With ECP Media, we turn banner ads into conversations, billboards into events, and customers into brand evangelists.

We don’t just plan and buy media, we create it, bend it, and stretch it. We craft integrated “tra-digital” campaigns using a strategic combination of platforms to reach your audience at the right place and time.

Our process is simple and collaborative, leveraging our strong relationships within the media community, always striving to bring our added value extra factor to every partnership.

Our services.

Planning and strategy

We know that media planning can be complex and buying can be daunting, but when you partner with Extra Credit Media you are extending your own team through our expert industry and market knowledge. Our process is straightforward and transparent, our decisions strategic and meaningful, and our client interactions professional and accessible, to deliver the best available results.

Media formats

In the ever-changing media landscape, our team at Extra Credit Media is always at the forefront. From traditional TV to out of home to pixel-perfect digital placements, we have the knowledge and experience in a variety of media to exceed expectations.

Digital Display Advertising / Out of Home (OOH) / In-Stream Video / Social Media / Email Marketing / Broadcast and Streaming TV / Print / Geo-fencing / Transit / Place-Based Media / Broadcast and Streaming Radio / Search Engine Marketing (SEM) / Experiential / Untraditional

Data and analytics

After campaigns are locked in and launched, Extra Credit Media provides our clients with monthly reporting, outlining top-level data and analytics on each paid media tactic. This allows our clients to know exactly what they’re getting for their investment, including impressions, clicks, and conversions. This monitoring also allows our media team to constantly evaluate our media, making strategy, budget, timeline, and creative adjustments on the fly (if needed) to maximize media effectiveness.

Media case studies:

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Gerald R. Ford International Airport

GRReat Billboard Hunt

Media Platforms

Out of Home / Digital / Social / On-Premises

Objective & Strategy

The objective of this campaign was to bring greater awareness to nonstop routes in a unique way that engaged the community and created a positive buzz surrounding the Airport. By merging traditional out of home with digital engagement through the scavenger hunt app, Goosechase, The GRReat Billboard Hunt was a four-week event that encouraged participants to find and photograph the 30 destinations on billboards across Grand Rapids. To promote the event, we used both paid digital OOH and social ads, as well as email marketing, PR and owned on-premises placements.

Results

18M OOH impressions / 2,300+ photo submissions / 3.8M PR impressions

The app had 700+ participants and 2,300+ photo submissions during the event. The OOH significantly overdelivered estimated impressions, while we also delivered 30,000+ social ad and 3,300+ webpage views. Additionally, the story ran on local, regional, and industry outlets, garnering 3.8 million added impressions and awareness. During the months of and directly after the event, the airport saw a 15% average monthly increase in travelers YOY. The airport concluded the year with 4,172,068 total passengers, 10% more than their previous record traveler numbers from 2023.

Gerald R. Ford International Airport. Fly Safe. Fly Ford.

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Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park

ENLIGHTEN at Meijer Gardens

Media Platforms

Digital / Social / Out of Home

Objective & Strategy

To bring awareness to the inaugural year of ENLIGTHEN at Meijer Gardens, Extra Credit Media was tasked with developing a strong, local media buy that delivered high impressions and frequency to increase ticket sales and drive visitors to the event. Through an integrated mix of media tactics, placements delivered simple design and compelling messaging at a high frequency across the market to drive results.

Results

27M total impressions / 134K ad clicks / Exceeded ticket sale goals by 40%

Through our advertising efforts, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park had 85,000+ visitors to the ENLIGHTEN holiday experience—more than 40% higher than ticket sale goals and unprecedented results for a first-year event. The media plan specifically drove more than 134,000 clicks and delivered more than 27 million impressions across the Greater Grand Rapids market.

“It was truly a massive success we could have only dreamed of for our first year. What we did as a team really garnered results.” — Carol Kendra, Chief Operating Officer, Frederik Meijer Gardens

Our gardens have never been so illuminating. Enlighten at Meijer Gardens. November 27 - January 4. Tickets are going at LIGHT speed. Out of Home and Social.

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Gerald R. Ford International Airport

Fly Safe. Fly Ford.

Media Platforms

Digital / Social / Out of Home / Print / Radio / TV

Objective & Strategy

With bags packed, flights booked and tray tables in their upright positions, ECP and Gerald R. Ford International Airport embarked on a journey to regain travelers post-pandemic. Highlighting the ease and convenience of travel and their 30+ nonstop routes, the campaigns targeted local, regional and diverse audiences using a variety of tactics.

Results

131M impressions / Exceeded annual passenger goal by 16%

Throughout the year our main goal was to reach or exceed 70% of travelers from the record-breaking 2019 year. Through our multi-media placements and concise creative messaging, our efforts delivered higher-than-expected numbers. At the end of 2021, year-to-date passenger totals were trending at approximately 86% of 2019, and outlooks for the following year were even better.

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YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids

Membership Campaign

Media Platforms

Digital / Social / Out of Home / Streaming Radio / Email Marketing

Objective & Strategy

Through a multi-month media campaign, Extra Credit Media and YMCA collaborated to increase awareness and memberships at the various West Michigan locations. Using digital, social media and streaming radio we were able to specifically target our audience within a radius of each facility, as well as a broader health-conscious audience, and paired with a rotating out of home plan our message was top of mind in the market for the 3+ month campaign.

Results

36M impressions / 21K ad clicks to website / Goal reached with 30% of campaign time remaining

Through our mix of media across the market, our campaign was able to deliver more than 36 million impressions to our target audience. We also had more than 21,000 clicks on our ads on digital, social and streaming radio, sending users directly to the membership sign-up page. And with more than four weeks remaining in our 14-week campaign, the membership team had reached their new member sign-up goal.

Various advertisements for YMCA's Membership Campaign

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Gerald R. Ford International Airport

Brand Identity

Media Platforms

Digital / Social / Out of Home / Print / Radio / TV / Untraditional

Objective & Strategy

As mask mandates lifted and passenger numbers continued to trend upward, our media team moved in a new direction for Gerald R. Ford International Airport. Utilizing iconic imagery and simple messaging, we leveraged the Airport’s brand identity through a variety of media tactics, reaching our audience throughout their daily journey, and keeping the Airport and their services top of mind, ultimately turning viewers into customers.

Results

199M impressions / 123K ad clicks to website / 19% more passengers vs previous year

Over the year, our campaign delivered 51% more impressions than the previous advertising year. We also reached a larger, more diverse audience through multiple media formats, averaging a frequency of 3.7 ads per week all year long. Overall we saw a 19% increase in total passengers through the Airport year-over-year, and averaged within 97% of passenger numbers benchmarked from the Airport’s record-breaking 2019 year.

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MSU Extension

Media Platforms

Social / Out of Home

Objective & Strategy

To promote their educational programs and offerings, ECM planned and launched for a down to earth media campaign for Michigan State university Extension. Utilizing a mix of tactics and placements to reach their audience across the state on their customer journey, we increased awareness and drove visitors to the Extension website to learn about offerings and sign up for programs.

Results

31M impressions / 3,500+ social engagements / 73% increase in web traffic

Launched in the midst of a global pandemic, our campaign delivered better than expected results. Through our mix of social and out of home media placements, we not only raised awareness for the MSU Extension brand and its services, but also generated new interest in both across the state. Through the campaign MSU Extension had more than 1.8 million impressions on social media ads, with an additional 3,500+ social engagements. The university division also saw an unprecedented 73% increase in website traffic.

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Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation

Recruitment Campaign

Media Platforms

Digital / Social / Geo-fencing / Out of Home / Untraditional

Objective & Strategy

Collaborating with the fifth largest rehabilitation hospital in the United States, Extra Credit Media has not only helped Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital remain top of mind for patients in West Michigan and beyond, but have also helped the organization to bring more jobs to the state. To reach potential candidates in the right time and place, ECM used a multi-media mix of digital and traditional tactics to deliver creative messaging to our audience at home, and at work.

Results

46M impressions / 48K ad clicks to website / 79% increase in applicants

Across the 3+ year campaign, we were able to deliver more than 46 million impressions across the West Michigan market, including Grand Rapids, Holland and Kalamazoo with our out of home, digital, social and untraditional efforts. Since our joint efforts with the not-for-profit hospital system, Mary Free Bed has seen a 145% growth in employees, and in our most recent campaign the messaging and placements generated a 79% increase in applicants month-over-month.

Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Recruitment Campaign

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National Heritage Academies

PrepNet Virtual Academy Enrollment Campaign

Media Platforms

Out of Home / Digital

Objective & Strategy

In 2021, when the global pandemic had many Michigan parents reconsidering school options, National Heritage Academies and Extra Credit Media launched a statewide, summer-long campaign to bring awareness of PrepNet Virtual Academy. Using primarily out of home media, major markets across the state were blanketed with striking, relevant and simple messaging to increase enrollment at their online-only school. To complement the outdoor campaign, we also ran a highly-targeted digital campaign geo-fencing competitor high schools in top markets including Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor during the final weeks of school.

Results

92M impressions / 0.21% clickthrough rate / Exceeded original student enrollment goal by 65%

The campaign goal was to increase awareness of the online school, generate interest, and ultimately enroll 900 new students for the upcoming school year. The campaign delivered over 92 million impressions over five months, and by early September, over 1,500 students had applied and were registered with PrepNet Virtual Academy, exceeding our enrollment goal by 65%.

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Guiding Light

Giving Campaign

Media Platforms

Out of Home / Print / TV / Radio / Untraditional

Objective & Strategy

Focused on rescue, recovery and re-engagement, Guiding Light of Grand Rapids helps men struggling with addiction and homelessness get back to work and life. Through their partnership with Extra Credit Media, Guiding Light ran a successful end of year giving campaign for more than five years, bringing awareness to their mission and increased donations to their cause through skillful media placement, targeted strategy, and thought-provoking creative.

Results

53M average impressions per season / 13% increase in online giving

Through the multi-year campaign efforts, Guiding Light saw increased donations in Q4 year after year. In our first season, online giving saw a 47% increase compared to the previous year, and over the next two years the non-profit saw an overall 13% increase in total charitable contributions. Even through the global pandemic Guiding Light and Extra Credit Media continued to deliver toward their shared goals, reactivating 1,200 lapsed donors, garnering 2,800 new donations, and fundraising the complete annual budget only six months into the fiscal year.

The ECP Media Advantage

Strategically Centered

We are media neutral, but strategically analyze objectives, audiences and budget to recommend the best media placements to meet your goals.

Masters of Made-up

If the “right” media doesn’t exist, we create it. We are experts in finding the nontraditional, unexpected, and creative solutions to bring our clients’ messages to their audience.

Creative Media Merge

If you’re also an Extra Credit Projects client, you get the unique experience of our “media merge,” where our creative and media teams collaborate on your project to seamlessly maximize your media plan.