Social Innovation Summit Case Study: Digital Marketing Strategy for Global Social Impact Conference
The Challenge: Amplifying Brand Awareness & Ticket Sales for a Premier Social Impact Event
Social Innovation Summit (SIS), produced by VC firm Landmark Ventures, brings together over 1,000 leading thinkers, doers, and changemakers in the social impact space—partnering with globally recognized organizations like Amazon Web Services, Walmart, and Best Buy. Ahead of its 2023 flagship summit, SIS needed a strategic partner to boost ticket sales, grow brand awareness, and provide live event coverage that would extend the conference’s reach far beyond the room.
The target audience was highly specific: C-suite executives and thought leaders focused on social impact across categories like CSR, ESG, and DEI. SIS needed a partner who could craft messaging that resonated with this sophisticated audience while executing a cohesive organic and paid social media strategy that delivered measurable results.
Our Solution: Integrated Social Media Strategy with On-Site Event Coverage
18 Coffees crafted and executed a comprehensive organic and paid social media strategy for Social Innovation Summit (#SIS23), targeting social impact leaders, sustainability experts, and innovative changemakers nationwide. Our approach combined pre-event brand building, targeted paid campaigns, and real-time on-site content creation to maximize reach and engagement before, during, and after the summit.
Pre-event, we developed and executed paid social campaigns and organic content strategies designed to drive ticket sales and build anticipation among SIS’s target audience. During the two-day event, our team provided live social media coverage—capturing keynotes, breakout sessions, and roundtable conversations across platforms with over 200 social posts. We also provided strategic guidance to the SIS team to help them maximize marketing efforts among guest speakers and partner organizations, amplifying the conference’s footprint through coordinated messaging.
What We Delivered:
Social Media Strategy (Organic & Paid)
Paid Social Campaign Development & Management
On-Site Live Event Coverage
Content Creation & Community Engagement
Client Team Empowerment & Strategic Guidance
Brand Refinement & Audience Targeting
Tangible Impact: 499% Increase in Impressions & 3 Million in Social Reach
18 Coffees’ digital marketing strategy delivered exceptional results across every metric. SIS-owned channels saw a 499% year-over-year increase in impressions and a 107% year-over-year increase in post clicks, dramatically expanding the summit’s digital footprint and driving ticket sales.
On-site engagement from speakers and attendees contributed to 3 million in social reach for the #SIS23 hashtag across platforms, extending the conference’s impact well beyond its physical audience. The 200+ social posts published throughout the two-day event provided comprehensive live coverage that kept digital audiences engaged in real time and created a lasting content library for post-event engagement.
The engagement also empowered the SIS team with strategic guidance and frameworks they could apply to future events, ensuring the marketing momentum continued beyond each year’s summit.
A Trusted Annual Partnership:
The results highlighted above reflect a single year of our work together. SIS has re-engaged 18 Coffees each year for five consecutive annual summits—returning to our team ahead of each conference for digital marketing strategy, campaign execution, and on-site coverage. That kind of repeat trust speaks to the consistency of results and the depth of strategic understanding we bring to each engagement.
Project Details:
Project Length: 0–6 Months Annually (Retained for 5 Consecutive Years)
Client Location: New York, NY
Industry: Professional & Business Services / Social Impact
Client Type: Medium Enterprise
Planning a major event and need a digital strategy that drives attendance and amplifies your brand? Contact us to explore how our Strategic Communications & Marketing expertise can help you reach the right audiences and maximize your event’s impact.
AT A GLANCE
Project Length: 0–6 Months Annually (Retained for 5 Consecutive Years)
Client Location: New York, NY
Industry: Professional & Business Services / Social Impact
Client Type: Medium Enterprise
Services Delivered: Social Media Strategy, Paid Social Campaigns, On-Site Event Coverage, Content Creation, Brand Refinement
