2013 review: Five lessons from the best PR campaigns

We like a list as much as the next communications firm. Earlier this month, we asked our team to share their favorite PR campaigns of 2013.

Several rose to the top as clear winners: Make A Wish Foundation and Batkid; Oreo’s response to the Big Game Blackout; Lowe’s Fix in Six Vine Videos; Amazon’s Drone Project; Volvo Trucks and the Van Damme stunt; WestJet’s Christmas Miracle; Dove Real Beauty Sketches; and, Starbucks Tweet a Coffee.

So we started to think about the best practices these campaigns have in common. To follow is what we found. Good campaigns:

1. Personalize or humanize the brand. This allows individuals to see themselves in the marketing.
2. Use emotion or empowerment. We can’t get enough of the ordinary turned extraordinary.
3. Celebrate the first to the party. Innovation still drives news values.
4. Strike a balance between brand objectives and usefulness. You can’t have one without the other.
5. Make it easy for people to contribute to the narrative. As I often tell my three year old, sharing is caring.

What were your favorite campaigns of 2013?