U.S. Dept. of State Social Media

Enhancing the
Global Discussion
on Democracy
Using Social Media
Overview
The U.S. Department of State turned to Alexander & Tom to design and develop a worldwide online video contest, the Democracy Video Challenge. The ultimate goal was to enhance the global discussion on democracy. Six winners from around the world were flown to New York to meet Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, tour the United States and show off their videos on nationally and internationally recognized media outlets.
The Department of State partnered with organizations involved with politics and/or the entertainment industry to help globally promote the contest. These partner organizations included: NBC Universal, the Center for the International Private Enterprise, International Youth Foundation, TakingITGlobal, the International Republican Institute, the National Democratic Institute, the Motion Picture Association of America, USC’s School for Communication, NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, and the Recording Industry Association of America.
A+T developed and continues to maintain a “Marketing Partner Toolkit,” for the Department of State’s partners. The marketing assets in the “Toolkit” include rich media banner ads, e-postcards and email campaign templates. Partners are encouraged to use these resources on their websites and through their networks to enhance the viral nature of the campaign and increase the global visibility of the different Challenges.
A+T provided identity branding for the Challenges, including the logo design, microsite design, banner ad campaign and email campaign designs. Additionally, A+T developed the social media effort by creating Facebook Fan Pages and a Twitter campaign for the DVC. The social media pages have now expanded to encompass all parts the “Democracy is…” brand. A+T also reached out to international blogs that cover filmmaking, film festivals and politics to help generate an online buzz about the campaign.
Features
- Web Consulting
- Marketing Consulting / Outreach Consulting
- Social Media Marketing
- Website Design
- Flash Programming and Development
- Campaign Identity
- Multiple Language Versions
- YouTube Channel Pages
- Microsite Design
- Interactive Design
- Email and E-postcard Program
- Banner Ad Campaign, Flash & Static
- Project Management
- iPhone App Development
iPhone App
![]()


