Celebrating our 15th Anniversary
15 YEARS OF IMPACT
Marketing on a Mission
Dream It
For 15 years, What Works Studio has been turning dreams into reality.
At the heart of every successful project is a vision, and we pride ourselves on our ability to capture and elevate that vision.
Dreaming big is the first step to achieving greatness, and we have a penchant for making big dreams come true.
Build It
Once the vision is clear, we bring it to life.
Our experienced team excels in transforming ideas into tangible results through meticulous planning, cutting-edge design, bringing together the right collaborators, and data-driven strategies.
Building a strong foundation is crucial, and we are committed to creating solutions that stand the test of time.
Grow It
Then we commit to an ongoing journey of growth and adaptation.
Our commitment to our clients’ success has been a cornerstone of our agency for the past 15 years, and we take pride in the long-term partnerships we’ve built with our clients. As we celebrate this milestone, we look forward to many more years of fostering growth and driving success for our clients.
We opened a second office in San Diego
And one to grow on.
OUR TOP 15 CASE STUDIES
UMMC Diabetes Campaign
In 2023 and 2024, we developed and implemented a campaign for the Baltimore region on behalf of our client, University of Maryland Medical Center, to help Baltimore residents better manage and prevent diabetes.
Our strategy involved a mix of offline and online channels, incorporating grassroots initiatives, influencer marketing featuring DJ Porkchop, PR activities, landing page development and management, and targeted digital media placements across social media, connected TV, and streaming radio.
Geofenced ads and local radio station promotions were utilized to drive foot traffic to information booths staffed at local malls by the campaign street team.
By using local influencers and getting feet on the ground, we were able to connect target audiences with life-changing health care programs.
Drone Show for UMMC’s 200th Anniversary
In 2023, What Works Studio coordinated a large scale drone show, which debuted at the Artscape 2023 festival. This awe-inspiring event was produced on behalf of our client, the University of Maryland Medical Center, in celebration of their 200th anniversary.
Titled "A Love Letter to Baltimore," the aerial drone exhibition illuminated the night sky and featured the city's beloved icon and our other brainchild, Mr. Trash Wheel.
We are honored to have conceptualized and provided creative direction of the display, including its concept, messaging, and music. Our responsibilities also extended to sourcing a top-notch drone show production team, garnering media coverage, and managing the overall project.
The drones took to the sky on Friday, September 22, 2023, at the Artscape Main Stage in Baltimore.
GreenWell Energy Lead Gen
GreenWell Energy, an emerging player in the renewable energy sector, partnered with us to develop foundational business assets, build brand awareness, and drive sales growth.
We created a cohesive brand identity, including a new logo and website, and provided ongoing marketing support.
Most notably, WWS took on the role of business development and sales, securing pivotal partnerships and fostering significant business expansion for GreenWell Energy.
If you are interested in discussing ways to increase the value of your commercial or multi-family residential properties using solar and/or EV chargers, please reach out to us at hello@whatworksstudio.com.
University of Maryland Medical Center’s Marathon Campaign
In 2023, the Maryland Half Marathon & 5K returned to an in-person format, marking a significant milestone after the challenges posed by the pandemic. The goal was to raise funds for cutting-edge cancer research at the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center (UMGCCC) at the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC).
What Works Studio led the marketing efforts of this event to create a groundbreaking multichannel campaign, which led to a successful event. The goal was to effectively promote the Maryland Half Marathon & 5K, with an ambitious target of raising $500,000 for advancing cancer research.
Kaiser Permanente
Since 2018, we’ve been providing social media support to Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States.
Kaiser Permanente brought on What Works Studio to organize and manage their organic and paid social media efforts.
By establishing social media processes and a framework for their regional social media operations, we were able to streamline their social media initiatives and increased net follower growth by 6,290% and increased social media engagement rate by 136%
Kaiser Permanente Feds Campaign
Since 2019, Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States has sought out What Works Studio to help elevate awareness among federal employees, urging them to consider Kaiser Permanente as their preferred healthcare and insurance provider.
Through strategic planning and execution of a targeted paid social media campaign, we achieved outstanding results, generating over 12 million impressions and significantly elevating awareness among federal employees by generating 3,395 conversions, including plan views, calls, and submissions.
Mr. Trash Wheel
In 2015, On behalf of Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore and Healthy Harbor Initiative, What Works Studio conceptualized and created an internet celebrity that became a cultural landmark in Baltimore and beloved global icon for ocean conservancy: Mr. Trash Wheel.
While were managing the social media accounts for Mr. Trash Wheel, it was Discovery Channel’s #1 Story of the Year, had 1.2 million impressions on Twitter in a single day, achieved the #1 spot on the front page of Reddit during a viral AMA appearance, and was featured in National Geographic’s print edition.
We also developed the identity for a second trash wheel, Professor Trash Wheel, and helped with the launch of that initiative.
Mr. Trash Wheel has been touted as the "most beloved and sensible anti-plastic pollution mechanism in the country" by the New Yorker, and has become Internet famous while raising millions of dollars for the client.
Enoch Pratt Free Library
Since 2018, we’ve been Enoch Pratt Free Library's agency of record. In the first year of working with us, they had record attendance in 21 neighborhood branches, grew their Facebook followers by 48%, won an award for the podcast we produce on their behalf, was featured on Good Morning America as one of the Nicest Places in America, and won three prestigious Library Marketing and PR awards.
The Enoch Pratt Free Baltimore’s Free to Bmore Podcast won numerous awards including “Best Conversation.”
In 2023, The Pratt has the highest circulation in 12 years, the highest number of new card holders in 7 years, and a record number of active library card holders.
Light City Baltimore
In 2013, we conceptualized Light City, a week-long, citywide festival of light, music, and innovation and began pitching the idea to city stakeholders. In 2015, we partnered with the City and secured BGE as the lead sponsor in celebration of their 200th Anniversary. In 2016, Light City launched and became the largest annual event in Baltimore’s history.
Light City added $111.6 Million to the Maryland economy and drew over 1.3 Million festival attendees during the 2016, 2017, and 2018 productions.
The first festival production in 2016 took place over 7 nights and featured 29 large-scale light art installations, over 100 concerts and performances, and 6 days of sold-out innovation conferences at Light City U.
In 2016, the festival attracted over 400,000 attendees. According to reports, the first year’s economic impact was $33.8 Million (ROI of 956%).
In 2017, Light City was expanded to 9 nights and 8 neighborhoods, drew an estimated 470,000 people, and earned 1.09 Billion media impressions with an economic impact of $44.3 Million (ROI of 1,097%).
In 2018, Light City expanded to 3 weekends and 14 neighborhoods, with 442,500 attendees, 1.6 Billion media impressions, and $33.5 Million in economic impact (ROI of 737.5%).
Light City U
In 2016, we designed, produced, and marketed four innovation conferences, which featured over 140 thought leaders and explored innovations in four key areas: Social Justice, Sustainability, Healthcare, and Creative Industries.
The driving question behind The Light City U series of Innovation Conferences was: What are the latest innovations that can help us build a more responsible and equitable society? And we secured national and local thought-leaders to speak at the conferences to explore that question.
For the conferences, we developed the marketing strategy and implemented an integrated marketing campaign to sell tickets to four distinct two-day conferences, which included digital advertising, social advertising, PR, radio, email marketing, and print. We also developed and enacted a successful direct sales plan for bulk ticket sales. Our sales and marketing efforts resulted in six days of sold-out conferences that produced significant revenue for the 2016 festival.
Aerotek
Following a realignment in 2021 that allowed it to focus exclusively on serving talent and businesses within the industrial sectors, Aerotek hired What Works Studio to audit its social media operations and develop a strategic plan for 2022. The goal was to develop a data driven approach to produce executable social media tactics specific to Aerotek’s primary social media channels.
WWS conducted a comprehensive review, including a discovery session with the Aerotek team, an evaluation of content performance by type and topic, a deep analysis of social media engagement as pertains to target audience segments, competitor benchmarking, and research into current industry trends and best practices.
We also developed enhanced audience personas to refine targeting, content, and messaging. This case study details the methodology, challenges, and outcomes of our collaboration with Aerotek.
Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore
In 2015, Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore brought on What Works Studio to rebrand the organization.
We crafted a new logo, graphic identity, website, and print collateral to help them launch their new brand.
We were then brought on to help drive awareness to Healthy Harbor Initiative's garbage interceptor and Mr. Trash Wheel was born.
We also developed the identity for a second trash wheel, Professor Trash Wheel, and helped with the launch of that initiative.
Waterfront Partnership also hired What Works Studio to brand Rash Field Park.
Green Street Academy
In 2015, Green Street Academy asked What Works Studio to develop a student enrollment campaign to identify potential students and drive enrollment for a new charter school in West Baltimore.
We developed an integrated campaign that included focus groups, marketing assets, landing pages, a social media campaign, digital advertising, radio advertising, live events, and guerrilla marketing tactics that included hiring hip-hop artists and sneaking a p.a. into the Baltimore School Choice Fair for an impromptu performance at the GSA booth.
As a result, Green Street Academy received over 1,000 applications which increased enrollment over 300%. As a result, the school qualified for and received over $1 million dollars in federal and state grants.
Bmore Gives More on #GivingTuesday
In 2012, we helped raise $5.9 million in a single day on #GivingTuesday for #BmoreGivesMore. The initiative became the largest #GivingTuesday campaign at that time and won Baltimore the title of “Most Generous City in America,” birthing a movement that was replicated in over 70 cities the following year.
The campaign was featured in dozens of national publications, and is now featured in a permanent exhibition in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.
What Weekly Magazine
In 2010, we launched a hyper-local online arts and culture magazine called What Weekly. According to The Guardian, What Weekly had its “fingers on the pulse of all things hot and creative in Baltimore.”
The magazine won several local awards, threw a lot of good parties, and was a creative outlet for all involved.
Over seven years (2010-2017), What Weekly rallied hundreds of contributors who artfully crafted thousands of original stories that were designed to uplift the community. We published a new edition every week and our stories were read by hundreds of thousands of people in over 200 countries around the world.
