THE VOICE DONOR

Short List
TitleTHE VOICE DONOR
BrandTENCENT
Product / ServiceWECHAT
CategoryC02. Use of Social in a PR campaign
EntrantPUBLICIS GUANGZHOU, CHINA
Entrant Company PUBLICIS GUANGZHOU, CHINA
Advertising Agency PUBLICIS GUANGZHOU, CHINA
Production Company CARROT FILMS SHANGHAI, CHINA

Credits

Name Company Position
Erik Vervroegen Publicis World Wide Chief Creative Officer
Sheena Jeng Publicis China Chief Creative Officer
Akae Wang Publicis Shanghai Executive Creative Director/Copywriter
Yolanda Zheng Publicis Guangzhou Creative Director/Copywriter
Dannvon Chng Publicis Guangzhou Film Director
Aiya Chu Publicis Guangzhou Senior Copywriter
Rocky Huang Publicis Guangzhou Senior Art Director
Janet Zhu Publicis Guangzhou Senior Art Director
Raymond Zhang Publicis Guangzhou Associate Art Director
Green Zheng Publicis Guangzhou Associate Art Director
King Wang Publicis Guangzhou Associate Art Director
Bendit Li Publicis Guangzhou Agency Producer
Guangzhou Filmaker Advertising Co., LTD. Additional company

The Campaign

With 600 million users, average 12 hour weekly usage, Wechat has been the most popular communication APP in China. But people consider it as a communication tool without any emotional connection. To build Wechat a life-partner of consumers, Wechat decided to broaden the usage and led consumers to re-think the role of Wechat in their daily lives. From the studies, most consumers use Wechat during their breaks among activities. Voice function is less familiar among new, well-educated users, but beneficial to the blind and weak sighted. A PR campaign is developed to encourage usage of voice function for the charity purpose to the blind meanwhile to bring the brand from a tool to a life partner position – “The Voice Donor”. We chose two high correlation media, which one is a new book section of bookstores, and the other is the massages bed in blind massage shop (In China, almost 50% of the Chinese blind are employed by massage parlors, the blind massage parlors is a place that ordinary people most likely contact with the blind.) . Use the QR code to invite voice donor. All attendants can donate one minute of recording via voice function on Wechat; It turns out 200,000 people participated within 2 months, and completed 10 books worth of voice record for blind people.

The Brief

The campaign is designed to promote the usage of voice among new users, and to upstage Wechat from just a communication tool to a life partner for general consumers.

Results

More than 200,000 people donated their voice recording within a 2 month period. 10 voice books were launched for the blind people on Wechat; more than 170,000 times of voice content have been broadcasted to blind people. News release, and celebrities’ participation helped on catching the awareness, but most participants came from referrals of their friends. All donors is not only participants also advocators of this campaign. Wechat, to consumers, is now not only a communication tool but also a platform to do charity.

Execution

A Wechat site was setup; consumers visit Wechat “The Voice Donor” site by scanning the QR code. Each visitor then receive a paragraph from one of the books of the collection; when visitors read and upload the voice, Wechat will arrange and play to the blinds. The QR code places in new book section of bookstores. A blank book is displayed for consumers to scan the inside QR code to participate the campaign. The QR codes are also placed under massage beds where blind masseurs are employed; when customers receiving the blind massage service, they would receive the invitation to read 1 minute paragraph for their blind masseurs. The campaign is released to the media during the period, and caught the eyes of million people. Consumers who donate their voice can also share and invite friends to donate their 1 minute voice recording for the blind communicaty.

The Situation

Launched in 2011, Wechat connects 600 million users. 80% of content on Wechat is text, or graphics. The voice function is less popular among new, well-educated, and middle age users. Consumers perceive Wechat convenient for communication and sharing, but nothing related to emotional. So we decide to invite consumers to do charity together with Wechat. The voice function is the priority. We focus on the blind community as more than 5 million blind people in China. Learning new knowledge and absorbing information is always a problem for them. Wechat voice function could help them to solve the problem.

The Strategy

The charity campaign is designed to help the blinds to learn new information and knowledge – also invite general consumers to use voice function on Wechat – eventually to engage with consumers emotionally. All consumers can donate 1 minute of their voice in the breaks of their daily lives to help the blinds to learn new knowledge. By gathering the contribution of individuals, it could benefit 5 million blind people. It also engages consumers via Wechat to bring positive energy to the society.