Real-Time Social Media Production System

Strategy of event live coverage inserting messaging of real-time occurrences to leverage viral earned media responses.

Innovation Viral Live Coverage
Social Media Content Production Real-Time Strategy Media Relations Analytics Innovation Systems

Pioneering Viral Marketing

As one of the first social media managers to implement real-time image editing and rapid response content creation, I pioneered several viral marketing techniques that are now industry standard practices. Working directly with PETA's leadership, I combined strong visual design with strategic messaging to achieve breakthrough engagement and earned media coverage.

Yahoo News Coverage of Viral UGGs Image With Entire Article About Why UGGs Are Ugly

Yahoo News Coverage of Viral UGGs Image With Entire Article About Why UGGs Are Ugly

First Viral Success: UGGs Campaign (2013)

As one of two team members managing PETA's social media presence, I pioneered rapid-response visual content creation that achieved breakthrough success:

  • Created one of the first brand accounts regularly producing custom visual content in real-time
  • Developed innovative workflow for rapid image editing and deployment
  • Achieved viral success leading to earned media coverage in Yahoo News
  • Established new benchmarks when most brands relied on text-only updates
Super Bowl Live-Tweeting Coverage by Brand Dot Com of Viral Tweet

Super Bowl Live-Tweeting Coverage by Brand Dot Com of Viral Tweet that paired an emotional image of a fox used for fur, in a fur farm cage with the words 'not yours to wear' and the image went viral during the game

Super Bowl Live Coverage Innovation (2014)

Building on our rapid-response capabilities, we executed a breakthrough real-time campaign during one of the year's biggest media events:

  • Implemented strategic monitoring of live event opportunities
  • Deployed custom visual content during peak engagement moments
  • Achieved significant viral reach during high-competition timeframe
  • Generated substantial earned media coverage

Campaign Metrics

862
Retweets
385
Favorites
2
Press Features

Innovation Context

In 2013-2014, real-time visual content creation on social media was still emerging:

  • Most brands posted text-only updates
  • Few organizations had workflows for rapid visual content
  • Real-time image editing was not yet standard practice
  • Live event coverage rarely included custom visuals

Strategic Approach

Our novel approach combined several key elements:

  • Monitored live events and trending topics for relevant messaging opportunities
  • Maintained extensive visual asset library for rapid deployment
  • Developed criteria for selecting and optimizing images
  • Created replicable workflow for real-time content creation

Key Takeaways

This pioneering work in real-time social media marketing established new benchmarks during a pivotal period of digital transformation. By developing innovative workflows for rapid visual content creation when most brands relied on text-only updates, we demonstrated the powerful potential of timely, visual storytelling. Our strategic approach to live event coverage and trend monitoring, combined with efficient content production systems, created a replicable model that influenced industry practices.

These early successes in viral marketing and earned media coverage helped establish best practices that continue to shape modern social media management, proving that rapid response visual content could consistently drive exceptional engagement and amplify brand messaging during key cultural moments.