This project is a standout in the "Media" category for Not-for-Profit / Charity / Government, showcasing media's transformative use from commercial to community engagement. By converting performance marketing algorithms into a real-time crime-fighting engine, Special Investigative Media redirected media's reach and influence to enhance public safety.

This strategic pivot leverages digital media channels, precise geotargeting, and dynamic creative optimization to enable the Dutch Police to connect with potential witnesses like never before. This approach has not only redefined crime-solving tactics but also strengthened ties between the public and law enforcement, sparking significant advances in community safety and effective crime resolution.

In 2023, the Dutch Police Force was facing on confluence of societal issues leading to a growing load of unsolved cases: Dutch citizens were feeling less & less safe. In 2023, 20% of citizens said they were the victim of a crime. A 3% increase in only one year.

Meanwhile, the Dutch Police Force was overwhelmed. The Force faced unsurmountable staffing shortages, resulting in one of the lowest police per citizen rates in Europe.

Eyewitness tips could help mitigate the accumulation of unsolved cases, but traditional calls for witnesses were not reaching the right people in time. Eyewitness tips can be the difference between finding the right perpetrator and cases going cold. But time is of the essence: even the smallest detail provided by the public can lead to a breakthrough, and studies show that the sooner eyewitness reports are given, the more accurate they are. Old tactics, such as physically going door-to-door, were no longer feasible. The Force was struggling with knowing how to find the right people, at the right place, at the right time - many of whom didn’t even realize they’d witnessed a crime.

Situation: A desperately understaffed Dutch Police Force faced an increase in unsolved cases. What could help? Everyday citizens. Prompt eyewitness tips became the critical divide between solving crimes and letting them go cold.

Brief: The traditional method of going door-to-door for witness accounts became untenable for this strapped Force. The Dutch Police needed a revolutionary approach to engage a broader audience of potential witnesses, effectively modernizing their outreach efforts.

Objective: The mission was clear: forge a new, more efficient path to gather essential tips that could crack cases wide open. The urgency to adapt and innovate was not just about keeping pace—it was about redefining the future of law enforcement in the Netherlands.

From selling to safeguarding—media reimagined: The most powerful tool used to reach citizens—the sophisticated mechanisms of media—can be redirected for societal good. Typically harnessed to drive conversion, we envisioned these tools as instruments of public safety. This pivot not only repurposes existing technology for crime-solving but also redefines the relationship between media and the public, transforming everyday marketing channels into lifelines of community security and engagement.

We transformed our media algorithms into a real-time crime-fighting engine. Introducing: S.I.M: Special Investigative Media

Within minutes of a crime occurring anywhere in the Netherlands and being logged by the police, our proprietary marketing platform automatically deploys hundreds of assets calling for witness account in digital media to a geotargeted population, down to the very zip code. Calls to action urge potential witness to leave urgently-needed tips on the police’s website.

Ideation for S.I.M kicked off in August '22, launching March '23. Here’s how it works:

Whenever a crime is reported, our AI-powered Feed Management System is instantly notified and begins analyzing unstructured data (location, time, severity, images, surveillance footage), preparing for dynamic creative optimization.

Our advanced Creative Builder then automatically creates customized assets for each crime. Depending on available data and crime severity, these assets may include maps, CCTV images, witness videos, or text.

We use hyperlocal targeting with a proprietary Mapbox API to precisely direct these assets through Programmatic (AdForm), Search (Google, Microsoft), and Social (Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat) platforms. This ensures our messages reach the right audience exactly when needed. CTAs encourage citizens to leave tips on the police’s website.

If unresolved after 10 days, assets update to include new details from police or witness tips. Once a crime is solved, campaigns are deactivated. Case closed, thanks to media.

Special Investigative Media created a more efficient police force with a deeper connection to the public. Our tool activated the most powerful public safety network ever assembled:

17,500 cases leveraged S.I.M

50M Impressions

8M Unique People Reached

16% Click Through Rate, compared to platform average of 2.5%

450,000 citizens clicked on assets

500 cases solved and counting

A year into S.I.M, the Dutch Police Force is increasing investment into the program by 25%. They even appointed a new role: Special Investigative Marketer.

Our client even stated: “Investigation marketing enables us to ask the right questions in the right place, on a scale we could not have imagined before.... This the future of crime solving.”

We repurposed the power of media to keep citizens safer. And in doing so, we changed the future of crime solving as we know it.