2012 Digital PR Awards: Digital Marketing Campaign – $500K+

Winner: Porter Novelli – HP Inkology

Sales of ink cartridges are a key driver of HP's profitability, but due to economic pressures, customers are sensitive to the cost of ink, causing them to rail against HP through social media.

As a result, the HP and Porter Novelli team, including Caitlin Roulston, Rob McMurtrie, Katie Page, Beth O'Brien, Natasha Ratliff, Rebecca Reese and Kai Wright, embarked on a campaign drive a perception shift by creating educational videos highlighting the value of HP printing systems while explaining the science and complexities behind HP ink.

To develop influencers, the team hosted head-to-head comparison programs for customers to compare HP supplies to third-party alternatives in real-life scenarios, and conducted proactive outreach to bloggers, media and analysts to generate interest and coverage of HP supplies.

They identified Thom Brown, an HP supplies technology specialist, as the face of HP ink as their "Inkologist." His served to humanize HP by giving customers access to a person instead of a cartridge. Brown starred in a series of in-lab and live videos discussing the art and science of printing, which were featured on a PrintWithThom YouTube Channel and various HP-owned Web sites.