Good/Upworthy renames itself Good Media Group and launches new creative campaign
Just 11 months after the merger between mission-driven media company Upworthy and media brand Good Worldwide, today (December 8) marks a change for Good/Upworthy, with a name change to Good Media Group. Along with that change comes a new creative campaign to get the word out.
Good/Upworthy changes name to Good Media Group
A branded marketing campaign goes up across New York City today to help spread the news, with a focus on how, in a bad year like 2017, the world needs good news and how Good Media Group has established itself as a media partner to help brands connect with values-driven millennials through positive storytelling, according to the company.
“It really takes the best of Good and the best of Upworthy,” said Jennifer Lindenauer, Good Media Group’s chief marketing officer. “It’s the parent company for the two brands…It more clearly defines who we are. It’s about digging deeper…more about owning the spot where we started.”
The company wants to solidify its mission to be a source for good news, bringing together creative and storytelling for brands with social engagement built on data and insights.
“Boy does the world need good news right now…We’re progress oriented,” said Lindenauer, who added that the company lets brands tell stories with purpose.
Good Media will kick off their branding campaign with a new company website and six billboards that will be placed outside media agencies in NYC. The goal is to use the campaign to begin conversations with media agencies that are looking for smart partners to help them and their clients navigate a landscape where consumers are demanding brands get off the social/political sidelines and take a stand.
The creative utilizes bright colors, a bold font and buttons with the hashtag #choosegood floating around them. Phrases on the posters promote good news with phrases like: “Good News: Drones Plant 100k Trees a Day. (That’s a Lot of Treehouses.)”; “Good News: Trans Woman Defeats Virginia’s ‘Chief Homophobe.’ (I Heart Danica.)”; and “Good News: No More Gas-Powered Cars in Paris by 2030. (NYC?).” They are all tagged with “A bad year needs good news.”
“We were thinking about the end of year. Remember how John Oliver blew up 2016? Well, here we are at the end of 2017 and things are worse, in every way, down to the natural disasters. From users and readers, almost everyone I know is bummed out and can barely stand the news right now,” said Lindenauer.
“This is the perfect time to remind ourselves and readers about things that are getting better in the world. Things that typify that progress. We landed on a few that represent that.”
She added that, because times are dark, they were looking for things that were bright and engaging, and a little playful. “I think buttons add joy,” she said.
The campaign was created in house by the company’s designers and creatives, including design director Tyler Hoehne and co-founder of Actual, Jonathan Cranin.
In the 11 months since the Good/Upworthy merger, the company has built a large audience of educated, affluent millennials who care and the company looks to turn a profit ahead of schedule and set a revenue record in Q3. The company has signed several new six-figure deals with companies like Hennessy, State Farm, Cigna and Nature Valley.