Mashable recently named our Breeders’ Cup “Quest for Perfection” campaign one of “5 Smart Social PR Campaigns to Learn From.” Great honor, but not something we set out for last summer. We just wanted people to care about the story we had to tell.

We had a pretty good one in Zenyatta, the mare with the movie-star personality and rock-star pedigree. Social media provided us the microphone. While it was fun telling her story through various social media channels, it also taught us, or reinforced, a few lessons along the way.

Content is King
Yes, you’ve heard it before. But, it’s true. Without content, you have nothing. One of the things we heavily promoted throughout the campaign was exclusive content—a grainy photo snapped during her morning bath, workout updates straight from her trainer and real-time updates about her travel plans. Providing audiences with behind-the-scenes information makes them feel like they’re part of the team, strengthening their loyalty to your brand.
 

Personality Says it All
We were lucky; Zenyatta is a horse you’d want to have a beer with. Bringing her to life was the easy part. Find the parts of your brand that are most relatable and highlight them.

Create A Conversation Starter
Upon winning her 19^th race, we launched a YouTube video that put Zenyatta on the same playing field as legendary Secretariat. In reality, hardcore racing fans knew she wouldn’t have had a shot. Didn’t matter. People loved it and couldn’t stop commenting. It reinforced that you don’t need fans to agree with you 100% of the time. Give them a compelling forum to talk about the brand, guide the conversation with engaging content, and they will follow. Introducing a conversation starter will also help identify and activate your brand’s advocates—let them help build your case.

It was fun, engaging and a success for Breeders’ Cup. And we learned a few things along the way. While we couldn’t control the outcome, the engagement helped establish a huge audience for that breathtaking finish.