Given a target demo that likes to share triumphs, laugh at epic fails and compete for bragging rights, we launched a meme-friendly proclamation aligned with both our Alpha audience and our road-hugging product: GET A GRIP! Using our target audience as content providers and social media sharers, we set out to establish digital presence and pop culture credibility that the Dunlop brand could build on.

Working in a narrow time window, we launched our digital campaign with social and traditional earned media fanfare across Belgium, The Netherlands, France and Germany in November 2015. With the #getagrip/#gotagrip microsite as our base camp, we fueled traffic through press releases, direct mailings and the social media followings of regional extreme sports celebrities and lifestyle and tech/sports bloggers. Dunlop’s Facebook fanbase was used to inspire engagement through topical and local content. Our social media team leveraged any potential “gripping” scenario in pop culture, from the new James Bond movie to a Movember men’s health initiative. Meanwhile, Dunlop customers were filling our pages with “get a grip” content ranging from the extreme to the comic, to the sometimes racy. Best submissions won tech gadgets coveted by our target group, including Samsung smart watches, GoPro cameras, and even a drone to capture their next tours de force.

We set out to “own” grip for Dunlop, and drove home with increased brand awareness and new fans. We also edged up our share of winter tire sales in key European markets, despite a mature, highly commoditized category.

• 19 million social media impressions, including online media buzz and celebrity and blogger outreach

• 91 earned media stories generating 4.5 million impressions

• 84,000 consumer engagements via link clicks, page and post likes, comments and website visits/submissions

• 1,300+ new Facebook fans from the campaign (14.9% increase)

• 17,000+ unique microsite visitors

By releasing the Dunlop brand into the wild, we expanded its brand community through strong digital engagement. As important as the numbers was the quality of brand engagement demonstrated in those thousands of digital interactions. Co-creating the brand experience and ‘outsourcing’ content creation to consumers proved a smart move, helping people relate to a tire brand in a personal, relevant new way.