Digital Innovator of the Year 2014
Winner: Anastasia Khoo, director of marketing, Human Rights Campaign
As the US Supreme Court decided to hear two landmark marriage equality cases that would determine the rights of same-sex couples to marry, Anastasia Khoo led one of the most successful and viral marketing campaigns in the history of the LGBT movement.
As the largest LGBT membership organization in the country, the Human Rights Campaign had an enormous investment in the outcome of the cases.
Khoo and her team implemented a strategy that spanned earned media, advertising, and events, but it was the centerpiece of the initiative – a red and pink version of the organization’s logo – that really helped drive the campaign forward.
Within 24 hours of the logo being uploaded on Facebook, the post received 189,177 shares, 95,725 likes, 18 million newsfeed appearances, and more than 10 million impressions. Soon, politicians, corporations, celebrities, and millions of people across the globe adopted the logo to show their support for the cause.
When the Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act and Proposition 8 in June, granting federal rights to same-sex couples and declaring California’s ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, the iconic image had helped turn the spotlight on the group’s work and on LGBT equality.
On decision day, the organization had the top-performing page on Facebook with instant news and more than 1 million interactions. Khoo’s inspired campaign also scooped a prestigious 2014 PRWeek award for ‘Best Use of Social Media/Digital.’
“This is an extraordinary example of how a single, motivated individual can create a movement through passion and determination,” noted one judge.
To download the complete list of winners from The Hubbies 2014, click here.
