Reddit’s public.

No bamboozle.

TL;DR

In March 2023, Reddit became a publicly traded company. With no other consumer-facing marketing, social media quickly became critical in delivering the news and supporting this endeavor. The biggest question was, however, how does a brand that prides itself in being “delightfully absurd” and “inherently eclectic” maintain its voice and tone while supporting something so corporate and regulated as an IPO?

Enter Snoo.

ICYMI, Reddit has a mascot, Snoo, a genderless, non-speaking alien who descended onto our planet to learn more about humanity. Snoo represents every Reddit user and was, therefore, perfect for a campaign of this size. In a happy turn of events, Snoo was selected as the sole button-pusher for Reddit’s first opening bell.

My role in gestures broadly all of this

At that moment, my manager was on leave, making me a one-person team. I formed and led the entirety of our $RDDT social strategy, working closely with Reddit’s legal team and NYSE’s marketing team.

Creative Strategy

Launch video

A “day in the life” video of Snoo getting ready to go to the NYSE and ring the bell on Reddit’s IPO day. From alarm clock to bell ringing, the video is full of Reddit-y easter eggs, glimpses of our New York office, real Reddit employees, and, of course, Snoo ringing the bell at the New York Stock Exchange on this momentous day. We utilized “The Office”-style employee confessionals to personify Snoo’s eccentric character (as Snoo does not speak), dialed up the absurdity of Snoo’s awkward form attempting to fit in a phone booth, and showcased the mundane, like riding the escalator quietly from the subway.

For our longtime users, we gave a nod to legendary subreddits like r/birdswitharms, r/bananasforscale and r/AITA.

Gif Stickers

Too often, stickers are overlooked. I partnered with our Brand Creative team to make sure users on- and off-platform had an easy way to share our ticker symbol in a fun and dynamic way.

Brand boilerplate

Since the IPO was a major corporate moment, not every piece of content could be as full of whimsy as the other. To remind our existing followers and introduce new followers to our brand messaging, I shared a gif of our boilerplate:

Reddit aspires to be the heart of the internet.

Memes

Reddit wouldn’t be Reddit without memes. To help preserve this core of our brand identity, I parodied popular meme formats and made them about Snoo, Reddit’s mascot, being at the stock exchange.

Live coverage

What better way to show Reddit is breaking IPO molds than with day-of coverage? I worked with a photography team to make sure we captured the best moments during Listing Day, including Snoo ringing the opening bell. Never before had a mascot rang the opening bell on a company’s IPO day.

These moments were rounded up on Instagram Stories.

Day-of recap sizzle

In partnership with NYSE’s marketing team, I produced a sizzle real, recapping all the magic that happened on-site on listing day. Showcasing celebrations such as this was an excellent method of boosting Reddit’s employer branding.

Employee Advocacy

In addition to strategizing what Reddit would share as a brand, I had to ensure employees were set up for success with a kit filled with pre-approved copy and assets. This way, no one was breaking SEC rules and saying something they shouldn’t.