Choosing the absolute best campaign of 2011 was an extremely difficult task. I had chosen JayZ and Bing's Decoded campaign as uniquely stellar,  but then I saw it actually launched in late 2010.  I also thought Sneakerpedia.com from Foot Locker was a wonderful way to tap into their customers passion and let them showcase their prized possessions, but that really was a rehash of Art of the Trench from Burberry last year. And Burberry is certainly one of the smartest digital marketers around, finding just the right balance of open access and exclusivity. So when they launched their 2012 line on Twitter in September, allowing social media users a first glance at their upcoming clothes before even Anna Wintour and Kanye West had a peek--that too was brilliant, but somehow not quite daring enough. It had to be something really unique to be number 1. And so.....

Number 1

Intel's Museum of Me (PER)

After much consideration, I have chosen Intel's Museum of Me as Numero Uno.  It's not just because over a million people tried it.  The Take This Lollippop app--also a contender for #1 --was actually the fastest downloaded app on Facebook ever. But The Museum of Me not only tapped into the true zeitgeist of social media, specifically Facebook, where fans proudly share very intimate moments with large numbers of people, it showed how Intel can make that content even more memorable, by creating a beautiful virtual museum of your life. From the simple images displayed on a gallery wall to the 3D room of robots arranging your pictures to form a Chuck Close type image of your face, the experience was mesmerizing. Even the most sanguine of my marketing  friends were blown away. So congrats to Intel for creating an app that speaks clearly to the brand attributes but provides customers with a tool that brings a new immersive experience to their personal lifestory.

Number 2

Tampon Apology  (PER)

It's all about supply and demand..even when it comes to tampons. When the Johnson & Johnson OB Tampons started disappearing from shelves in 2010, consumers were so desperate to get their hands on them that a box that normally sold for under $10 went for $79 on eBay! Once the company realized their customers were so upset,  they had no choice but to issue an apology for discontinuing them. And what a great apology! By typing your name into their site, a handsome guy with a white piano sings a lovely song to you, but that's not all. In the course of the video, your name is written in the sky, in rose petals and even in a tattoo! You can't get any sweeter unless there are white doves. Oh wait, there are white doves! Who wouldn't forgive them? It's ok to admit you're wrong, but it's so right to do that with a tongue in cheek personalized serenade that makes you love the brand!

Number 6

 Mad Men Ad Facebook App   (PER, RWA)

If you love great tv, you probably love MadMen and can't get enough of their incisive wit and '60's styling. Greenberry, an agency in the Netherlands, came up with a brilliant Facebook app that allows users to create a Mad Men-themed ad that incorporates their personal data after completing a creative brief and choosing one of the cool templated designs. And what's even better, the best ads appeared in the Dutch print magazine, BLVD Men, and on billboards in Amsterdam. It's perfectly on brand, yet still allows users to personalize the content. How cool is that? 

<p>MAD MEN AD 

No 5

El Norte Beer: The Best Excuse Ever  (RWA, LBS)

There's just so many reasons to love this campaign because it solves one of the age old issues between Men and Women with first world problems. Men like to go out and drink with the guys, especially after they're married or settled down, women ..not so much.  So Norte Beer takes the guilt out of going out drinking..not that I condone it, but it's perfect for a beer company.  Every time they had a beer, the guys would put the bottle cap into the collection jar, and it would count towards a minute of good deeds sponsored by El Norte. In all 50,000 minutes were donated to restore schools, improve parks, clean up lakes and plant trees. What girl would complain about their guy contributing to those lofty goals? The perfect excuse. 

Click here to see Part 1 and Part 2 of My Top Ten Digital Campaigns for 2011

Number 8

Kraft’s Jello iphone/ipad app  (PER)

It’s certainly not easy to make a 100 year old food product made from animals’ bones, sugar water and artificial coloring relevant to a new audience, but that’s exactly what Kraft did for their gelatin dessert known as Jello.  Rather than highlight its healthful qualities in these days of promoting water as calorie free—Jello has no fat--the campaign focused on its fun factor by creating a free mobile app that’s pure joy. Users select their favorite flavor and then choose any song from your iTunes library, and then watch your favorite Jello dance in time to the music. They even suggest choosing different genres, from Punk to BlueGrass, to watch the Jello groove out. Try it, you'll like it. 

KLM Surprise  (PER, RWA, LBS)

I love KLM even though I've never flown the airline.  And I'm not alone. They have over 600K fans on Facebook, Virgin America under 200K. Here's one great reason why. They not only understand their customers, they appreciate them. Everyone knows that waiting in airports before boarding your plane is unbelievably boring, but KLM thought of a way to change that. Using Foursquare and Twitter to locate KLM  passengers who had checked in at the airport, they surprised them with a personalized gift as a thank you for flying their airline.  

A little surprise goes a long way and the smiles on the faces of the recipients tells one part of the  story, and 1MM impressions on Twitter tells the other side too. Decidedly a brilliant use of all three themes. 

Best practices for fan growth demand consistent long-term initiatives, not short term quick fixes, as success will, in the end, be measured by fan retention over time not just a one time fan increase.  Often times, a meteoric rise is quickly followed by a precipitous decline.

The best performance is seen when a company launches an on-brand, compelling creative campaign that is consistent across all media platforms including paid, earned and owned. Combined with a Like-Gate, this scenario can drive the largest increase in growth-especially in conjunction with engaging promotional opportunities, such as contests or sweepstakes.

But these kinds of promotions can be expensive and require a team of consultants and experts to help facilitate.

Instead, here are 5 simple solutions that can drive healthy fan growth the right way:

1. Publish Facebook-exclusive offers and content to your existing fans and they will spread the word

2. Use Open Graph and add a Like button to your product pages allowing that product to be published to your fans' NewsFeeds for their friends to see

3. Create a compelling welcome page-a fun video never hurts either

4. Add a Facebook link to your signature on all collateral

5. Get fans to tag your brand in photos

And as with any marketing plan, use all tools at your disposal to gauge what works and what doesn't. Facebook Insights will be very helpful in this regard.

And it goes without saying, in this world of social media, these tactics will only be successful if you know your audience very well and are confident you are offering them the content, product and/or services they are looking for. WIth all these tactics aligned, there's no doubt you will see your fan base increase, and then you'll engage with a cadre of brand loyalists who will gladly share their positive sentiment about your company.

Check it out. Here's mine. 

http://www.worldometers.info/