Sarah Mae Flemming Integrated Marketing and Communications Campaign
Target Audience: This campaign targeted all of The COMET's primary and secondary audiences through both traditional and nontraditional advertising platforms. Traditional placements such as digital billboards/print advertising reached all audiences, while online videos and ads on specific media sites targeted champions more directly. Primary audiences: Bus Riders: - Transit-dependent audiences: Students, seniors, veterans, people coming back to the workforce, hospitality, labor, construction and service industry workers. - Choice riders who ride. Secondary audiences: - Social, educational and governmental entities, employers, community leaders, neighborhood leaders, elected officials and business leaders. - Choice riders who do not ride.
Strategy Objective:SMF's ride occurred on June 22, 1954, on a bus system that eventually became The COMET. The transit org aimed to draw attention to SMF in conjunction with the 66th anniversary of her ride as well as acknowledge the unfortunate role it had in history. In order to reach its many audiences – particularly primary bus riders – The COMET decided to "Save Sarah's Seat" on every bus in the fleet. Cardboard cut-outs were created of Sarah and placed in seats on June 21 and "she" rode the bus, providing riders with info about her story, until August 22. The cut-outs were accompanied by an advertising and public relations campaign that included all municipalities in the service area. As part of the PR campaign, June 22 was declared Sarah Mae Flemming Day.
Situation Challenge: In late 2019, The COMET developed an integrated marketing/communications campaign to honor Sarah Mae Flemming (SMF), an unsung civil rights hero who, as a Black woman, took a white seat on a bus in 1954 and was struck and ejected. Her lawsuit was a catalyst for the landmark case involving Rosa Parks that led to the end of segregation on transit nationwide. The campaign was set to launch in June, coinciding with the anniversary of her ride. As our nation grappled with racial injustice and civil unrest over the summer, the SMF campaign suddenly became vitally important in positioning The COMET's voice in support of minorities in the community by celebrating the actions of a brave Black woman who changed history.
Results Impact: When the campaign was created, no one knew how incredibly timely the effort would end up being as the nation wrestled with horrible injustices to our Black community members. Through the ad campaign and the public relations campaign, there was a swell of new awareness of Sarah Mae Flemming and her story as well as The COMET's role in the historic event. Trackable clicks to the website and engagements on social media were higher than any other campaign in the last two years. Bus riders delighted in reading about SMF as they rode the buses and shared pictures of themselves with her on social media. More importantly, during a time of such civil unrest, it gave the Black members of our community moments of hope and honor as The COMET paid tribute to SMF for the first time since 1954.
Why Submit: This campaign brought together people from throughout the community, at a time when so many people in our nation were hurting, to honor a woman who changed history. This successful campaign included partnerships, public relations, advertising, social media, guerilla marketing and community connections unlike any other campaign The COMET has launched in years. The timing of the campaign allowed for the message to land on so many open hearts in a way that might not have resonated as much had our world not been going through such turmoil. SMF and her campaign provided a much-needed light in a moment of darkness. For that, and all the success it garnered, it should be recognized.