This is the presentation I gave at Boulder Digital Works - "Making Digital Work" conference.

1. THE PRACTICE OF PROPAGATION PLANNING
Griffin Farley
Boulder Digital Works NYC 2010

2. MY BACKGROUND
YEAR 1-5 YEAR 6-8 YEAR 9-11 YEAR 12+ 2

3. WHY PROPAGATION PLANNING?
Because Connection Planning has been around since 1999.
We were due for a new theory. I wanted to find out what comes next?
That’s when I discovered the work that Naked had done around Propagation Planning.
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4. PLANNERS ARE INSPIRING NEW TALENT
click to view video 4

5. WTF IS PROPAGATION PLANNING?

6. STRING OF PLANNING THEORIES
If Account Planning inspires better creative thinking
-and-
If Connection Planning inspires better media thinking
-than-
Propagation Planning inspires better word of mouth (or social) thinking
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7. THE LEGEND
In 1999, The Blair Witch Project changed the way we look at marketing success.
Digital and Word of Mouth now had a powerful case study.
http://www.forbes.com/2010/08/17/facebook-old-spice-farmville-pepsi-forbes-viral-marketing-cmo-network-social-media.html?boxes=Homepagemostemailed
Ivan Pollard from Naked presented the theory of propagation planning at the APG
Battle of Big Thinking in October of 2006.
http://theapg.typepad.com/battleofbigthinking/2006/10/thoughts_from_i.html
Faris Yakob wrote an award winning IPA essay that included the subject in 2007,
which was featured in Campaign Magazine.
http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/news/features/769167/IPA-Diploma-Presidents-Prize-Essay-Faris-Yakob/
In 2008, Nikki Stammers, one of the first planners to have the title Propagation
Planner wrote an article titled a Controlled Explosion for the Australian B&T.
http://www.bandt.com.au/blog/blogposts.asp?postid=629
In December of 2008 Griffin Farley created a Blog called Propagation Planning.
http://www.propagationplanning.com
In 2010, Anjali Ramachandran created a Wiki for Propagation Planning and was
the first to truly organize the 5 or 6 planners worldwide who concentrated on this.
http://propagationplanning.pbworks.com/
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8. THE HOPE
“When the phase ‘Word of Mouth’ is bandied around, more often than
not, what is being referred to is an immeasurable yet highly desirable
campaign ‘side effect’.
But things have moved on: the muddy and mystical times that once
defined attempts at harnessing it are changing.
Propagation planning - a technique capable of kick-starting, controlling
and exploiting the WOM affect - is moving the area forward.”
- Nikki Stammers for B&T
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9. THE THEORY
PROPAGATION PLANNING
Plan not for the people you reach, but the people that they reach
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10. THE INTEREST IN THE BLACK ART
Propagation Planning.com Total Visits
70000
60000
50000
40000
30000
20000
10000
0
DEC 2008 DEC 2009 DEC 2010
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11. PLANNING FOR PROPAGATION

12. THE DIFFERENCES
1 2 3
Rethink Audience Rethink Timing Rethink Deliverables
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13. RETHINK YOUR AUDIENCE 1
the audience reacts best 13
when they can see each other react
SOURCE: Mark Earls

14. TARGET AUDIENCE SHIFT
Target
Marketer Ads
Audience
Engage
Influencer
or
Community
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15. TRADITIONAL ELDERLY VOTER CAMPAIGN
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16. THE GREAT SCHLEP: DROGA 5
PRODUCT: REAL TARGET: INFLUENCER TARGET:
Jewish PAC Older Jewish Voters Grandchildren of Older
Jewish Voters
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17. TRADITIONAL ALBUM LAUNCH
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18. OASIS STREET PERFORMERS: BBH
PRODUCT: REAL TARGET: INFLUENCER TARGET:
New Album People that should love Oasis music Street Performers
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19. HAIRDRESSERS AGAINST AIDS
PRODUCT: REAL TARGET: INFLUENCER TARGET:
HIV Test People that should be tested Hair Dressers
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http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/30/pass-the-hairspray-fight-aids/?ref=media

20. RETHINK YOUR TIMING 2
Awareness Funnel Propagation Model
(Paid Media) (Earned Media)
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21. ADOPTION CURVE OVER TIME
BROADCAST
MEDIA
Early Majority > < Late Majority
(Most creative targets the mass majority)
Early Adopters > < Laggards
Innovators >
TIME AND SALES
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22. EARLY ADOPTER MOTIVATION
“I KNEW THEM BEFORE THEY WERE BIG”
GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO
BREAK THE STORY
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23. ADOPTION CURVE WITH PROPAGATION
BROADCAST
MEDIA
Early Majority > < Late Majority
Early Adopters > < Laggards
Innovators >
(This creative targets the influencers)
PROPAGATION TIME AND SALES
STIMULUS
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24. ANOTHER WAY TO LOOK AT IT
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I THNK YOU NEED BOTH MODELS, NOT ONE OR THE OTHER
SOURCE: Clay Parker Jones

25. CHOREOGRAPH THE MEDIA ROLL OUT
DON’T BLOW YOUR WAD
THE FIRST WEEK OF YOUR
CAMPAIGN
CONSUMER ADVERTISER
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26. 3 RETHINK DELIVERABLES
WHAT DO PROPAGATION PLANS LOOK LIKE?

27. PROPAGATION PLAN FOR A ZAG PROJECT
BRAND INVENTION GROUP INSIDE BBH
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28. MAKE SOMETHING DIGITAL
“Just make it”
“It’s all about MDP, not MVP”
http://www.theplaygroundsessions.com/
@PLAYGROUNDPIANO
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29. WHAT DO WE HAVE TO WORK WITH?
YOUTUBE STAR
DAVID SIDES
REINVENT THE WAY YOU LEARN MUSIC
‘PLAY TO LEARN’ INSTEAD OF ‘LEARN TO PLAY’
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30. INPUTS FOR PROPAGATION PLANNING
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DATA FOR RELEVANCE THE BRIEF OWNED, EARNED, PAID MEDIA

31. EXAMPLE PROPAGATION PLAN
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CUSTOMER JOURNEY,
COMMS TASKS, CHANNEL BREAKDOWN, PRODUCTION,
ROLE FOR COMMS, TIMING BY CHANNEL PAID MEDIA,
CHANNEL PORTFOLIO METRICS

32. EXAMPLE PROPAGATION PLAN
INVERTED FUNNEL
FOR EARLY ADOPTERS
TRADITIONAL FUNNEL
FOR MASS AUDIENCE
INVERTED FUNNEL
FOR ADVOCATES
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33. WAYS FOR PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE
• Join the Private Beta, try the full product for free
• Join the Public Beta
• Provide Feedback
• Suggest new songs that get added to the database (My Starbucks Idea)
• Suggest new genres that we produce (theme music, gospel, etc.)
• Participate in the debate around music education
• Share what they learn through MP3 recordings or YouTube videos (talk to
partners and get them involved early)
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34. WHAT DATA DRIVES PROPAGATION?

35. NET PROMOTER SCORE
200 RESPONDENTS WHO
RECENTLY PURCHASED 35
THE BRAND. COMPARE
THIS TO THE COMPETITION.
SOURCE: The Ultimate Question

36. INSPIRING CREATIVE FOR PROPAGATION

37. PROPAGATION PLANNING BRIEF
• What is remarkable about the Brand, Product or Service?
• Who is the target audience?
• Is there another group of people that has more persuasion over the target
audience?
• How does the creative foster a social experience?
• Why would someone want to pass something like this to others?
• What are the existing creative assets (if any)?
• How long do we have before the paid media begins?
• What are the benchmarks and metrics will we be following?
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38. PROPAGATION PRINCIPLES

39. PERSONAL TOUCH
TACTICS:
Office Max Elf Yourself
Salvador Dali Hipstamatic
http://www.elfyourself.com/ http://dali.hipstamatic.com/index.html
TACTICS:
Discovery Channel The Colony Site
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http://JoinTheColony.com

40. UNIQUE PRODUCTION
TACTICS:
Evian Online Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQcVllWpwGs
TACTICS:
Google Chrome Web Browser Online Demo
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VjDuJaxkSQ

41. STRONG TALENT
TACTICS:
Johnnie Walker Online Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnSIp76CvUI
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42. ENGAGING CHARACTERS
CAMPAIGN:
Dos Equis Most Interesting Man in the World
http://www.facebook.com/DosEquis
CAMPAIGN:
Compare the Meerkat.com
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http://www.facebook.com/Comparethemeerkat

43. FIND AN EXISTING STORIES
TACTIC:
ESPN Online Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jx0pTIDb-r0&feature=player_embedded
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44. COMMUNAL PARTICIPATION
TACTIC (FLASH MOBS):
Oprah 25th Anniversary
T-Mobile Welcome Back
Christmas Food Court
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0W9j2-rfNQY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NB3NPNM4xgo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXh7JR9oKVE
TACTIC (DUAL SCREEN PLATFORMS):
2009 Presidential Inauguration
MTV ‘The Hills’ Back Channel
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http://mashable.com/2009/01/20/cnn-facebook-inauguration-numbers/ http://creativity-online.com/news/mtv-areacode-turn-snark-into-sport/130915

45. CREATE LIVE EXPERIENCES
TACTIC:
Old Spice Twitter/ YouTube Engagement
http://www.pcworld.com/article/201268/old_spice_guy_top_5_youtube_video_picks.html
TACTIC:
The Last Exorcism Chatroulette Experience
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNSaurw6E_Q

46. RESPOND TO CRITICS WITH THE SAME
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bevJr3Ra84Q
TACTIC:
AXE Shower Gel & Detailer Response Video
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzoARPa3XGs

47. REAL VALUE AND WORTH
TACTIC:
Ikea Facebook Photo Tag
http://adland.tv/commercials/ikea-facebook-tag-2009-135-sweden
TACTIC:
Alice Bond Handbags Twitter Scavenger Hunt
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http://desedo.com/blog/the-alice-bond-bag/

48. MAKE IT TANGIBLE
TACTIC:
The Coraline Boxes
http://www.notcot.com/archives/2009/01/coraline-50-box.php
TACTIC:
Discovery Shark Week Beach Capsules
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http://vimeo.com/8268275

49. GIVE PEOPLE A STORY TO TELL
CAMPAIGN:
Best Job in the World for Tourism Queensland
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCLDMGWZFFA
CAMPAIGN:
HBO True Blood
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http://vimeo.com/8268162

50. GIVE PEOPLE A STORY TO BREAK
TACTIC:
Disney’s Tangled Klout Influencer Seeding
http://griffinfarley.typepad.com/propagation/2010/11/klout-perks-disney-tangled-unwrapping.html
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51. EMBEDDED GOOD
TACTIC:
Lands End Big Boston Warm Up Site
http://creativity-online.com/work/lands-end-the-big-warm-up-personalized-video/17798
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52. KNOWLEDGE WHERE I SOCIALIZE
TACTIC:
Best Buy Twitter Page
http://twitter.com/twelpforce
TACTIC:
GAP Facebook Page
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http://www.facebook.com/gap#/gap?v=app_115708094525

53. BAD TACTIC: BEWARE OF BUYING FANS
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I HOPE WE CAN EARN FANS, NOT BUY THEM

54. PROPAGATION PLANNERS ROLE

55. A PROPAGATION PLANNERS ROLE
1. WORK WITH COMMUNITY MANAGERS, OR MODERATE THE GROUPS YOURSELF
2. ROLE PLAY AS THE BRAND OR AS BRANDED CHARACTERS ONLINE
3. DEVISE PROPAGATION STRATEGIES FOR NEW CAMPAIGNS
4. IDENTIFY CONTEXTUAL COMMUNITIES AND WHO INFLUENCES THAT COMMUNITY
5. HELP CHOREOGRAPH THE ROLL-OUT OF REAL WORLD AND DIGITAL ASSETS
6. MEASURE AND REGULARLY REPORT ON THE EFFORTS
7. BRIEF CREATIVES ON NEW PLATFORMS AND TRENDS IN PROPAGATION
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56. GRIFFIN FARLEY - STRATEGY DIRECTOR
GRIFFIN.FARLEY@BBH-USA.COM
@griffinfarley
@BBHZAG
WWW.PROPAGATIONPLANNING.COM
SEARCH GRIFFIN FARLEY
CONTACT

57. PROPAGATION PLANNING BRIEF
What is remarkable about the Brand, Product or Service?
This area helps us ground the propagation campaign back in the product. Think about the Johnnie Walker, the Man who Walked around the World video when
answering this question.
Who is the target audience?
Is there an audience that the client needs to reach to meet their business objectives? What is the action that this audience needs to act on to reach these
objectives? Think of this audience as your aspirational audience.
Is there another group of people that has more persuasion over the target audience?
This group of people might be more likely to engage with the creative assets or act on the creative to influence the real target audience. Think about Great Schlep,
Coraline or Oasis campaigns when answering this. Think of this audience as your inspirational audience.
How does the creative foster a social experience?
Is the creative designed to entertain, act as a branded utility, to challenge, to spawn user generated content, etc. Think about challenges like Nike Grid,
experiences like Doritos Hotel 626 or the seed paper in the Haagen-Dazs Help the Honey Bees campaigns when answering this question.
Why would someone want to pass something like this to others?
This is an area to talk about social theories (i.e. custom or personalized, gift economy, peer production, random acts of kindness, pay it forward, etc) into why this
creative might be shared and passed along among friends. Think about campaigns like Elf Yourself, Radio Head, NIN or Earth Hour when answering this.
What are the existing creative assets (if any)?
List the creative assets that already exist. This gives the creative a chance to use these assets in new ways? Ask yourself if new things need to be created to help
extend the narrative. Think about the True Blood campaign when the agencies created a pre-story to existing assets when answering this.
How long do we have before the paid media begins?
This is a timing question that reminds us how to use Owned, Earned and Paid media appropriately.
What are the benchmarks and metrics will we be following?
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This helps the creative team know if there are platforms that the client feels are most important to measure success (Acquisitions, Facebook or Twitter followers,
video views, etc.). If the client doesn’t have specific metrics list the ones that you will follow including impressions, reach, interaction and most importantly
sentiment.