NY Climate Week: The content that stopped us scrolling
NY Climate Week unleashed a mass of important stories. Global organisations, charities and small businesses alike were all chasing the same audience.
So what techniques work best? We took a look at what organisations published and chose a few pieces of content that caught our eye.
The Cheerleader
The Climate Group’s 60 second hype video, while not wildly ambitious in its scope, packs a very clear and solid message: that the naysayers and the negative need to step aside and stop taking up the bandwidth. It’s bolshy and effective.
While one minute isn’t too long for a video, the last 10 seconds are a logo panel. Cutting a few seconds off could boost engagement without losing value.
The Ninja
The Climate Group also does understated. Very well. This trailer for its longer NY Climate Week film had us at a full scroll stop as we took in the cleverly soundscaped sequence of time codes and date lines.
As each expert guest sits to be interviewed, bleak one-liners on the extreme weather events recorded around the world on that same day are also dropped into view.
None of this minute is wasted. Very powerful.
The Epic
Pachamama Alliance takes a risk at the start of its video of nearly four minutes: 15 seconds of doom and gloom. Stick with it though, and you get something more inspiring as the narrative switches to the progress the world is making, often underreported and unsung.
Long videos aren’t always ideal for social media – but there is a time, a place, and a method. Breaking the video up with subheaders is akin to chapters in a book providing structure.
It’s a thorough piece of messaging which oozes positive without becoming too utopian. Worth watching for the pollen-dusted bee halfway through the second minute. And for the hope.
Still life
Social cards can be as arresting as video, but as static images they really need to work for their feedspace. Katie Romvari, on The Content Engine’s graphic design team, looks for the right balance between copy and visuals.
“This Climate Impact X card isn’t too wordy, but still has enough striking visuals to draw people in,” says Katie. “It’s the kind of social card you'd stop and read on your feed. There’s a healthy balance between the darkened photograph, and a short, snappy headline. It's subtle but impactful.”
Of course, the upside of a nature-focused event is it also makes for very beautiful visuals.
Much of the visual messaging for NYCW has been smart and corporate, featuring the New York skyline.
And then there’s a reminder of what – or who – it’s all for.
We don’t really go for overly sentimental, but we think this, from the Rob Stewart Sharkwater Foundation, works pretty well.
A global gathering like NY Climate Week benefits from the reminder that its impacts will be felt all around the world.
So this carousel from Rainforest Foundation UK is one of the more vivid and engaging, dropping us into one of the world’s most important and threatened locations. We think it stands out from the sleek multinationals thanks to its vibrant use of colour, natural imagery and indigenous people.
Selfie reliance
This bright, simple graphic from New York State Police (who knew?) makes it easy for the idle scroller to get involved. Who isn’t up for posting a selfie? Especially if you’re travelling green.
User generated content adds almost unquantifiable value to any social media campaign, providing not just evidence of engagement but additional texture, spontaneity and shareability. Gen Z, in particular, wants to engage, to contribute, to be immersed.
This kind of call to action takes a few seconds and pays off on everyone’s feeds, creating a web of reactions and reposts during an event that most of us feel strongly about and would like to wave a flag for. Making it quick and easy is the clever bit.
Did your organisation have a NYCW profile in 2023?
Did it surf the social media wave – or did it get swamped?
If you’re bailing out swampwater, get in touch. We can get you surfing in time for global events like COP28 - or The World Economic Forum's Annual meeting in Davos.