Digital PR is our bread and butter here at Seeker, but the lightning-fast pace of the marketing world means we rarely have the chance to share our reflections with you, our dear readers.
As our clients can attest, we put our hearts and souls into everything we produce, and so in honour of our team’s boundless creativity (and as a perfect opportunity to toot our own proverbial horn), we’re going to shine our spotlight on some Seeker-created campaigns.
We’re kicking things off with a campaign we cooked up for Remote, a global HR and employment platform. With June heralding the return of Pride Month, Remote tasked us with creating a campaign that acknowledged the importance of LGBTQIA+ inclusion while steering away from the kind of meaningless performative “rainbow washing” gestures that so many other companies typically engage in.
The big idea
Given Remote’s enthusiasm for promoting the idea of year-round allyship, this presented an ideal opportunity to highlight the company’s advocacy for equitable parenting policies. Forget rainbow-hued logo redesigns or hollow statements of support — how could we show the public that Remote genuinely cares about workplace inclusion?
The Digital PR dream team (Charlie, Laura, and Sinead) immediately got to work, diving headfirst into the ideation process. The aim? Find a way to showcase Remote’s passion for year-round allyship and inclusionary practices in a way that directly links to their business. After putting their heads together, they struck gold:
“Remote wanted to mark Pride Month with a clear narrative: We’re here for inclusivity, equality, and representation all year round, not just when a marketing calendar says we should be. Previously, Remote ran a study on inclusive parental policies, and we saw this as a great opportunity to highlight where Pride and equality can be baked into policies.”
— Laura Mallinson, Digital PR Manager
The idea ticked all the boxes; it underlined Remote’s passion for equal rights, addressed the need for equitable parental policies, and held industry-specific relevance. Furthermore, it reflected the company’s rejection of performative gestures during Pride Month. With the campaign given the green light, Seeker’s crack squad of PR pros got to work.
How did we pull it off?
Here at Seeker, we’re huge fans of maximising the value we provide for our clients. Large-scope bespoke campaigns certainly have their place, but breathing new life into pre-existing campaigns can often prove to be just as impactful (and far more budget-friendly).
We dug into the archives and repurposed Remote’s parental policies research, using the survey data to highlight the importance of parental rights for the LGBTQIA+ community. This was packaged with a series of expert tips from Remote, explaining the measures organisations can take to support inclusive parenting.
The campaign was then outreached to sector-specific journalists and editors focusing on HR, hiring, careers, and workplace vertices.
“Parental policies often indirectly discriminate against people in the LGBTQIA+ community, and in our eyes, this is something worth discussing. Given the surrounding context of Pride Month, we wanted to add to the conversation in a meaningful way, avoiding any corporate rainbow-washing.”
— Sinead McLarty, Digital PR Specialist
How did it go?
Following a speedy turnaround and extensive outreach, the team’s hard work paid off in spades. The campaign gained coverage from several prominent business and HR publications, as well as being picked up by the world’s largest LGBTQIA+ media brand, Pink News.
Not only did the coverage win some valuable links for the client, but it also served as tangible proof of their commitment to supporting the LGBTQIA+ community.
“Contrary to the popular saying, not all press is good press. So part of the success of this campaign was in the vetting process and making sure we were working with a client that walks the walk.”
— Sinead McLarty, Digital PR Specialist
For both Seeker and our client, producing a campaign that added to the conversation around Pride Month in a valuable way felt especially rewarding. Remote’s policy suggestions weren’t hastily scribbled down in a cynical attempt to cash in on Pride, they’d been around for years — all we did was highlight them in a way that felt relevant and natural.
Fulfilling briefs concerning social issues can sometimes feel like walking on a tightrope. As marketers, we’ve got to balance the expectations of our clients while also being sensitive to the matters at hand. Sometimes, as with this campaign, the client just gets it, and thankfully, this made our job significantly easier!
Regardless of the social issue — whether it’s LGBTQIA+ rights, black history, or feminism, you’re already leaps and bounds ahead if your client is concerned about making a positive impact.
It’s always a special moment when passion and purpose intersect, so here’s to working with brands that are truly invested in driving meaningful change — happy Pride Month!
