In Adweek’s new weekly video series, Social Confidential, Adweek’s social media editors take a look behind the logo to find out who’s tweeting, posting and sharing from major brands.
For the first episode, Adweek audience engagement editor Jess Zafarris spoke with Pearl Gabel and Megan Coyne, who have made national headlines for the fun and irreverent way they run the official Twitter accounts for the New Jersey state government (@NJGov) and Gov. Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy). Gabel is the digital director for the state of New Jersey, and Coyne is the digital assistant for Murphy.
Together, this duo blends huge brand personality, unapologetic humor and earnest public health messaging to remind people not to be “knuckleheads” who ignore official guidelines and orders during the pandemic. Engagement is the path to keeping people informed, and that engagement takes the form of creative emojis, clever graphics and assertive conversation.
But the @NJGov account in particular has captured hearts and minds well beyond the bounds of New Jersey—and it’s New Jersey’s distinctive charisma that drives its widespread popularity: “Wherever you are in the world, harness that Jersey energy,” Gabel said.
Watch below to learn the secrets to this account’s success.