JoAnne Borselli, Group Brand Director

Across the nation, museums and heritage tourism sites often struggle to present diverse, inclusive narratives. The Black experience is frequently underrepresented or entirely absent from these spaces. Yet, Black history is deeply intertwined with every aspect of U.S. history. The United States could not have established itself without the crucial contributions of enslaved and free Black Americans.

Our client, Visit Williamsburg, is the destination marketing organization representing Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown, Virginia. For years, this destination has been dedicated to researching, uncovering, and telling a more accurate and inclusive history of our nation. Despite these efforts, many remain unaware of the stories being uncovered. So Visit Williamsburg is shining a spotlight on the important work being done by community members across the region. In 2023, Connelly Partners developed a plan to support this messaging and amplify it through our integrated channel strategy.

In 2024, we launched paid partnerships with Essence magazine and Travel Noire. These Black-owned media partners were selected based on their strong reputations within the community and their broad audience reach. Essence is a leading media brand for the Black community, highlighting news and information on entertainment, social, and business topics. Travel Noire, a brand within the Blavity Inc. network, focuses on travel content aimed at Black millennials and Gen Z.

The Essence partnership involved creating a 20-minute documentary-style video showcasing prominent Black voices in the Williamsburg community and highlighting untold stories from our history. With Travel Noire, the partnership features a digital microsite with multiple editorial articles about evolving museum content, a new art installation at The College of William & Mary, and more. This digital content, featured on each media partner’s websites, is amplified through their owned and earned media channels, as well as Visit Williamsburg’s own channels.

Through these strategic partnerships and storytelling efforts, Visit Williamsburg aims to ensure that the rich, complex narratives of Black Americans are recognized and celebrated, enhancing the historical tapestry of our nation for all visitors.

As an agency hyper-focused on the importance of human truths, the opportunity to partner with a client who is so committed to telling a more accurate history of the United States is truly an honor.

Check out the video on Essence.com and learn more about the stories being showcased across the region on TravelNoire.com. Most importantly, pack your bags and head to Williamsburg for a trip that’s equal parts educational, inspiring, and fun.

Ashley Campbell, Group Brand Director

Empowerment (noun)
em·​pow·​er·​ment
The act or action of empowering someone or something: the granting of the power, right, or authority to perform various acts or duties. [1]

How many times have you seen an event, conference, or piece of content coupling females with empowerment? But have you ever taken a step back to look at the definition? I personally hadn’t. “Granting of the power” is an eye-opening definition of the word. As women, we should not be granted the power, it should be inherent in our being. The reality here is that being granted the power is not all that powerful.

In case you missed it, we just ran our third “CP Empowering Women’s Networking” event in Boston. Leading up to the gathering, the definition of the event name shed some light on a problem that my colleagues and I felt we needed to address. Sure, networking should create a sense of empowerment. But the power is already within us.

At each of these events, my colleague Michele Hart-Henry, Managing Director of CP Health, and I lead a networking exercise that encourages our guests to chat with someone they have never met. Last month our topic was imposter syndrome. 

We have learned over time that these programs foster positive discussion. So, after reflecting on the name of our event, we determined that our April event topic should be ‘Stepping into the Power.’ We asked guests to discuss an example of a situation where they were either proud of embracing their power, or a time they wished they had stepped into it. 

This fostered wonderful conversation. We learned of times where these women were proud of using their voices to support and sponsor their colleagues. We also learned of times where they felt they voiced an opinion and were unfortunately shut down and wished they had not given up.

So, as you read this blog, we ask that you consider rethinking the word “empowerment.” Instead ladies, embrace the power you already have.

Please keep an eye out for our next Women’s Networking evening, which we plan to hold this summer. We’re excited to announce a new name via this fourth Connelly Partners event, but you’ll have to stay tuned to learn more!

If you aren’t on our invite list please reach out to me, Ashley Campbell. And while you’re at it, feel free to send event name suggestions my way as well. 

Sources:

1. Merriam-Webster

Neal Malone, Social Media & Influencer Management Supervisor
Will Maslach, Paid Social Manager

Connelly Partners was among a small group of U.S.-based independent agencies invited by TikTok to participate in its Agency Summit in New York City last week. Paid Social Manager Will Maslach and Social Media & Influencer Management Supervisor Neal Malone represented CP at the day-long event, connecting with leaders of TikTok’s global marketing team and attending sessions designed specifically for agencies that are ahead of the curve in leveraging the platform on behalf of their clients. Here are their key takeaways from the Summit:

Short-Form Video Isn’t Just a Media Format, It’s a Societal Behavior at This Point

With the recent passage of a law that could ban TikTok in the US, the conversation around the platform has understandably shifted to what would happen if it went away. But let’s put the platform aside for a second and just focus on the behavior at the center of it all. We as a society are so immensely hooked on the consumption of short-form video that we would go just about anywhere to get it. Potential ban or not, this format will continue captivating users and becoming further ingrained in our daily lives—and marketers know that. That’s why you can expect brands to continue full steam ahead on TikTok until they’re told otherwise. 

Matching Audiences to Funnel Stages Drives Performance, but Creative Reigns Supreme

Creative was at the center of every session at the Summit, and rightfully so—it has become the leading driver of paid social results and performance. Most brands and social media advertisers know how to target, how to pick correct campaign objectives, and how to optimize towards better performance, but the one piece of the puzzle that most marketers still struggle to get right is creative. Overly produced and branded ads—like the traditional commercials you see on TV—stick out like a sore thumb on all social platforms, especially on TikTok. There’s something innately human about all of the organic, lo-fi content that you see on TikTok—and in fact most of the users that are going viral are the ones that are authentically showing the full human experience. Creative agencies that recognize this and lean into it (even the ones without significant paid social experience) often see far better performance than the expert media agencies that lack creative chops. At CP, we have found success in blending the creative expertise of our organic social team and the media knowledge of our paid social team. Working together on an integrated level has driven excellent results for our social and influencer clients. 

Organic Channels Act as a Testing Ground for Paid Content

One of the most celebrated aspects of TikTok’s algorithm is the fact that a brand’s organic content can go viral at any time, regardless of follower numbers. But the truth is, generating meaningful reach and engagement with purely organic content is really hard. That’s why TikTok strongly recommends an approach that incorporates both organic and paid content. One interesting way brands are putting this integrated strategy into practice is using their organic TikTok channel as an incubator for their paid content. That’s right, their organic content essentially acts as a research and development vehicle, and then the posts that resonate the most get moved into the paid campaign and served to expanded audiences.

TikTok Is No Longer a “Nice to Have” for Most Brands—It’s a “Need to Have”

The rise of TikTok within the advertising world has been nothing short of meteoric, but with all innovation comes risk. As recent as last year, brands were asking themselves if they needed to be on TikTok and what the value was in joining. But with the platform’s rapid growth over the last year—new products, new ad formats, and other innovations—TikTok has become table stakes for any full-scale social strategy. So now, instead of brands questioning why they need a TikTok channel, they’re asking how they can get involved. The dynamic has shifted to the point where brands know that TikTok is a place where they can cultivate their next generation of buyers/customers. At CP, we’re here to help those brands that know they need to get in the game, but don’t yet know how to play.