TEDxSoMa is an independently organized offshoot of the 'super-conference' TED. The San Francisco-based event delivers a coordinated clash of ideas from speakers such as a NYSE bell ringer, a green nightclub designer and the 'Paul Revere of globalization’s woes'. TEDxSoMa's values are consistent with those of its media sponsor Missing Link and its custodians PariSoMa Coworking Space: community, collaboration, innovation, openness and sustainability.

When Missing Link enthusiastically agreed to develop and implement TEDxSoMa's social media strategy one month before the inaugural event in January 2010, they hoped 'this could be the event that social media built'. Missing Link was pleased that by doing their job to attract less than 100 attendees to the actual event, they also turned TEDxSoMa into a global electronic showcase with over 100,000 people viewing the event's live stream on Justin.tv.

Missing Link's strategy had two phases. The first phase was 'connect everything' and focused on creating an online, cross-pollinating ecosystem with all social media channels: TEDxSoMa's blog , Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Flickr. The second phase was 'richer, deeper content; two way conversation' where Missing Link discussed ideas relating to TEDxSoMa online.

The entire campaign, which included a simple viral marketing competition and live blogging, yielded some surprising and delightful engagements. Ted B. asked if he had a better chance of securing a ticket to TEDxSoMa since his name is 'TED', President Obama made an 'appearance', and a conversation about TEDxSoMa in San Francisco's sister city Paris was noted.

'Missing Link helped build and grow the TEDxSoMa community worldwide.  By understanding the nature of people and their desire to communicate in two-way conversation, Missing Link created a strong relationship with our followers.  Interaction is the key, and Missing Link did a great job in making TEDxSoMa "Interactivity in Different Realms" a truly interactive experience for people not just in SoMa or San Francisco, but around the entire world.  I would recommend Missing Link to anyone seeking to add a personal touch to their social media and create lasting bonds with their clients/followers/fans.'
- Julian Nachtigal, Curator, TEDxSoMa

Entrepreneur and mother of two Melissa Clark-Reynolds created MiniMonos, a values-based virtual world, so kids could have a place of their own on the Internet to be good kids, not good consumers. MiniMonos is a compelling world that captures kids' imaginations and encourages sustainable behavior.

Targeting US families, Missing Link developed a social media marketing approach to build relationships with people who might be interested in green gaming. MiniMonos was noticed by existing networks when influential American moms, kids and ‘eco-celebrities’ such as David Suzuki, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Stella McCartney chose to publically subscribe to their communications or forward information generated by them.

MiniMonos also established trust and goodwill with kids by actively conversing online and shining the social media limelight on their contributions. Missing Link's social media strategy generated critical feedback during the development process and provided grassroots support for the launch of paid memberships. For instance, one popular kid blogger purchased a membership to give away in an online 'MiniMonos and the Environment' art competition.

Missing Link's social media strategy is behind MiniMonos' presence on:

• A blog for grownups, blogs by grownups, a blog for kids and 30+ gaming blogs by kids
• Twitter for grownups and kids
• Facebook for members and fans
• YouTube for kids
• Flickr for grownups and by kids
• Traditional print, radio and television media coverage for grownups
• Corporate partners' radars
• Emails

To assess social media activity, Missing Link created a weekly reporting system. Qualitative observations and quantitative metrics reveal who is conversing about MiniMonos, what is being said, and the impact of that activity. Statistics on viral reach are tracked: how many communications occurred, who participated directly with MiniMonos, and how many people had those communications passed on to them. The type, tone and topic of online conversations are also closely monitored to ensure MiniMonos remains in consistent alignment with its own values and those of its growing community. Tracking social media activity has enabled MiniMonos to exponentially expand their target network of supporters and rapidly adjust their product where required.

Missing Link is proud of the social media content MiniMonos has added to the online community, the positive endorsements they have received and the number of children who are playing in their virtual world based on fun, generosity and sustainability.

New York City’s Natural Gourmet Institute for Food & Health wanted to more effectively reach their current and potential students with engaging culinary class and chef's training program information. Missing Link works with their ongoing campaign to improve brand awareness and enrollment numbers by focusing on their website, email communications, and social media.

Our relationship with the Natural Gourmet began with a comprehensive analysis of their website to identify key promotional features and future development opportunities. From this, we produced a detailed analysis document that prioritized recommendations for improving the site’s structure, navigation, and content.

Their weekly emails received a new visually attractive and professional template structured to encourage class enrollments and visits to their website. New functionality allowed the Natural Gourmet Institute to manage their database of contacts and track email bounces, opens, clickthroughs, and forwards.

Continuous monitoring of the Natural Gourmet Institute's blog, Twitter account and Facebook page evaluates communications by their ability to stimulate two-way dialogue around key messages and leverage content from alternate social media. We also provide advice on communications style and technical tactics. Through social media, the Natural Gourmet Institute have multiplied their reach from their direct contacts to all of their contacts’ contacts.

Smokefree Canterbury is a collection of agencies working cooperatively towards a smoke-free Canterbury and New Zealand. In April 2008, they sponsored a three month trial in Hornby to make children’s playgrounds smoke-free. They wanted to gauge community support for the program and assess the likelihood of voluntary compliance. The results of the trial would be used to support a call for citywide smoke-free parks.
Missing Link worked on three components:

•    communicating the smoke-free playgrounds message to the local community
•    implementing a YouTube contest for Hornby children
•    managing May 2008’s World Smokefree Day festival.

The key, positive message reinforced in each component – ‘Be a Smokefree Role Model’ – achieved high visibility through promotional wristbands, stickers, and posters.

We provided media relations to raise awareness of all components; extensive print, TV, and radio coverage was achieved. The YouTube contest, which generated more than 2,700 video views during the project, gave children a direct voice in the campaign and sold the story to the media.
Partially due to media attention, festival attendance swelled; Smokefree Canterbury exceeded their public opinion survey quota through the festival, gaining ample support for their citywide smoke-free parks Council proposal.

In June 2009, the Council made all playgrounds as well as all parks, reserves, and Council-owned events smokefree. They cited community support for the Hornby trial as a main reason for doing so.

Click here to see the Smokefree Playgrounds feature on Campbell Live.

Based on New Zealand's beautiful Coromandel Peninsula, online gift company Browniepoints.co.nz has it all: a global customer base, national distribution, and a beach-side office with plenty of birds for Oslo the dog to chase. The consulting backgrounds of Emma and Carl Sanders-Edwards, the Browniepoints founders, have led to world-class standards in their business operations. With systems, controls, and service guarantees in place, they asked Missing Link to help with an awareness-raising campaign.

We began by identifying a target media list and confirming the company's brand story; we wanted to make sure any press relations lived up to the quirky personality Emma had created for the Browniepoints website and all of its communications. A clear and compelling story made it easy to communicate the news value of the company's history and services, and the media responded with enthusiasm; the company has been featured on national television and will appear in a major women's magazine in April.

Click here to see Carl and Emma on Campbell Live.
Browse through the unique Browniepoints gift collection.

VortexDNA’s revolutionary intention-mapping technology has the potential to radically alter the way we live – a complex concept that isn’t always easy to communicate. To achieve their objectives, we’re using conversations to explore ideas, in turn creating a VortexDNA community.

The VortexDNA blog starts powerful conversations and is a discussion platform for the larger concepts driving the company’s development. Its topics include: search, DNA, genetics/epigenetics, relevance, privacy, and human empowerment related topics.

The blog has established relationships in a difficult market because it doesn’t push for sales; it doesn’t have a secret agenda; it is transparent and genuine. People are drawn to the blog because VortexDNA initiates contact and is an active community member. 

Due to the strength of VortexDNA’s core message, relationships started by the blog have led to interviews, podcasts, and guest articles. We’ve moderated panels at conferences and had conversations with people we might not have accessed otherwise. Plus blog related industry engagement has dramatically influenced VortexDNA’s growth.

Read VortexDNA’s Web Genome Project blog here.