive materials to do so.

Conservation & Preservation

Honors cause-related campaigns on social media that highlight, support and/or bring attention to Conservation & Preservation. Examples include, but are not limited to, efforts that preserve, guard or protect an environment or ecosystem.

Sustainability & Renewable Energy

This award honors cause-related campaigns on social media that highlight, support and/or bring attention to Sustainability & Renewable Energy. Examples include, but are not limited to, efforts that support the research, development or implementation of new technology or resources that improve processes and more.

Animal Rights & Welfare

This award honors cause-related campaigns on social media that highlight, support and/or bring attention to Animal Rights & Welfare. Examples include, but are not limited to, efforts that promote or support the well-being of animals by ensuring basic needs are fulfilled in terms of food, shelter and health, and more.

Humanitarian Aid & Developing Nations

This award honors outstanding cause-related campaigns on social media that highlight, support and/or bring attention to Humanitarian Aid & Developing Nations. Examples include, but are not limited to, efforts that promote or support ongoing structural issues, particularly systemic poverty, that may hinder economic, institutional and social development in any given society or programs designed to save lives and alleviate suffering during and in the immediate aftermath of emergencies.

Social Justice & Human Rights

This award honors cause-related campaigns on social media that highlight, support and/or bring attention to Social Justice & Human Rights. Examples include, but are not limited to, efforts that promote and protect the rights and freedoms of all individuals and groups or initiatives that seeks to address and dismantle systemic structural and interpersonal inequities based on class, gender, sexual orientation, age, ability status and any intersection(s) thereof.

Racial Justice

This award honors cause-related campaigns on social media that highlight, support and/or bring attention to Racial Justice. Examples include, but are not limited to, efforts that support the implementation of equal opportunities in any given establishment, as well as legal, moral, and political equality for people of all races.

Veteran Service & Support

This award honors cause-related campaigns on social media that highlight, support and/or bring attention to Veteran & Service Support. Examples include, but are not limited to, initiatives that support military personnel and veterans, their families and their communities such as health research, mental and more.

Public Health

Honors cause-related campaigns on social media that highlight, support and/or bring attention to Public Health. Examples include, initiatives that support and protect the health of the population as a whole and more.

Mental Health

This award honors cause-related campaigns on social media that highlight, support and/or bring attention to Mental Health. Examples include, but are not limited to, providing community awareness, advocacy, financial resources and education to those affected by mental health issues.

Reproductive Health

This award honors cause-related campaigns on social media that highlight, support and/or bring attention to Reproductive Health. Examples include, but are not limited to, initiatives that support healthy sex lives and the freedom to decide if, when and how often to use reproductive systems.

Grassroots Efforts

This award honors cause-related campaigns on social media through Grassroots Efforts that highlight, support and/or bring attention to a particular cause that is in early stages of public awareness and was produced and maintained with limited resources.

Self-Defined

This award honors cause-related campaigns on social media that highlight, support and/or bring attention to a particular cause that is not listed in the above categories. Entrants may provide the title of the category and description in order to ensure proper judging.

LinkedIn

This award honors brands, agencies and organizations that leverage their overall cause-related presence on LinkedIn and use its native tools to drive engagement, build community and effectively establish a brand voice.

TikTok

This award honors brands, agencies and organizations that leverage their overall cause-related presence on TikTok and use its native tools to drive engagement, build community and effectively establish a brand voice.

Twitch

This award honors brands, agencies and organizations that leverage their overall cause-related presence on Twitch and use its native tools to drive engagement, build community and effectively establish a brand voice.

Youtube

This award honors brands, agencies and organizations that leverage their overall cause-related presence on YouTube and use its native tools to drive engagement, build community and effectively establish a brand voice.

Multi-Platform Campaign

This award honors brands, agencies and organizations that leverage their overall cause-related presence on multiple social media platforms and use their native tools to drive engagement, build community and effectively establish a brand voice.

Emerging Platform

This award honors brands, agencies and organizations that leverage their overall cause-related presence on an emerging social media platform and use its native tools to drive engagement, build community and effectively establish a brand voice.

Call to Action

This award honors the use of cause-related social media to encourage an audience to take action or further engage (Call to Action) with the brand or organization in a meaningful way. Examples include, but are not limited to, volunteering, making donations, purchasing promotional products, engaging in a survey or signing up for newsletters.

Chatbots

This award honors the use of cause-related social media to engage a community by use of Chatbots. Examples include, but are not limited to, rule-based chatbots, AI chatbots, and intellectually independent chatbots.

Fundraising

This award honors the use of cause-related social media and native social media features in order to Fundraise for a particular initiative. Examples include, but are not limited to, donation buttons, live "telethons," social walkathons and more.

Live Events

This award honors the use of cause-related social media in coordination with a Live Event or Live Event Series in order to engage a community and drive awareness. Examples include, but are not limited to, concerts, conferences, marches, rallies, meetups, virtual and hybrid events.

Television

This award honors the use of cause-related social media in coordination with Television shows, series and specials in order to further engage a community and drive awareness. Examples include, but are not limited to, live or pre-recorded broadcast television and traditional cable programs.

Real Time Response

This award honors the use of cause-related social media that required a rapid (relevant to the timeliness of the issue) or Real Time Response to customer needs, a relevant event, cultural phenomenon, or other brand. Examples include, but are not limited to, customer service responses, support of public issues, live news coverage and posts.

User Generated Content

This award honors the use of cause-related social media that engages the community by inspiring User-Generated Content (UGC). Examples include, but are not limited to, unsolicited fan-based/user-generated art, social media challenges, contests, pledges or campaigns that directly incorporated user generated content. 

Clapback

This award honors a single cause-related social media rebuttal or response (Clapback) that displays exceptional, brand-defining voice. 

Single Post or Activation

This award honors cause-related single posts and/or activations that garnered significant attention by "going viral". The post or activation may have disrupted the space in a way that was notably recognized by a broad audience.

Brand Partnership

This award honors the use of cause-related social media that leverages a Business-to-Business Partnership to the benefit of both parties. Examples include, but are not limited to, co-branding, collaborative live thought leadership sessions, shared content, special promotions and sweepstakes.

Celebrity Partnership

This award honors the use of cause-related social media that leverages a Celebrity Partnership to the benefit of both parties. Celebrity Partnerships differ from Influencer Partnerships in that the celebrity in question is not typically known as an influencer on social media. Entries in question can be entered into either category. Examples include, but are not limited to, celebrity representation on any social channel, celebrity takeovers on social media, or custom product collections designed by a celebrity.

Entertainment Partnership

This award honors the use of cause-related social media that leverages a Entertainment Partnership to the benefit of both parties. Examples include, but are not limited to, endorsement on an entertainment program (television, movies, etc.) or creative collaboration with an entertainment program. 

Influencer Partnership

This award honors the use of cause-related social media that leverages an Influencer Partnership to the benefit of both parties. Influencer partnerships differ from celebrity partnerships in that the influencer in question is typically known for their social media presence. Entries in question can be entered into either category. Examples include, but are not limited to, endorsement by an influencer on any social channel, influencer takeovers on social media, or custom product collections designed by an influencer.

Non-Profit Partnership

This award honors the use of cause-related social media that leverages a partnership with a Non-Profit organization to the benefit of both parties. Examples include, but are not limited to, social events that support or drive awareness around a non-profit cause or a custom product collection that supports that cause.

Stay tuned for the winner announcements coming up next Tuesday, November 9th! Follow us on social and subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date!

Learn about the impactful jury for the 2021 Shorty Impact Awards!

Since 2016, the Shorty Impact Awards has spotlighted the work that has created positive impact around the world. In 6 short years, we’ve awarded companies such as Digitas, Nike, Edelman, Nickelodeon, HBO and others, whose efforts have proven to be the most impactful on social media! 

In order to honor impact, we are committed to evaluating entries according to 4 pillars: creativity, strategy, effectiveness and the people behind the work. For us, it is crucial to have the most experienced people in the industry to choose the work that best represents cause-marketing through social media.

As an awards show honoring diversity of opinion and perspective through the work submitted, we are committed to choosing judges that best represent that same level of diversity. We’re proud to say that more than 40% of our jurors come from underrepresented communities and women make up the majority of jury seats (nearly 60% to be exact). 100% of our jury members are experts in their field and have made a name for themselves in the professional social media community.  “We want our juries to represent the world that we want to live in,” said Christina Waterman, Marketing Director at Shorty Awards. We believe that a jury like this will bring in new perspectives and a fair judgment for all our entrants. 

Likewise, our juries were built in an equitable fashion categorized by brand, agency, and nonprofit to have fair representation amongst the different industry players. The 4 juries, which is a total of 40 people, is divided into 12 engagement jurors, 12 creativity jurors, 12 strategists and 4 people leaders. Meet and learn about the jurors here!

As with any good team, our juries will be guided by the leadership of our Jury Chairs. For each of the juries, there is one Jury Chair who will guide the group and make the final call in the event of ties or differences in opinion.  Meet our Jury Chairs and learn more about them on our website. 

These are the faces of the Shorty Impact Awards. Finalists will be announced at the beginning of November 2021. More information about the winners and the exact dates of the announcement will be released soon! Stay tuned for more and subscribe to our newsletter or follow us on social media 👏

Introducing Our Shorty Impact Award Jury

The Shorty Impact Awards are only a few months away, which means we’re ready to start announcing our jurors. Formerly known as the Shorty Social Good Awards, Impact celebrates non-profits, brands, and agencies who use social media to make our world a better place. To identify these exceptional individuals and organizations, we’ve assembled a jury who will assess and reward those who made an impact. Here’s the criteria by which our jurors will select potential nominees:

1. Impact & Engagement: Entries should demonstrate that their work had a positive impact on the cause they represent and/or successfully engaged their communities in a positive manner.

2. Creativity & Originality: Entries should demonstrate that their work is creative, well-executed and original. 

3. Strategy & Innovation: Entries should demonstrate that their work incorporates clear and effective strategies important to the goals of the cause and/or integrates innovative and new ways to deliver their message.

4. People & Purpose: Entries should demonstrate that the people behind the work have displayed exceptionalism in their work and/or ensure their work holds purpose for their organization.

Creative

Edu Pou

Executive Creative Director, We Are Social

Edu currently serves as the Executive Creative Director at We Are Social Australia, which was named best digital agency of the year in Cannes. He and his teams have collectively won over 100 awards and have served on the jury of the most prestigious advertising award competitions around the world.  

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Mike DiGiacomo

SVP and Art Director, BerlinRosen 

Michael DiGiacomo is the Art Director and Senior Vice President at Berlin Rosen. With over 15 years of experience, his command of design, combined with his passion for visual storytelling ensures that every project he touches is both strategically grounded and visually impactful. From digital and print campaigns to branding, Michael oversees Berlin Rosen’s design team and works closely with our strategists and writers to produce creative materials that are on-target for his client's audiences. Before joining Berlin Rosen, Michael worked as a senior designer at Vibe Magazine.

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Sue Anderson

Head of Creative, Instagram

Sue Anderson began her career at TBWA\Hunt Lascaris as a copywriter, eventually becoming a creative director. She eventually landed at Facebook, where she has worked as Head of Creative on the Facebook app leading the brands “More Together” and Facebook Groups work. Sue is now Head of Creative on Instagram at Facebook's in-house agency, Creative X.

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Christina O’Rourke

Executive Vice President, Group Executive Producer, Edelman

Christina O’Rourke leads creative production for Edelman’s Chicago, DC and Atlanta offices. Christina’s team takes pride in the simple motto, “We make anything,” whether that means producing a celebrity-studded documentary series about pasta, building a massive cereal-themed pop-up restaurant in NYC, or creating a fried-chicken-scented fire log for KFC.

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Adele Mulford

Director, Creative, Make-A-Wish

Adele Mulford serves as the Creative Director at Make-A-Wish America, leading a talented multi-discipline team that produces best-in-class integrated design, editorial, video, storytelling and project management solutions that build a stronger brand. As an active mentor and trainer, she has led creative courses in the U.S., Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Malaysia and India, inspiring audiences with her creative wit and wisdom.

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Ande Campbell Hubbard

Creative Director for Planned Parenthood

Ande Hubbard is a Brooklyn-based creative director at Planned Parenthood Federation of America where she works with an amazing team of creators, producers, activists and strategists. She believes that everyone deserves access to high-quality health care. In her spare time she photographs street art, watches her six-year-old build legos and chases him down ski slopes.

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Ciro Sarmiento

Chief Creative Officer, Weber Shandwick

Ciro joined Weber Shandwick as Chief Creative Officer in February of 2021 and has been a keynote speaker at Cannes Lions, Ted Talk and D&AD; promoting diversity, culture intelligence and creativity.

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Vera Leung

Senior Director, Content & Creative, International Rescue Committee

For over a decade, Vera has led multi-disciplinary creative teams to build organizational brand affinity, told moving stories of transformation, and delivered innovative experiences for the organization’s supporters. Under her leadership, the creative teams have reimagined global brands, supported record revenue growth, created ground-breaking live programs, and produced an award-winning creative portfolio.

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Mel Clements

Vice President, Creative, Marriott International

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Dmitrii Osipovskii

Interactive Creative Director at PPK

Dmitrii brings a unique combination of art and technology expertise, and business acumen to the table. He started his career at Moscow Stock Exchange and later received a scholarship to obtain his MS in Marketing and MBA degrees at the University of Tampa’s Sykes College of Business.

Our other creative jurors include Genet Lakew (Digital Content Director of the National Urban League).

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Strategy

Caine Fair

Director of Social Strategy, Havas San Francisco

Caine has led the Havas San Francisco social media department since 2015, working closely with both creative and digital strategy to formulate effective and business-driven social media campaigns and activations across an array of digital channels for brands of all sizes. Caine has immense knowledge and understanding of the digital space and how social media can drive specific brand goals and objectives for some of the largest brands in the world.

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Eric Toda

Global Head of Social Marketing, Facebook

Eric is a marketing executive, angel investor, and active advocate for the Asian American community. Currently at Facebook, Eric has held marketing leadership roles at Stitch Fix, Gap Inc, Airbnb, Snapchat, and Nike. As an Investor at Hyphen Capital and an independent advisor, Eric has been very grateful to help build disruptive brands like Yumi, Wardrobe, Upaway, Fyllo, and many others.

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Erin Hanley

Vice President, Entertainment Partnerships & Influencer Marketing Strategy, Ketchum

Erin Hanley joined Ketchum Sports & Entertainment (KSE) in May 2015 to manage branded content partnerships across the television, film and digital landscape for clients such as Kimberly-Clark, Clorox, Frito-Lay, Maytag and General Mills among others. Erin currently leads key influencer campaigns for clients such as Kite Hill, Kimberly Clark, and Maytag, managing up to 70 programs with influencers, content creation and agreements each year.

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Laurie Keith

Vice President of Media, Social & Emerging, Ad Council

As VP of Media at the Ad Council, Laurie works in the unique intersection of advertising, media/technology, and social good. Based in San Francisco, Laurie manages Ad Council's West Coast Media team, where she builds and manages relationships with major media, tech and entertainment companies to develop large-scale, innovative social-impact campaigns raising awareness on AdCouncil’s 40+ social causes. 

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Maria Sparling

VP, Strategy & Client Services, SocialFly

Maria Sparling has spent her entire 17+ year career in the digital strategy space, with the last 12 years focused on developing successful, data-driven, socially-led marketing programs. Throughout her experience she has worked with brands like Volvo, General Mills, Coty, Hawaiian Tropic, Schick, Playtex, Guess Watches, Timex, L'Oreal, Dr. Scholl's and others to build unique digital approaches that span a variety of elements connected to social, including influencer, augmented reality, experiential and more.

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Allan Gungormez

SVP of Strategy, MOCEAN

Allan provides strategic oversight across a variety of disciplines and partners and heads up the social and strategic disciplines for MOCEAN/O2. He joined MOCEAN after 13 years of leading strategy and social efforts at various agencies including hi5, Laundry Service, and The Marketing Arm. His award-winning work spans across global campaigns for Beats by Dre, Spotify, Cisco, Netflix, Converse, Amazon, Hotels.com, Frito Lay, and Pepsi.

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Mike Dossett

VP, Group Director - Digital Strategy & Comms Planning

Mike Dossett leads the digital strategy department at RPA, where he and his team oversee integrated marketing for all RPA clients across consumer technology, automotive, insurance, CPG, retail, and more. A recognized industry leader, Dossett has been featured in major publications including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, CNBC, Adweek, and Business Insider.

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Penni Berns

Chief, Digital Strategy, UNICEF

As the Chief of Digital Strategy at UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, Penni oversees global digital communications and helps shape and amplify UNICEF’s powerful and compelling voice. By distributing breakthrough multimedia content through social media channels that exceed 100 million followers, Penni leads her team in building awareness of the issues facing the world’s most vulnerable children. Penni is also responsible for driving a global UNICEF digital transformation initiative to elevate digital infrastructure, governance and organizational expertise across 190 countries. 

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RG Logan

SVP of Strategy for the Truth Initiative

RG Logan leads efforts to develop and define the Truth Initiative brand. As the organization expands its efforts beyond teen smoking prevention to include the opioid epidemic, he is creating a cohesive strategy that helps connect the organization to agency and media platform partners.

 Our other outstanding strategy jurors include Preeti Desai (Director, Social Media and Storytelling, National Audubon Society), Pilar Harris (Senior Director, Global Corporate Partnerships, Global Citizen), and Nick Susi (Head of Strategy, Complex Collective).

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Engagement

Olivia Cheng

Senior Director, Marketing and Brand Engagement, LA28

Olivia is the Senior Director of Marketing and Brand Engagement at LA28, the Los Angeles Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2028. Olivia leads the integrated marketing strategy across all digital, brand, and fan engagement experiences. Olivia is responsible for collaborating across functions to ensure LA28 continues to build and make a positive impact for the fans and the community.

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Taryn Jackson Stewart

Director, Audience Engagement, PBS

Taryn Stewart is dedicated to amplifying the voice of PBS.org in many ways, speaking directly to audiences via the PBS.org homepage, key PBS e-newsletters, and other PBS.org content projects. She also spearheads the annual PBS Short Film Festival, which highlights short-form independent films from across public media. 

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Brandy Jaquez

Director of Social and Influencer Engagement, Kellogg Company

Jaquez leads influencer and social media engagement for the Kellogg Company.  She is responsible for successful campaigns including the Kellogg’s cereal café, Frosted Flakes Mission Tiger and Pop-Tarts first Tik Tok Hashtag challenge and MorningStar Farms “Vegenity” campaign.

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Liz Gopaul

SVP, Engagement & Social of FCBCURE

Liz Gopaul develops social strategies and implementation plans to bridge the gap between brand communications, effectively deploying the right content across social channels. With 17 + years of expertise, Liz has partnered with Fortune 100 companies to create social strategies within the pharmaceutical/biotech (HCP, DTC), rare disease, CPG, automotive, and beauty sectors.

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Kelly Stewart

Head of Entertainment, Celebrity & Influencer Partnerships, Partners in Health

Kelly is a talent relations expert with eight years of experience creating celebrity and influencer partnerships for globally recognized brands. She developed expertise at the intersection of pop culture, television, and fashion through her work at leading entertainment companies: Rain Management, Next Models, United Entertainment Group, and R/GA. Over the last decade, Kelly produced hundreds of talent partnerships and developed social strategies for a wide variety of brands: Audi, Nike, Oprah's Book Club, and American Express.

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John Rash

VP Culture & Entertainment Engagement, XPrize

John Rash is charged with harnessing the power of culture & entertainment to create and build a new mainstream consumer engagement platform for the Foundation in order to elevate the scale of reach and impact of the organization in the world.

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Nola Weinstein

Global Head of Culture & Brand Experience, Twitter

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Keith Kunis

Director of Community Management, Wunderman Thompson

Culture-driven department head trying not to overthink “it” – Keith Kunis 

Keith believes in telling _______ stories, creating _______ content, and building _______ social communities. Clients over his career include Nike, Google, Adidas, Samsung, Netflix, Uber Eats, Red Bull, and Starbucks. When he’s not working you can find him engaging with sneaker and fashion content or using his streetwear brand TRILLBLAZIN as a test & learn.

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The rest of our amazing Engagement jurors includes Sarah Epler (Director Of Audience Development and Social Media for Verizon Media).

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Phenom

Judy Lee

Head of Global Brand Experiences, Pinterest

Judy Lee is the Head of Global Brand Experiences at Pinterest, where she leads the teams that bring the Pinterest brand to life through events, experiences and programming to audiences around the globe. Recognized for her work in transforming Pinterest's brand experiences, Judy has been named an Adweek Woman Trailblazer, a Top Woman to Watch by Brand Innovators and a Top Woman in Events by Event Marketer.

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Jens Markland

Head of Design, Ogilvy

Jens Marklund is a Swedish Creative Director and Head of Design at Ogilvy. His previous clients include Google, Smirnoff, Hermés, DKNY, Joan and Apple. His work has been featured on Wired.com, Fast Company, Dwell, The Verge and seen on billboards, packaging, and buildings globally.

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Our other phenomenal phenom jurors include Zamile Vilakazi (SVP & Head of Production for 22squared) and Mei Fong (Chief Communications Officer, Human Rights Watch).

We are so excited about this year’s diverse jury. If you want to be considered for our Shorty Impact Awards, remember to submit here before our final deadline on Tuesday, September 28 at 11:59pm EDT. Also make sure to stay tuned here on our blog and on our socials as we continue to announce our jurors!

Key Learnings From an Award-Winning Community Management Team

In a time where people have a stronger need to be connected, and with the arrival of a new digital era, building a community has become one of the keys to social media success. Every brand, agency and organization needs a good community strategy that goes far beyond posting scheduled content or partnering with influencers to connect with their audiences.

Managing a community is about building a relationship with your customers, employees and partners. A few weeks ago, 1000heads hosted a Clubhouse chat, where we learned that through a good community management strategy, we can create a space where people can share their emotions and connect more meaningfully. How? There are three top elements that will elevate your community strategy: authenticity, relatability and transparency.

Authenticity

Savannah Hobbs, Director of Communications at 1000heads mentions that “community management today isn’t only about sharing memes and responding to customer service issues'', it’s about being authentic. As a Community Manager, you’re not only the eyes and ears of a brand. But it also entitles you to drive the narrative of what your brand stands for. 

Authenticity is about standing behind your brand’s values and making them abundantly clear to your audience. Just as we saw with We’re Not Really Strangers, winner at the 13th Annual Shorty Awards, they launched a very true-to-brand direct text service to create deeper conversations in a time of social distancing and mental health awareness. This is a purpose-driven card game whose objective and values are to create meaningful connections through brave, brutally honest and emotional questions [learn more about it here].

Transparency

Alongside authenticity, 1000heads’ team talked about the importance of transparency for community building. Transparency can sometimes be a risk but it builds trust, just as we recently saw with the clothing brand Ganni. The company shared a post on social media saying they are “not a sustainable company”, a very direct and risky claim. This was an uncertain move where the company needed to be prepared for any questions or comments in regards to where they are today in terms of sustainability, but it paid off for Ganni as they were praised for their honesty. And even if it doesn’t go as well as planned, Savannah states, “the impact of brand advocates in those moments where transparency doesn’t go well is an opportunity for community managers to engage even more”.

Relatability

The 1000heads team shared that the final piece of the community building triad is relatability. Relatability is about connecting with people in a way that meets them where they are; it’s having empathy for your audience. The question is: how do we build relatability?

Today, more than ever, user-generated content is at an all time high with the best brand campaigns on social media, where brands use real people to connect with their audiences. This strategy brings relatability to the center of the community building strategy. In 2020, Vogue hosted a red carpet moment through Instagram. The #MetGalaChallenge was an engaging campaign that allowed all people, from celebs to influencers to fans, to recreate their favorite Met Gala red carpet looks. [learn more about this Shorty award-winning campaign].

To emphasize the importance of a brand’s relatability, Leah Kendall, Senior Community Director for the UK and Europe at 1000heads mentions that “content that looks like real people, and is informed by real people” is a trend to look out for in 2021. 

In conclusion, 1000heads gave a great metaphor about how to utilize these three components for community management:

“Have a Party 🥳”

Any good host knows that the secret to a great party is a great group of people. Even as brand representatives, our experts cautioned against stealing the spotlight and going into sales mode. “If you’re to host a really great community dinner party, you as the host wouldn’t be selling — you would have created an environment where talking about the brand becomes natural,” said Leah. “Your dinner party ends up with side conversations about the product and how to use it in different use cases. “The best community is one that gathers and fuels itself.” 

With all of that said, get that community strategy started. Build your own party: be truthful, connect real people with your audience, and don’t forget to stay authentic.

At the Shorty Impact Awards we have a place for impactful work that utilizes the strategies of Community Management to build stronger connections on social media. Additionally, we have a space for Community Management team members to be recognized for their talents at the Shorty Phenom Awards 🥳 Entries are still open - click here to learn more about how to get recognized.

Follow us on social media and subscribe to our newsletter to stay up-to-date about the Shorty Awards!

Why Honoring Internal Talent Is A Great Thing

For many years, we’ve seen the work that brands, agencies and organizations have made to create impact by using the power of social media. But we all know where the real power comes from – the people. 

Companies are looking for more ways to recognize their talent. In response to that, the Shorty Awards introduced a new award show: The Shorty Phenom Awards! It recognizes the talented people behind the work, and is an integral part of the Shorty Impact Awards this year. Now, when you’re entering some of your best work of the year, you can also recognize the people and teams behind it. Take a look at this year's categories and rules for more information. The Shorty Phenom Awards is for all brands, agencies and organizations that want to celebrate their people; whether that’s a marketer, a creative, a strategist, or a whole team. For this year’s Shorty Impact Awards, the Phenom nominations should be people working on cause-related campaigns and platforms. This award show will be open for entries until Tuesday, September 28th! 

Thinking of how you can better recognize your talent?  Here are 4 reasons why you should celebrate them:

1. It increases employee engagement 🤝

People have the need to be recognized for their efforts. Celebrating them will create a deeper bond with them. This will encourage them to stay at your company and grow with it.

2. It encourages them to perform even better 🐳

Being recognized is an incentive to keep improving. It pushes people to give the best of themselves at work.

3. It helps to retain top talent 🏆

Want to keep the greatest marketers, creatives, leaders and other members on your team? Give them the honor of winning a Shorty Phenom Award!

4. It demonstrates what success looks like

Many people do not know what success looks like until they are celebrated for their efforts!  Entries will be open until Tuesday, September 28th, so you’ve got some time to celebrate your talent - submit your nominations here! 

Don’t forget to follow us and subscribe to our newsletter to keep up-to-date on what’s coming.

From Shorty Social Good Awards to Shorty Impact Awards!

The Shorty Awards has become a leading voice in the social media industry through honoring the most creative and impactful work from around the globe. Starting next Tuesday, June 22nd, we are excited to open entries for the Shorty Impact Awards, honoring the work of non-profit organizations, brands and agencies who are using the power of social media for good.

The Shorty Impact Awards, formerly known as the Shorty Social Good Awards, will have a restructured entry system that was built from the perspective of the organizations that support important causes through social media. The categories will be organized by Medium, Category and Subcategory. Entrants will be able to enter as many subcategories as they want and submissions will be evaluated by a carefully selected jury from diverse backgrounds and fields. Take a look at the categories: 

This season, we’re also launching the Shorty Phenom Awards! The definition of a phenom is “a person who is outstandingly talented or admired”. Here at the Shortys, we know that for every impactful piece of work, there’s someone who deserves recognition for it. Whether that’s a marketer, a creative, a strategist, or a whole team, we now honor the people and teams behind the best work on social. The Phenom Awards will be an integral part of both the Shorty Impact Awards and the Shorty Awards. Check out the categories below:

Entries for the 2021 Shorty Impact Awards and Phenom Awards open on Tuesday, June 22nd.

Don’t forget to follow us and subscribe to our newsletter to keep up-to-date on what’s coming!

The Shorty Awards enters a new era in 2021

The pandemic has given us an opportunity to rethink how we interact with our audience and how to better serve their needs. We’re talking about the needs of brands, agencies and organizations. Like many businesses, we discovered that we didn’t need to be in an office to conduct our day-to-day operations. We also discovered that having balance in our lives can improve our mental health. So, we took this opportunity to completely rethink the Shorty Awards and in the coming weeks and months, we’ll be letting you know about our plans and we’ll be unveiling some great new things. Things that will better meet your needs as well as ours.

Here are some of the changes that are in the works:

We’re excited about the changes we have planned and it’s going to take a lot of work to make it all happen. We hope that you are excited as well because we truly believe that the Shorty Awards represents you, the industry.

Make sure you subscribe to get notified of future announcements!

2021 Shorty Awards winner reveal set for May 11-14th!

With our #ShortysGoneSocial celebrations this past month, we’ve featured this year’s brand and agency finalists’ on our Feed of Fame. We learned from the savvy social media experts behind the work during our Shorty Awards Social Club.

Now, it’s the time for the final reveal: the 13th Annual Shorty Awards Winners Drop is taking place from May 11th to May 14th, 2021. This one-of-a-kind awards experience will be spread across social platforms, granting access to anyone who’s anywhere. Head to Instagram to find out what brands and agencies will be crowned as the Best in Social!

We’ll kick off every day at 12:30pm EST on IG Live to introduce the schedule for the day. Winners will be announced hourly from 1pm to 4pm EST throughout the week. In addition to the winner announcements we will feature the Agency and Brand of the Year finalists on Reels and encourage our audience to share their excitement in their own Stories with Shorty Stickers* and a Spark AR Effect**! 

Check out the schedule:

Tuesday, May 11th 

@ 1pm EST

@ 2pm EST

@ 3pm EST

@ 4pm EST

Wednesday, May 12th

@ 1pm EST

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@ 3pm EST

@ 4pm EST

Thursday, May 13th

@ 1pm EST

@ 2pm EST

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Friday, May 14th

@ 1pm EST

@ 2pm EST

@ 3pm EST

@ 4pm EST

Don’t forget to follow us to celebrate with us! Time to reveal the best of social, on social, for social.

The Shorty Awards joined Clubhouse, let the celebrations begin!

With a professional community frequently suffering of Zoom fatigue, audio chats are our perfect opportunity to celebrate with the brightest minds in social media without feeling like you are in “another meeting”.

The Shorty Awards Social Club is now live on Clubhouse! Follow us to gain insight into what it takes to create groundbreaking work and get to know this year’s finalists on a deeper level.

These chats will be hosted starting on Tuesday, May 4th, and Thursday, May 6th, and will be hosted by thought leaders in the social media industry. The following topics will be covered:

1. Why Influencer Marketing Doesn’t Suck

Hosted by Jess Turner, 1000heads (@jessturner16)

Tuesday, May 4th at 1pm EST - Join the conversation

Influencer marketing has entered the awkward teenage phase. Marketers and consumers alike aren't sure how to feel about influencer marketing, but the proof is in the pudding (or rather, the trophies). Done right, these campaigns can be a hit. Shorty Award finalists discuss the dos, don'ts and challenges with executing a flawless influencer campaign.

2. Stand Up: Changemakers Pushing Brands Forward

Hosted by Dina de la Rocha, Triller (@dinadeenz)

Tuesday, May 4th at 6pm EST - Join the conversation

In the last year, brands have been asked to be involved in more socially conscious discussions than ever before. And behind every post there’s a changemaker who advocated for that discussion to happen. This session will focus on the people behind the posts, the individuals who stood up and spoke out when social issues could no longer be ignored. We’ll ask those changemakers to share their stories, especially highlighting the ambitious ideas that eventually became award finalists.

3. Social Campaigns That Make Feeds Famous 🤩

Hosted by Victor M Parker II, Ayzenberg (@vmparker2)

Thursday, May 6th at 1pm EST - Join the conversation

What’s in a campaign? In this session, we’ll chop up Shorty nominated campaigns to better understand the secret sauce that makes social media marketing the spice of life. (Hungry yet?) We’ll work to understand what part of the idea came first and how it grew from there, how brands avoid cliches, and what ideas marketers had that didn’t come to life...yet. 

4. Marketers in the Age of “Always-On” 🧠

Hosted by Judy Lee, Pinterest (@judybk)

Thursday, May 6th at 6pm EST - Join the conversation

How has your last year been? Fatigue, never-ending communications, burnout. These days, what’s the cost of success? Have you experienced “survivor’s guilt” of having a job during the pandemic? Or has the job search worn down your spirit? Let’s talk about marketers’ mental health — how brands/agencies are addressing it for their employees and how individuals are addressing it on their own. 

Join our club to chat about the state of social today & tomorrow, plus meet the brightest minds in the industry. And, make sure you tune in to the #ShortysGoneSocial this year as we honor the best work in social media...on social media. 

Subscribe to our newsletter for more updates and don’t forget follow us on Clubhouse!

The Shorty Awards are taking a turn for the (even more) social!

The Shorty Awards, now in its thirteenth year, were the first awards show to honor social media. By constantly evolving along with the changing landscape of the medium, the Shortys remains the most prominent award show of its kind. 

For 2021, we are going 100% social for the 13th Annual Shorty Awards festivities. We’re blazing a trail by saying goodbye to old formats and creating an experience that’s innovative, rewarding, and category-redefining. 

With #ShortysGoneSocial, we’re making our unmissable event literally unmissable — spreading it across social platforms and granting access to anyone who’s anywhere. It’s our way of paying homage to our social roots and spreading the word even further about the people that make social media the innovative and entertaining space it is today. 

We’ll kick off our celebrations on April 26th by introducing our ‘Feed of Fame’, a space dedicated to celebrate the best work in social media and highlight the most impactful, innovative and creative campaigns of this year. This will take place on our Instagram feed, where we’ll deep dive into some of our finalists’ work and creativity told through images, short-form video content, and in-depth descriptions. 

Starting May 4th will have multiple discussions taking place on Clubhouse, a new audio chat platform that will give our audience the opportunity to interact with the brightest minds in the industry. The conversations will be moderated by thought leaders in social media focused on the following four themes:

RSVPs for the chats above will be sent shortly.

Winners... What we’ve all been waiting for 🥳

Instagram is the place to be for the ultimate interactive Shorty Awards reveal. The ‘Winners Drop’ will be announced through Instagram Live and Stories, which consists of revealing all our winners from May 11th to May 14th. A social format that inspires discussion and future best-in-class work adding Live video, interactive polls, and feature reels to bring our audience even closer to the action.

We’re meeting our audience where they are in a way that’s authentically us, and honoring the best work of social media, on social media, for social media.

Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us to get notified once our celebration starts!

Karl Vontz Named Shorty Awards Managing Director ‘Reimagined’ Awards Show Announced

NEW YORK The Shorty Awards names Karl Vontz as Managing Director, according to Shorty Awards Co-Founder, Gregory Galant. The veteran awards executive -- who previously oversaw the Clio Awards and consulted for Cannes Lions -- will oversee a reimagined global awards show for the 13 year-old brand.

“This April, we will host our very first award show produced entirely in social media. We want our brand to live in that space as much as possible and it’s exciting to explore all the ways we can leverage social media to broaden the reach of the Shorty Awards,” said Vontz.

The popular award show will shift from a twice-yearly ceremony and will now consist of four awards programs. The Shorty Awards will be split into two separate and distinct programs: the Shorty Brand Awards, honoring brands & agencies; and the Shorty Creator Awards, honoring creators and influencers. The Shorty Social Good Awards will be rebranded as the Shorty Impact Awards, honoring social responsibility. A new show will be introduced later in the year: the Shorty Phenom Awards, honoring the people and teams of social media from brands, organizations and agencies. In addition, the entry and judging system will be updated to reflect the current and anticipated needs of brands, agencies and organizations.

“Karl joins the Shorty Awards team at a pivotal time when social media is evolving faster than ever.” said Galant. “Karl will accelerate our mission to celebrate the best of social media, while continuing to connect brands with the diverse creator community in an inclusive manner.”

The Shorty Awards was the first to recognize a pioneering new media that is now embedded into our lives. Social media has become a necessary and integral part of brand marketing, which is critical to developing relationships with brand customers. For more information: www.shortyawards.com.

3 steps to get started with purpose-driven work

(Part 2 of 2)

Written by Sandy Russell, Founder Sandy Russell Creative, 2020 Shorty Awards Small Agency of the Year

In our last article, we looked at WHY brands and agencies need to be investing in purpose-driven work. Now that we’ve convinced our stakeholders (per Larry Fink’s quote from Part 1, not our shareholders-- our stakeholders) that we need to do purpose-driven work, what happens next? A big part of discovering a company’s purpose is answering the question “Beyond profit, why do we exist?” (ideo, a leader in this industry), which requires considering the company’s products, people, and values it represents. 

Below is a pretty straightforward 3-step approach my team has used over the years: 1) reflect on your values 2) set data-driven and measurable goals, and 3) just get going.

Step 1: 

Reflect on your values. 

Start by reflecting on what matters to your organization. Who are you? How did you start? What matters to your employees? Your customers? Your leadership? What gets you excited and engaged to put time, effort, and money (because it will take all three) into supporting and sustaining a cause?  There are lots of tools to help with this-- the internet truly is a wonderful place. Ideo’s purpose wheel is a good place to start. 

In this phase, start by removing the typical metrics we think about when we look at profitability (brand love, cash flow, etc) and instead focus on what actually inspires you and your organization as a whole. It’s kind of like middle school: if you try to do something just because you think someone else will like it, you’ll end up looking foolish (see my 6th grade haircut for reference).  

For Patagonia, the founder Yvon Chouinard started the company based on his love of being outdoors. He and his team realized that if they didn’t do something to stop the rate at which the environment was being attacked, being outdoors wouldn’t be an option anymore. Realizing this, they began to question traditional consumerism, as counterintuitive as it may seem, as expressed by the “Don’t Buy This Jacket” campaign. They continue to commit to this principle to this day with the “Buy less, demand more” campaign launched around Black Friday and Cyber Monday in 2020. The messaging is tiered-- 1) please reduce consumption, 2) please reuse and repair things where you can, and 3)  if you absolutely must buy, buy from sustainable, responsible brands. If there’s a company that represents “Be the change you wish to see in the world”, it’s Patagonia.

(Patagonia putting their money where their mouth is)

Thrive Causemetics - as the name entails -  is a makeup company dedicated to empowering women. Its founder, Karissa Bodnar, has made purpose an inseparable part of the company’s DNA. This commitment has turned Thrive “from a plucky little makeup startup to a multi-million-dollar company in just three years”(allure).  For every product purchased, one is donated to a woman going through a cancer treatment. Thrive further partners with a plethora of organizations dedicated to uplifting women experiencing homelessness, domestic abuse, cancer treatment, or adjusting to life after military service. Not to mention all of their products are vegan, cruelty-free, and made without parabens or sulfates (allure). It’s clear they know what they stand for--their values come to life in their products and initiatives, and have earned them respect across the board.

(Thrive Causemetics donating across the board and fulfilling their corporate promise)

Establish trust by being authentic and transparent.

When it comes to this work, authenticity is key. Consumers -- like kids, back to the middle school example -- know when you are trying to pull a fast one. They can sniff out disingenuous actions and will immediately notice if a brand jumps on a bandwagon or tries to superficially break into an issue they aren’t actually committed to. Starting with an issue your brand and leadership team intrinsically care about and are dedicated to in the long run is the most important part of this process. 

It’s also key during this phase to do an honest, internal reflection of how your company has committed to these values internally before telling others to do them. If you’re championing anti-racism, have you examined what your leadership board looks like and the rates of retention for BIPOC employees within your company? If you’re fighting climate change, what are the carbon emissions of your company?

The good news is you don’t have to have it totally right. In fact, it probably makes you more relatable if you don’t (although if you have figured it out, that’s amazing and will be lauded). What’s important is to be transparent on where and how you can do better, and how you seek to work with the community to figure it out. 

San Francisco-based Allbirds, a wool shoe company, has committed to becoming more sustainable and reducing its carbon footprint. But, to do so, they had to measure it first and be transparent about where they were, their goals regarding sustainability, and how they were going to bridge the gap. They aren’t completely carbon-free, but they are clear on their shortcomings and how they are committed to getting there. 

(Allbirds showcasing their transparency and long term commitment to sustainability)

Step 2: 

Set data-driven goals to have a measurable impact. 

One of the main things I learned from my years at Google was to start with data and expertise to intentionally set and reach goals. If we wanted consumers in India to download Google Maps and/or use it regularly, we had to know market size, Android v iOS penetration, availability of similar apps, perceptions by local consumers and press, if our product met the needs of that market, etc. Purpose-driven work is no different. Like any initiative, you want to have a clear goal to work towards, and a way to measure your impact. Not only is this important as a way to provide direction for your team, but regarding authenticity,  people know when a brand is actually trying to make an impact, versus when it does something for the sake of doing it. Superficial investment reeks from miles away.

Start by working with experts and organizations already in the field. Take the time to understand their needs, the gaps, and where you can fit in-- just as you would do any other consumer research. And, most importantly, understand what the impact you hope to make is and how you can measure it. 

Is the goal to help young women feel empowered- measured by a social media listening survey on how girls ages 14-18 describe their body? To raise $X for a certain non-profit? To register y# of voters in your home state? To change your supply chain to reduce z% of carbon emissions? 

Having a clear goal of the impact your brand wants to have -- ideally designed with those already in the field--will set a clear end goal of where to direct your energy. 

And determine the best method for your brand to achieve that impact - money, time, and/or resources. 

Now that you know what you want to work on and what measurable impact you hope to have, what’s the best way for your brand to support and help? This can take on a variety of executions, from money to time to resources. 

Money

Donating money is always appreciated, especially when your brand or company is benefitting from working in a certain area or with a certain population. One of my first forays into incorporating social good work with traditional marketing campaigns was when Google collected the first-ever Street View of Yosemite’s El Capitan with world famous climbers like Alex Honnold (of FREE SOLO Oscar fame, Tommy Caldwell (of 2015’s prolific Dawn Wall ascent), and Lynn Hill (first person to free climb Yosemite’s El Capitan). The mission of this campaign was to give people access to Yosemite in a way they’d never seen before. To fulfill this broader goal and also invest in Yosemite, we donated about 25% of the budget to Naturebridge, an organization that brings kids in California to Yosemite for an educational camp experience each year. We also gave a 10-year commitment to the Yosemite Facelift, a yearly event bringing the community together to clean up trash around Yosemite National Park. Yosemite gave so much to our campaign and Street View’s users and this was our small way to say thank and ensure growing access to a beautiful park. 

In 2020, we saw this play out in broad strokes across the nation (and world) with the simultaneous issues of the COVID-19 pandemic and attempts to address systemic racism. Experts in the field called for people to donate to the NAACP,  ACLU, Black Lives Matter, or other Black-led organizations as a key way of contributing to legislative efforts to overturn systemically racist policies (NYmag). Peloton took this to heart and was one of the first companies to take a stand and make a significant donation following the George Floyd protests. They valued their instructors and customers and wanted to commit to their Black community, so they donated $500,000 to the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund and encouraged their community to get involved in anti-racism work. 

(Source - Peloton)

Time and Resources

Sometimes, the best way to support organizations and actors who are already in the field is by giving them your time and resources. When I worked on Google’s holiday initiative to track Santa on Christmas Eve (aptly named Santa Tracker), the team wanted to encourage people to give as a part of the holidays. Rather than create our own initiative, we spotlighted charities around the world that people could donate to while in the holiday giving mood. At the time, Santa Tracker was one of the most visited Google sites, so spotlighting those organizations was a huge PR and awareness win for them that was relatively easy for us to add. 

Significant impact can also come from raising awareness for a crucial issue and then putting resources towards addressing it. Dove, a Unilever brand,  found a key insight about their audience that they wanted to work on: only 2% of women saw themselves as beautiful. With this data in hand, Dove went all in to celebrate the fact that women come in all shapes, colors, and sizes. Their “Real Beauty” campaign started running with this in 2004 and emphasized that no matter what you look like, you are real and beautiful. They used their platform to raise awareness on this issue--which is rooted in societal pressures telling women what it means to be “beautiful”-- and then actively combat it through inclusive and genuine media.  The campaign has touched millions, won awards, and is one of the most recognizable in the last decade - and sales for Dove jumped from $2.5 billion to $4 billion in the campaign's first ten years. Today, they continue these commitments with the Dove Real Beauty Pledge  and the Self-Esteem project. 

(Dove’s continued commitment to Real Beauty)

All 3? 

Or, a company can take a combination of these approaches. 

Salesforce, for example, has pioneered a 1-1-1 model, where they donate 1% of product, 1% of equity, and 1% of employees’ time to communities in the nonprofit sector - leading to 3.8M volunteer hours, 260M+ in grants to 40,000 non profit and educational institutions (Salesforce). 

My agency, SRC, worked with Google to support the Cybercrime Support Network in helping senior citizens avoid scams. Google partnered closely with CSN to understand their priorities and goals to create Scan Spotter, a  super-senior-friendly site (including an engaging quiz and playful, retro-inspired illustrations), built on insights from dual research into both scammers’ behavior and senior-friendly design. Rather than creating their own initiative, Google invested time, money, and resources into supporting CSN’s initiative at a crucial time:  $1.9 billion in losses were reported to the FTC in 2019 alone. 

(source- Scam Spotter)

Each of these approaches require different amounts of time and investment - but what is similar is that they are authentic, measurable, and impactful as a result. 

Step 3: Just get going. 

Sometimes this is the hardest part. And, it’s ok to start small out of the gate. This is a long-term relationship your brand is building with your cause and its stakeholders. Something is better than nothing, and will most importantly set a precedent and start a habit of being involved in this cause.  

Starbucks, for example, has ramped up its sustainability efforts significantly in the last 10 years, but their work started on a micro-level back in 1985 when they offered their first reusable cup discount (Seattle Times). Over the decades, they slowly made more progress, finding ways to ethically-source all of their coffee and seeking more environmentally-friendly cup strategies (The Rising). They frequently implement timeline-based, concrete goals, whether they are converting 100% of the energy in their US stores to renewable energy or committing to the elimination of plastic straws (Seattle Times). Their sustainability timeline helps demonstrate that you just have to start somewhere, and a little work over time can have a huge impact.

And, know that it’s ok to make mistakes. In fact, you probably will make them. But going back to the transparency discussion, being real and open about them is key. According to a 2018 McKinsey study, “The good news is that consumers—in particular Gen Zers—are tolerant of brands when they make mistakes, if the mistakes are corrected.” 

Not too bad, right? 

While we can’t solve the entirety of the world’s problems, as brands and organizations, we can still wield incredible power to make an impact and be true to our values, our customers, and our employees. When we break this all down into smaller steps, set against actionable and measurable goals - anything is possible. Happier employees, more satisfied customers, and of course, the chance to actually make an impact-- what do we have to lose?

Give the people what they want: Why purpose-driven work is a crucial part of any brand’s portfolio.

(Part 1 of 2) 

Written by Sandy Russell, Founder Sandy Russell Creative, 2020 Shorty Awards Small Agency of the Year

“The public expectations of your company have never been greater… Every company must not only deliver financial performance, but also show how it makes a positive contribution to society. Without a sense of purpose, no company, either public or private, can achieve its full potential.” Larry Fink, Chairman and CEO of BlackRock, Inc. (NYT)  

As someone who has partnered with companies such as Google to diversify access to education, Patagonia to defend public lands, and the UNHCR to raise awareness for the Syrian Refugee Crisis, I was absolutely delighted to read this statement from one of the world’s most influential business leaders.  Fink’s public declaration showcased an exciting transformation in the way the world views the intersection of business and social responsibility. 

For decades, top business leaders and economists followed Milton Friedman’s argument that "the only social responsibility of business is to increase its profits”.  But, as Fink’s letter demonstrates, “social responsibility” has evolved to a radically different meaning for brands in the 21st century. Brands need to embody a dedication to their values and purpose, and they need to bring those values to life to make a meaningful impact for society. 

No big deal, right? The good news is that engaging in this work is not as intimidating and overwhelming as it may seem - and it pays off. We’ve seen brands around the world do this with a tremendous impact on employee retention (73% of employees at purpose-driven companies feel engaged), stock growth (purpose-driven companies outperform the stock market by 42%), and consumer loyalty (close to 85% of Millennials say it’s important that the companies they buy from share their values).  Every company, no matter how large or how small, stands to benefit from both a karmic and cash-flow perspective by investing in purpose-driven work. 

(source - Fisk, Why Purpose Driven Companies do Better)

Ok, so what do we do? Turns out there’s quite a few ways, many of which I’ve tried personally or been fortunate enough to witness and learn from over my career. Helping brands create meaningful work that makes an impact and reflects their values is something that I have been drawn to for a while. It started with 5 years of brand marketing at Google, until I ultimately left to found and run Sandy Russell Creative, a creative agency focused on purpose-driven work. I’ll walk you through how I approach purpose-driven work, which we define as 1) work a company does to understand and articulate its values and 2) work where the company invests its time and resources into those values. 

There’s a lot to cover, so we’ve split this article into two parts. In Part 1, we’ll walk through WHY this work is crucial and in Part 2, we’ll walk through HOW to do it. Together, we seek to give agencies and brands the tools they need to demonstrate the importance of purpose-driven work to decision makers. How? By quantitatively and qualitatively proving that any company that wishes to stay relevant needs to engage in work that is meaningful and purposeful to their employees, their customers, and society at large. 

Who cares? Our customers and our employees, it turns out. 

The rise of millennials and Gen Z has brought on new expectations for brands. Consumer research and spending data shows a rising trend that people, especially younger generations, aren’t just looking for a product, they’re looking for a value match. Indeed, 79% of customers are more loyal to brands with purpose (Fisk -this article is incredible and highly recommended).  

Nowadays, the brands we engage with serve as a reflection of what defines us, and we are intentional with what we wear, consume, and share. And, we have more options today than ever before. With global platforms like Amazon and Google, a myriad of options are available at our fingertips, spanning every imaginable price and quality. Considering the incredible number of choices available, this can be a scary time for a brand. 

I’d argue, however, that this is a perfect opportunity for a brand to differentiate itself with what we’ve been not-so-subtly alluding to: the values of the brand and how it realizes them through purpose-driven work. Yes, purchasing options are growing - but we are also seeing that the simultaneous growth of media platforms empowers brands to speak directly to consumers and showcase what sets them apart. As Simon Sinek outlines in his TED talk viewed over 52 million times: “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” This comes to life for today’s brands in a few ways as they seek to understand and attract both customers and employees. How? Let’s dive in. 

Purchasing decisions

Research run by Accenture in 2018 found that “62 percent of customers want companies to take a stand on current and broadly relevant issues like sustainability, transparency or fair employment practices.” . Specifically looking at younger generations (projected to spend $1.4 trillion in 2020), “close to 85 percent of millennials say it’s important that the companies they buy from share their values.” This commitment to values applies across consumers and showcases how companies can connect to their customers. In fact, 91% of consumers have indicated that given two products similar in quality and price, they would choose the product from a purpose-driven company, according to leading brand expert, Simon Mainwaring.

Customer loyalty

The relationship goes deeper: once consumers have found a brand  that matches their values, they’re more likely to support that company. “79% of consumers said they’re more loyal to purpose brands, and 73% said they would defend them. Another 67% said they are more willing to forgive such a company for a mistake” (Fisk). This is an exciting statistic for those of us motivated by purpose-driven work. If brands take the time to develop their values and invest in authentically promoting their message, an incredible opportunity exists to appeal to a growing customer base. The story of the company, its product, and its values can win customers and drive loyalty-- making this a focal point for anyone making business decisions in this economic climate.  

Employee attraction and retention

Beyond this, we see that “purpose strengthens employee loyalty, promotes productivity, and improves retention” (Forbes).  A purpose-driven company offers the opportunity for employees to connect with the company on a more significant level, and even to drive the causes that a company chooses to focus on, provided that the company is listening to what its employees care about. That feeling of loyalty translates into longevity. Price Waterhouse Cooper found that millennials are over 500% more likely to stay at a company when they feel a strong connection to that company’s purpose (Fisk). In addition, according to a Deloitte study, 73% of employees who work for a purpose-driven company said that they feel engaged, compared to only 23% of those who don’t feel they work for a purpose-driven company.

Ok, so who’s doing this well? 

It’s not just a matter of touting values - customers expect companies to actually do something about the causes they believe in. Again, we have millennials to thank (truly) for this important shift: “75% of millennials consider it fairly or very important that brands give back to society instead of just making a profit “(Forbes). They also recognize that this can cause products to be more expensive as a company creates a more sustainable supply chain (Burt’s Bees), invests in the education of kids within their community (Nike), pays people to take the time to vote (a plethora of metro Detroit firms). 71% of millennials will pay more for a product if they know some of the proceeds go to charity. This means that companies not only have the breathing space to invest in social good within their business, but also that they have the potential to make a higher profit from investing in this work. We’ve seen this play out in across a variety of industries, from outdoor gear to children’s toys. 

Patagonia - the all-in approach. 

Patagonia easily comes to mind as a leader in the field of purpose-driven companies. Their dedication to purpose has paid off with everything from a 30% sales increase YoY to a 7% jump in just one week. From their mission statement -- “We’re in business to save our home planet”  --  to taking strong stances and decisive action in the name of conservation and environmentalism, Patagonia has truly put their money and their resources where their mouth is. They’ve been transparent about their supply chain and commitment to improving it through the Footprint Chronicles. They’ve leveraged their platforms, athletes, and ambassadors to raise awareness for key environmental issues like damming and drilling. They’ve created a digital hub to lead to local and national change through Patagonia Actionworks, and have led the industry in closing its doors so employees can go out and vote. They’ve thrown their weight into making actual change and standing up for what they believe in from filing lawsuits to sewing their political stance into their shorts.  

These actions have not only dramatically increased brand love, but they’re helping --if not driving-- their bottom line. As Patagonia has invested more in their Common Threads and Worn Wear initiatives, which encourage and assist customers in reducing consumption as well as repairing and reusing their own clothing as much as possible, their name has become synonymous with quality, longevity, and sustainability. In 2012, immediately following major publicity surrounding these initiatives, Patagonia saw a 30% increase in sales to $540 million, highlighting consumer support for the ideals Patagonia stands for (fastcompany). After Patagonia sued the Trump Administration in 2017 for reducing the size of national monuments (their "Defend Bears Ears" campaign), they saw a 7% increase in sales in the following week (GQ). 

As their founder, Yvon Chouinard said, “Every time we've done the right thing, it's ended up making us more money.”  

Mattel - shifting priorities 

While Patagonia’s all in-approach is one strategy, transitioning an older brand is just as inspiring to watch. Mattel has had an exciting few years as they sought to address that the typical Barbie didn’t represent women of various backgrounds, sizes, ethnicities. They invested in a diverse approach by expanding the line of Barbies to be inclusive of women and girls of a variety of skin tones and shapes. Now, there are 176 dolls, 9 body types, 35 skintones, and 94 hairstyles. Now, “there are more than 170 dolls with different skin tones and hairstyles for children to choose and see themselves in.” Mattel has further been reactive to contemporary issues and the demands of their customers. Millennials can purchase toys for their children that include female icons such as Ibtihaj Muhammad, Rosa Parks, and Alex Morgan (Washington Post). 

[Mattel’s updates for the 21st century]

Beyond absolutely being the right thing to do, Mattel’s commitment to diversity has paid off. In the 3rd fiscal quarter of 2020, Barbie’s gross sales increased to $532.2 million--an impressive feat during the tenuous financial times inspired by COVID-19. This 29% growth was the biggest jump in quarterly sales for Mattel since 1993, and they attribute a key part of that to the wider variety of dolls they now offer, and the customers they appeal to as a result.  In 2019, Lisa McKnight, senior vice president and global head of Barbie and dolls portfolio at Mattel, verified both the brand love and cash flow gains with her statement to The Washington Post: “our commitment to better reflect the world drives a powerful conversation, and we know our efforts are resonating with eight consecutive quarters of growth and the Fashionistas category up double digits in 2019,” McKnight said.

Unilever - test and iterate.

Some companies started with initial investments, saw results, and doubled down. One such brand is Unilever. Over the years, Unilever invested in a portfolio of “sustainable living” brands which aim to lower the company’s environmental and social impact. These particular brands encompass widely available products with plenty of competitors - brands like Lipton, Dove, and Vaseline. Despite all the competition, these products represent a formidable force for Unilever. The sustainable living brands grew 69% faster on average than the rest of its businesses in 2018 and are responsible for 75% of Unilever’s annual growth. Unilever, led by CEO Alan Jope, recognized this immense growth and doubled down on their sustainability commitment. He has expanded from the initial sustainable brands and committed to creating sustainable business plans for all 400 brands in the Unilever portfolio. In his words, the question is: “Can these brands figure out how to make society or the planet better in a way that lasts for decades?” (The Guardian). The brands that don’t risk elimination-- even if they’re profitable. That is an admirable commitment to the lesson and the values of the future. 

These are just a few examples; we could have easily also talked about Ben and Jerry’s longstanding, deep  commitment to a range of values, and Warby Parker’s “Buy A Pair, Give a Pair'' initiative, to name a few more. This growing list shows that pivoting to purpose-driven work has proven to help brands make big wins-- in regards to both brand love and the bottom line. 

Ok, I’m convinced. How do we get going? 

The case for purpose-driven work is clear. Not only does this type of work inspire a company to take an interest in its people, community, and role in the world, it yields substantial financial gains. Consumers are craving more sustainable, inclusive, and vocal companies. With all this in mind,  there’s never been a better time to re-examine the type of story you and your company want to be a part of and to start taking steps in that direction - which is exactly what we’ll dive into (with some floaties to help out) in Part 2.

RECAP: The 5th Annual Shorty Social Good Awards ✨

Welcome to the 5th Annual Shorty Social Good Awards, the hottest party to ever take place in your home. An event where introverts and extroverts can equally thrive, enjoying the more social parts of our virtual soiree, or quietly watching the show cameras off, PJs on and wine in hand. 

In order to preserve the feel of a live event, the Shorty Social Good Awards took place on Accelevents, a platform that allowed the Shorty Awards to create a fun and interactive event alongside the main show. It was a night filled with networking, activities, and TONS of whale tail trophies. The event included sessions for speed networking (imagine speed dating, but for professionals and from the comfort of your home), a Q&A with some long-time Shorty Award judges, a workshop on Social Impact with YouTube Originals, Upworthy, Buzzfeed, and iHeartMedia, winners circle interviews and our main stage!

To get everyone warmed up for the night ahead, mentalist and magician Gary Ferrar blew us away with some tricks. And yes, we did spend the rest of the night saying “but, how did he do that.” From national television appearances to private lessons for celebrities, Gary travels the country teaching everyone he performs for that magic does in fact exist. 

Moving over to the main stage our CEO, Greg Galant, cut the virtual ribbon and officially started the 5th Annual Shorty Social Good Awards. 

Introducing Arturo Castro, writer, actor, producer and now first ever virtual Shorty Social Good Awards host (BRB emailing his agent now to put that on his resumé). Arturo did an incredible job throughout the night, keeping the dialogue light when the topics were heavy, while also emphasizing the incredible hard work and dedication that team members put into creating these impactful campaigns. 

Just as it’s four shows prior, the 5th Annual Shorty Social Good Awards was filled with the most impactful and inspirational work all created to improve social good.  

Some big winners of the night included:

Global Citizen, winners in Best in Medical Research, Best in Television, Best Nonprofit Organization, Best use of YouTube, and Best Video Series. 

HBO, taking home four awards in Best in LGBTQ+, Best use of Images, Best in Mental Health, and Best use of Live Streaming Video. 

MullenLowe MENA FZ LLC and Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives snatching W’s in Best in Government and Politics, Best Data Visualization, Best in Emergency Relief, and Best work for Hunger & Poverty Relief.

In addition to the incredible brands, organizations, agencies, and nonprofits that won throughout the night, we also awarded two outstanding individuals! Our first impact honoree went to celebrity investor, and CEO of Vayner Media and Vayner Sports, Gary Vaynerchuk. Outside of being an extremely successful businessman, this year Gary also put efforts into fundraising. Gary participated in the all-in challenge, a social media fundraiser providing food to those in need- children, elderly and frontline heroes. For the challenge Gary took time out of his busy schedule to go live on TikTok for 12 hours, raising over two million dollars. 

The second impact award went to social media influencer and comedic creator, Adam Waheed. Adam has been involved in many philanthropic projects in 2020. Adam launched and raised over $30,000 for a school in Bali to help pay for new supplies and support students’ escape from poverty through education. Additionally, Adam has been extremely involved in racial injustice protests as well as educating his audience on the importance of voting. He even took to the street throughout the covid pandemic and protests to hand out $10,000 worth of pizza to dedicated Black Lives Matter protestors. 

In order to round out the night perfectly, who other than the dynamic duo, the charitable chicks, the singing sisters (hehe alliteration), Aly and AJ!

Aly and AJ aren’t only known for their powerful singing voices, but for their powerful social justice voices as well. Throughout the pandemic, Aly and AJ have been very vocal on the topics they were passionate about, like protesting for the Black Lives Matter movement, and advocating the importance of voting. At the show, they mentioned supporting many finalist companies and even working with The Trevor Project in the past. 

Aly and AJ started off with their new song, Joan of Arc on the Dance Floor, performed live for the first time at our show! They then closed the show with their 2007 hit, Potential Break-Up Song, which now has 1.5 million created TikTok videos. Spoiler alert, it’s still a bop.

That concludes this segment of The 5th Annual Shorty Social Good rundown. I hope you enjoyed reliving the epic night with us, and if you weren’t able to attend the show, don’t you fret - the full list of winners are featured in this adweek exclusive, check it out! 

Want to be part of the whale-tail trophy fam? Entries for the 13th Annual Shorty Awards are now open. Learn more here!