American Public Media Group turned to SixSpeed as a key partner to help elevate the reach and impact of their Smarty Pass program. The aim was to optimize audience engagement through creative, strategic placements to increase paid subscriber sign-ups.
As the Media AOR for American Public Media Group (APMG), and a consistent creative partner, we have a track record of amplifying great content, driving audience growth for celebrated programs like Marketplace, MPR News, The Current, Brains On! Universe, and Your Classical.
Over the years we have created everything from brand awareness campaigns to a recent (two day turnaround) broadcast spot to spur donations in the face of slashed federal budgets for public broadcasting.
THE AUDIENCE
The campaigns were designed to connect with civic-minded, socially conscious individuals who care about the role that public media plays in society. They value trustworthy, independent journalism and actively seek out content that serves the public good.
Different people care about different things, and that's okay. We took a non-partisan approach to the news that is vital for Minnesota communities to receive everyday and spun that into a powerful campaign that aligned with the value of public media over your traditional social feed.
If social media were food, it would be the digital equivalent of a bag of chips. Crunchy. Addictive. No nutritional value. Enter Nourish Your Feed. We took public media and flipped it on its head, bringing rich, meaningful content to the public. Call it a five-course meal served in a Michelin-starred restaurant… for your brain.
The idea of media being something that can grow and expand your mind through what you consume vs. being a source of anxiety and frustration was a novel one in the Minnesota market, and consumers took notice.
This culminated in OOH, CTV, social media, as well as informing grassroots efforts to drive listenership and email subscribers across the state. We adhered to strict Google Grants guidelines to make sure that APMG was able to take full advantage of this offering from Google.
Curiosity isn’t a phase. It’s a force. The BrainsOn! Universe of podcasts is aimed at kids and adults alike to deliver snackable information for insatiable curiosity. This campaign extension celebrated kids’ questions as the starting point for exploration, imagination, and unexpected insights.
$1.60 Challenge
At the heart of the $1.60 Challenge was a simple idea: public media offers an incredible return on a tiny investment. This campaign used video storytelling to make that case clearly and quickly (in under 2 weeks from concept to air), pushing back against federal budget cuts with compelling proof.
We didn’t just ‘post.’ We maximized APMG’s reach across digital, TV, social, OOH, and search. Stronger KPIs. More listeners. More subscribers.
Our award-winning creative and media led to increases across all key KPIs that drove higher listenership and email subscribers to the brands. Our ongoing efforts to secure more grassroots funding are currently being received positively across the state.
We've helped drive awareness, support, and funding across APMG properties, from The Current's music to Marketplace's financial expertise, APM Podcasts, MPR News, and YourClassical. Our campaigns didn't just perform. It protected and powered public media for future generations.
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