How We Drove 30 Million Impressions for Yelp’s National “Servies” Campaign

1Our success was not an accident. It was the result of a disciplined, three-phase GTM strategy designed to build momentum, maximize engagement, and stick the landing.

Phase 1: The Strategic Foundation (The Blueprint)

Before a single creative asset was made, we laid the groundwork. My first priority was to ensure every team was aligned on a single, unified strategy.

• Defining the "Why": We started with a clear objective: This campaign needed to generate powerful, positive brand sentiment for Yelp and tangible value for the small business community. Our North Star metric was "high-quality media impressions," and our secondary metric was "audience engagement" (public votes).
• The Cross-Functional Brief: I developed a comprehensive GTM brief that served as our single source of truth. It wasn't just a marketing document; it was a cross-functional plan that outlined the specific roles and responsibilities for the Creative, PR, Social Media, Product, and Editorial teams.
• The Narrative Hook: We identified our core story: "In an era of big-box stores and algorithms, local businesses are the heart of our communities. Help us find and celebrate the best." This simple, emotionally resonant narrative guided all our messaging, from press releases to social media copy.

Phase 2: The Execution (Building the Hype Machine)

With the blueprint in place, we moved to a multi-channel execution plan designed to build a groundswell of participation.

1. The PR & Earned Media Push: Our strategy was to lead with earned media to build credibility. We partnered with our PR agency to craft a compelling press release and identified target journalists at national and local levels. We didn't just send a press release; we gave them a story. We provided them with data on local business trends and pre-packaged assets, making it easy for them to cover the campaign. This initial push successfully landed us placements in major outlets, giving the campaign instant authority.
2. The Community Engagement Engine: The core of the campaign was audience participation. We designed a simple, shareable nomination and voting process, hosted on a custom-built microsite.
   • I directed the creative production of all assets, from the website's UI/UX to the social media "call for entries" videos.
   • To fuel engagement, we created "Voter Toolkits" for nominated businesses—a package of pre-made social media graphics and copy they could use to rally their own customers. This turned every nominee into a passionate evangelist for our campaign.
3. The Content Amplification Loop: Every piece of content was designed to drive participation.
   • We developed brand-aligned content strategies across SEO, PPC, and paid media to target keywords related to "best local businesses" and "shop local."
   • Our social media was a constant stream of highlights, showcasing unique nominees from across the country, creating a feeling of a vibrant, nationwide movement.

Phase 3: The Grand Finale (The Digital Experience)

The campaign culminated in the announcement of our winners, which we revealed on a specially designed, Awwwards-recognized digital experience. This wasn't just a blog post; it was an immersive story. I served as the creative lead for this experience, partnering with our UX and product teams to build a seamless and celebratory platform. It featured high-quality video profiles of the winning businesses, beautiful photography, and interactive elements that told the story of their journey. This final, high-quality execution ensured the campaign ended with a powerful, memorable, and highly-shareable brand moment.

‍