Campaign Strategy
Sofia International Literary Festival is the largest and most prestigious literary forum in Bulgaria.
So far, over 320 poets and writers from 35 countries have participated in the Literary Fest.
Sofia International Literary Festival is the largest and most prestigious literary forum in Bulgaria.
So far, over 320 poets and writers from 35 countries have participated in the Literary Fest.
This year the theme was French language literature (French authors from all around the world).
Goal:
We had to introduce the authors and their books before the start of the festival, so the people would like to come and see them face to face.
Goal:
We had to introduce the authors and their books before the start of the festival, so the people would like to come and see them face to face.
The Problem:
Most of the authors, unfortunately, are not well known in Bulgaria.
And people in Bulgaria are sceptic about French language literature.
Most of the authors, unfortunately, are not well known in Bulgaria.
And people in Bulgaria are sceptic about French language literature.
What we did?
In order to proof that if people are open enough to the French language literature, they will like it, we created 4 Couchsurfing account.
In order to proof that if people are open enough to the French language literature, they will like it, we created 4 Couchsurfing account.
We chose Couchsurfing, because it is unique platform – people host other people for free.
But free comes on a price – people don’t accept just anybody who wants to sleep at their homes, but only those who they like, or those who they believe will have good time with.
But free comes on a price – people don’t accept just anybody who wants to sleep at their homes, but only those who they like, or those who they believe will have good time with.
4 accounts – each one of them representing a fictional character from a book.
But we didn’t tell this. We made everybody believe they are talking with real people.
4 accounts who were telling the story of the fictional characters from these books.
The 4 books whose authors were about to visit the festival.
But we didn’t tell this. We made everybody believe they are talking with real people.
4 accounts who were telling the story of the fictional characters from these books.
The 4 books whose authors were about to visit the festival.
Then we started looking for the right people who would be interested in our festival. We searched people based in Sofia, who were interested in literature or in some of the themes of the books.
And then we send requests and started conversations, talking more and more about us (the fictional characters).
When people finally decided that they would be happy to host us for the dates of the festival, we surprised them. On the exact date the hosts were expecting the fictional characters – they received an unexpected delivery – instead of the person they were expecting, they received a book with the exact same literature character they were writing with the whole time. And an invitation to come and meet with the author of the book face-to-face.
Results
All the characters found places to “sleep”.
All the hosts wrote good reviews to our characters.
All the hosts wrote good reviews to our characters.
We reached people within community that is really closed and hard to manipulate, because there is no money involved. And more important – we reached their hearts.
Channels/used media
Couchsurfing
Total budget spent - 20 euro
Total budget spent - 20 euro
