connect2earth: eco-activism joins up with Web 2.0 for an award-winning community platform

It is not only a community platform but also a platform for a competition of ideas: environmentalists, from their PCs and mobile phones, can publish their ideas on saving the planet. The platform has won two prestigious web awards.

Clients: IUCN - the World Conservation Union, WWF International
In the run-up to the World Conservation Congress 2008, two environmental organisations, IUCN and WWF International, joined up to build an innovative community platform. The website Connect2Earth intends to encourage young people to publish their own ideas for environmental protection. Nokia "powers the website".

Task: To conduct a global competition for ideas on saving the planet
The best ideas and most brilliant suggestions were to be presented to 8,000 politicians, economic leaders and environmental professionals gathered at the World Conservation Congress 2008 in Barcelona, Spain. In this way, young environmentalists were given the opportunity to inspire leading decision-makers directly.

Solution: A Web 2.0 platform for desktop and mobile content
Registered users can upload, categorise, index (tag), rate and comment on their messages – videos, photos or texts – via connect2earth. Messages can also be sent directly via mobile phones. The platform has additional helpful features for users and administrators.

Evaluation stage 1: Objectives surpassed
Stage 1 of the project lasted from March to October 2008 (World Conservation Congress 2008). Results:

• Submission of thousands of ideas (videos, photos and texts)
• 3.15 million website visits
• Visitors from almost 200 countries
• 800,000 hits and views of the YouTube videos (viral marketing)

"Best of Swiss Web 2009"
A professional jury has honoured connect2earth with two of the renowned "Best of Swiss Web Award 2009" as an “excellent and trend-setting project in all respects”:

• Gold (category "Online & Mobile Campaigns")
• Silver (category "Public Affairs")

Comments of the popular media about the website

• Tech Digest (USA): "Nokia and the WWF's environmental YouTube"
• PCTipp (Switzerland): “Do you want to solve environmental problems? Then Connect2Earth is the right platform for you.”
• UmweltDialog (Germany): “A contemporary networking system for a young generation.”

Duration of the project
Phase 1: March 2008 to October 2008 (platform not live anymore)
Phase 2: ongoing (relaunch april 2009)

getunik services
Concept, design, programming, support

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