1. General Electric ‘ The Future of Cities’ An integrated solution across the whole FT portfolio, drawn together under a single visual identity and optimised, in part, through social media. www.ft.com/cities
2. 2010 Solution ‘ The Future of Cities’ This solution spread across our portfolio using magazines, reports, specially commissioned video franchises (The View from City Hall) and gives users multiple touch points. We have used a single visual identity to signpost and avoid reader confusion and have optimised the campaign through Twitter and Facebook.
5. Results Almost 200 articles have been shared on Twitter and Facebook while the ‘Future of Cities’ Twitter feed has over 100 followers. Engagements results to date are strong with high average numbers of page views and high dwell times. Topic has resonance with the senior end of our audience, 35% of readers are board level director or higher.
7. The idea… To build on the success and awareness generated in 2010, The Future of Cities will directly engage the FT audience with the GE pillars by extending fresh content into new arenas .
8. The journey… Cities face many challenges - economic, climate, resources, infrastructure and demographic. As centres of innovation, can cities produce the solutions they need to tackle them? As the bulk of the world's population will be in fast-growing large urban areas by 2050, cities remain high on the agenda. In 2011, The Future of Cities will re-launch with the publication of a single magazine to reinvigorate the association between GE and the FT in the minds of the audience. To ensure that a broader audience is aware of the partnership, the FT would also launch an awards programme based on city planning that would launch with the magazine and run through all areas of the FT portfolio. From here the project will take a new direction that is very much focussed on interaction, whether face-to-face or online, between GE and their audience. This aspect of the campaign will give great engagement and build strong frequency outside of traditional media.
9. A truly multi-platform series… Print Online Special Report with FofC content Bespoke Magazines Bespoke Special Reports Online Microsite & Rich Media Content ‘ The View from City Hall’ Social Media presence
11. … Refreshed & extended Inspire Engage Innovate Magazine Awards Debate Forums Social Media Online debates & Think tank
12. ‘ The Future of Cities’ Magazine As cities are being forced to address some of the most dramatic challenges of the 21st Century, including energy and water supply, demographics and climate change, can they lead the way in finding sustainable solutions to meet new challenges? In ‘The Future of Cities’ 2011, we will launch with a Global magazine. The theme of ‘Sustainable Cities’ will compliment the continuation of GE’s ‘Ecomagination’ messaging and introduce how the inhabitants of a city can influence the future of their metropolis. The relationship between the individual and the city will continue throughout the year. The future of Cities Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do Eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do
13. The Built Environment Awards Architecture and therefore the built environment varies in how far it permeates our consciousness. This is where we live, work, sleep – exist, how we interact with our urban environment is very much dictated by its functionality, its aesthetics and how it fits with it’s inhabitants needs. The FT, along with GE, will launch a new award celebrating excellence in city planning. This will give GE the opportunity to position themselves at the forefront of innovation and promote guiding principle of ‘Imagination at work’.
14. Building a community In 2010 we built awareness of GE as at the forefront of innovation, now we want our audience to truly understand and engage with their goals, projects and message. In order to do this ‘The Future of Cities’ needs to evolve. In 2011, this project will build it’s own community using the strength of our digital and events portfolio. Combining online and off-line debates, a think tank, social media extensions and the FT’s renowned journalism this year will deliver the next generation of ‘The Future of Cities’.
15. On the ground… In order to build a rapport and respect with the GE target audience, the FT will co-ordinate a series of debates around the world. The importance of reaching this senior level audience with GE’s key messages, in a neutral and authoritative environment is vital. It will help GE to demonstrate their position as thought leaders at the forefront of innovation – solving the world’s toughest challenges. These forums will enable great minds to debate ‘The Future of Cities’. Exploring themes that may have been set out in the magazine series, or new strands that can be formed in partnership with GE.
16. Online… The debate forums can be closed, however the FT would welcome the opportunity to web cast highlights on FT.com. This would enable our users – and GE’s target audience – to engage and interact with a subject of immense importance. This online debate forum would be built into a community where fresh content from our editors would be introduced to the floor. By doing this we would hope to attract fresh eyes as well and re-targeting users who have engaged with ‘Cities’ content previously. This element of the campaign would build a dialogue with our users as well as adding frequency and longevity to the campaign.
17. Online… To truly build a community, using the existing FT.com/cities URL, the FT would form a think tank. This would allow users to interact with their peers to tackle big practical issues, share experience and give or receive advice. Here, questions of leadership, citizen participation, design and practical implementation will be discussed by leaders from major cities, governments, and businesses. By sharing their expertise and experience this think tank could provide practical solutions to preserve the future of cities for the next generation.
18. Conclusion We know that ‘The Future of Cities’ topic engages our audience, but to truly achieve the guiding principle of GE, we need to inspire them. Our audience are intelligent and opinionated. They are also professional and educated and by enabling them to interact with our content, with the GE brand, and with each other we can build something that not only inspires them, but also a broader audience. Any element that was used last year is of course available for 2011, however we wanted to demonstrate that we are not restricted to simply replicating something because it worked. Our editorial team are genuinely inspired by this project and are keen to build and make progress on the foundations laid in 2010. We want to make GE synonymous with innovation in the minds of our audience and believe that continuing ‘The Future of Cities’ franchise is a fantastic way to do this.
