So how does one go about breaking through the clutter? Here’s an example from the tourism space that might be a model for you. Mullen’s Pittsburgh office partnered with GearJunkie to launch Choose Your Own Alleghenies Adventure. This was fundametally a contest to win an all-expenses paid trip for two to The Alleghenies in Southwestern Pennsylvania. But, it became a social media adventure as Gear Junkie Stephen Regenold and the contest winners descended on The Alleghenies for a series of hiking, off-road cycling, fly fishing and kayaking adventures. Gear Junkie blogged daily about the experiences of the group and captured photos and video for future YouTube and podcast promotions. The video captured many outdoor attractions for the first time, highlighted by the recently opened Allegrippis Trail system—32 brand new miles of International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) singletrack.

RESULTS: The contest received more than 2,000 registrants, garnered more than 3.2 million paid media impressions in addition to more than 160,000+ direct impressions on the site and, ultimately, began a great dialogue in the social media space.

So whether you’re a travel destination, an automobile company or a consumer electronics brand, social media marketing channels are navigable with a little bit of knowledge of known entities and partnerships with key influencers in niche categories. Great content doesn’t hurt either.

Mullen Pittsburgh Cyclists

Rolling on two wheels seems as natural as walking on two legs…especially when you take the Pittsburgh office of Mullen into account.  We’re passionate about cycling.  For us, it’s normal to see bikes littering the hallways or the bike rack, for helmets to be resting atop piles of RFPs and status meeting notes and for people to be changing in our locker rooms for a lunchtime spin.  For us, cycling is not just a hobby but a mode of transportation.

For example, Tom Walker is usually not introduced by his title, senior multimedia designer, but instead by the anecdote that he has biked to work, year round, for the last 18 years (averaging 2000 miles/year).  Recently he’s started to kayak to work.

Another avid cyclist, Brian Bronaugh, president and executive creative director, commutes to work on his Cannondale a few times a month.  How many top brass do you hear about that commute to work by bike?  Brian’s enthusiasm for cycling has spurred a Mullen culture of living healthy lifestyles.  Through the volunteer efforts of the “mullenteers,” we clean-up bike trails, organize and participate in events such as ADA Tour de Cure and share in an active and healthy lifestyle modeled after Highmark’s (Pennsylvania’s largest Blue Cross Blue Shield healthcare provider) lifestyle returns program.

With our presence in the Pittsburgh cycling community and our belief in alternative modes of transportation (running, kayaking, public transportation), we established a relationship with BikePgh to promote and launch Car-Free Fridays.  This is a city-wide initiative to encourage commuters to leave their cars at home at least once a week.  Car Free Fridays is a day where the air is a little cleaner and the streets a little safer. A day each week we can all look forward to, not just to welcome the weekend, but to welcome the use of smart transportation.