DTC’s Top Digital PR Campaigns in 2022

The digital PR field continues to experience rapid growth. With more agencies offering creative link-building services, the need to stand out is more important than ever before if you want to earn high-quality media coverage for clients.

To help you gain a competitive edge, we’re sharing some of our most successful digital PR campaigns from 2022 to identify the topics and formats that garnered widespread coverage in top-tier outlets. By understanding what worked well in the past year, we are better equipped to create campaigns that will make an impact in the year ahead. 

Our Top Digital PR Campaigns in 2022

1. The Best and Worst NFL Uniforms

Objective: To create a sports-focused digital PR campaign that would earn coverage in both national sports publications and general/local news outlets.

Methodology: We helped our client survey more than 1,000 Americans to get their feedback on NFL uniforms and team colors. We asked about everything from the most important part of a uniform to how often fans buy their own jersey to show support for their favorite NFL team or player.

Strategy & Results: Best & worst rankings tend to do well when it comes to earning media coverage for clients. National publications focus on the overall rankings, while local outlets have the opportunity to hone in on how their team fared in the realm of public opinion.

Football fans are passionate about everything when it comes to their team, so this campaign focused on an often-overlooked topic: uniforms. This campaign launched in the spring, but despite being the NFL’s offseason, our outreach team found a timely hook with new helmet requirements and used that as a timely hook in the media pitch, earning 332 total links including Sports Illustrated and USA Today newspapers nationwide.

2. Subscription Service Habits

Objective: To create a digital PR campaign with a “hard news” angle that would have widespread interest and earn placements in top-tier national, business, and personal finance outlets.

Methodology: We wanted to learn about America’s relationship with subscription services, so we helped our client survey 1,000 consumers across the country. Respondents were split evenly among Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X, and Baby Boomer age ranges.

Strategy & Results: In 2022 an increasing number of businesses began offering subscription models for their goods and services. While signing up can be as easy as clicking a button, unsubscribing and managing those monthly payments can be a different story.

The study resulted in some attention-grabbing statistics when it comes to how much Americans were spending on subscriptions and it earned coverage in major publications like Business Insider and The Street. The study made headlines when it launched, and it continues to earn organic links to date as reporters use the data as supplemental information when covering subscription-related topics.

3. Side Hustle Nation

Objective: Create a business-focused campaign that would provide new data for journalists covering the economy and the American workforce in 2022.

Methodology: We conducted the research for this piece by surveying more than 1,000 full-time and part-time American workers. We asked about inflation, income, and side hustles.

Strategy & Results: Inflation dominated the headlines in 2022 and journalists were eager to find new ways to tell the story. By providing a new and specific angle on how Americans were coping with inflation we were able to break into the news cycle and catch the attention of journalists at leading publications like The Daily Mail, MSNBC, FOX Business, and Fortune. Journalists picked up on everything from how many Americans work a side hustle, to how much they’re actually making at their second job. This piece continues to earn new, organic links to date.

4. Do I See a UFO?

Objective: Create a unique digital PR campaign that included lighthearted and fun elements as well as a hard news angle to generate broad interest in a wide variety of media outlets and markets nationwide.

Methodology: To conduct the research for this piece we used the National UFO Reporting Center Database to analyze sightings over the past five years. We looked at the states with the most sightings per capita and the percentage of total sightings that occurred in the past few years. We supplemented this research with a quick survey to learn more about America’s opinion on UFOs and aliens.

Strategy & Results: This report had numerous angles and data sets, so our outreach team was able to pitch the different angles to a wide variety of journalists, focusing on the section of the report that was the most relevant to each journalist’s audience.

Roughly halfway into outreach, news broke that NASA was creating a team to study UFOs. This provided the perfect opportunity for newsjacking. Our study provided greater context and supplemental information on a topic that was already newsworthy. We earned a diverse set of backlinks for this piece including local, national, and lifestyle publications.

5. America’s Biggest Tax Procrastinators in 2022

Objective: Create a campaign that is relevant to the client’s field while taking advantage of the tax season news cycle. 

Methodology: Our team used the Google AdWords platform to measure how many times people were searching for phrases like “what happens if I file my taxes late?” The total search volume in each state was then calculated per capita to determine which states are home to the most tax procrastinators in the U.S. We supplemented this research with a survey of more than 1,000 Americans for additional data on tax filing habits.

Strategy & Results: By providing new and timely information about a topic we knew journalists would already be covering, we were able to earn more than 180 links to the study, including coverage by CNBC in multiple articles. The research was also cited by the TODAY show, reaching millions of Americans. These top-tier and high-authority placements not only improve the client’s digital visibility but also positions them as thought leaders in their field.

6. Holiday Shopping Outlook

Objective: Launch a campaign focused on inflation’s impact on holiday shopping with the intent of earning media placements in a wide variety of publications, primarily retail and consumer-related news outlets.

Methodology: We surveyed more than 1,000 Americans about how they plan to budget for inflation during the 2022 holiday shopping season. We asked respondents how much they planned to spend on gifts, how they were strategizing to save, and whether they’d be cutting down on other expenses to be able to afford gifts. 

Strategy & Results: After two holiday seasons where Covid-19 shut down or stifled holiday plans, this report answered a burning question in the minds of many: would inflation ultimately be the Grinch who stole Christmas in 2022? Because these findings were published at the very beginning of fall, the data was fresh and helped forecast holiday shopping trends. The research landed in more than 175 publications – including the Daily Mail, Consumer Affairs, Glam, and Retail Dive.

[Read our full case study on this campaign]

7. Medical Procrastination Nation

Objective: Produce a relevant content campaign that would position our client as a thought leader in their field and earn niche placements as well as widespread coverage in local publications.

Methodology: We helped our client survey more than 1,000 Americans about their healthcare habits while focusing on trending themes like inflation and telehealth. We asked respondents how often they receive medical care, why they put off making annual appointments, and what role finances play in their hesitations to visit the doctor’s office visits.

Strategy & Results: This campaign earned 166 links, including highly relevant medical publications and local news outlets. In addition to newspapers like The Street, The Miami Herald, and The Sacramento Bee, the report was featured by more than 120 local TV news stations all over the nation.

This report provided journalists with insights on how many Americans delayed medical care because of the pandemic, why visits to the doctor are dwindling, and how the cost of healthcare is stopping some Americans from seeking the medical attention they need.

7. Tipping Etiquette

Objective: With an increasing number of establishments now prompting customers to tip, we sought to create a buzz-worthy content campaign that would earn widespread and viral coverage.

Methodology: Working with our client, we surveyed more than 1,000 Americans to learn about their thoughts and attitudes toward tipping in 2022. We asked respondents how they calculate their tips, whether they tip regardless of the quality of service, and if they feel pressured to tip for services that have tablet prompts. 

Strategy & Results: We wanted to have several different data points and angles to pitch to journalists, so we used the survey information to determine which generations tip the most and least, which professions get paid the best and worst tips, and how many people don’t tip at all (even at sit-down restaurants).

The campaign earned more than 150  placements, many of them in major publications like Fortune, Market Watch, and The New York Post. The stories all focused on tipping – something that is relatable, embedded in our culture, and ever-changing with technology.

9. The Best NHL Mascots in 2022

Objective: Produce a sports-themed campaign highlighting America’s favorite NHL mascots and earn placements in major news markets across the nation.

Methodology: We surveyed more than 900 NHL fans from the U.S. and Canada to get their thoughts on the league’s mascots. We asked which ones were their favorites, which ones they couldn’t stand, and the retired mascots they miss most.

Strategy & Results: This ranking piece earned 144 placements from local, national, and international outlets. NHL fans are passionate about everything when it comes to their favorite team, and journalists were quick to pick up on this study and share it with their readers. The piece was covered by outlets like CBC, The Toronto Sun, The Tennessean, and Yahoo!

10. The Saddest NFL Fans

Objective: To craft a sports-related content campaign focused on the fan base rather than the team itself, offering a new perspective and fresh angle for journalists to earn coverage in leading sports publications as well as local news outlets.

Methodology: Working with our client, we asked more than 2,000 NFL fans how they react when their team takes an “L.” In addition to their reactions, we asked them to rank the NFL teams they think have the most miserable fan bases.

Strategy & Results: We took two separate angles when pitching this piece to the media, we sent the overall rankings to journalists at major sports publications, and we sent team-specific and localized data to regional newsrooms. Media coverage came from both types of outlets. Top-tier and high DA websites like The Guardian, Daily Caller, and Yahoo! Sports all covered this rankings piece, as did radio stations across the country. 

Conclusion

The 2022 digital PR campaigns highlighted in this blog showcase successful methodologies, strategies, and results that garnered widespread coverage for our clients in top-tier outlets. From sports-focused content to business-related studies and unique UFO reports… these campaigns provide valuable insight into what it takes to earn media attention in today’s competitive market. By using innovative methodologies and identifying timely hooks, you can create campaigns that will make an impact and generate buzz in the year ahead. 

Read more from our blog