Yesterday, many of us New Yorkers experienced our first earthquake. While it was “only” an aftershock, it was certainly an unsettling experience much of the MMC staff will forever remember.
A mere three hours after the earthquake, I received an email from a well-known restaurant group advertising a post-quake happy hour with specialty cocktails selling for $5.90 – the earthquake’s measure on the Richter scale. A quick Google search also showed several other bars and restaurants all over the east coast were running similar specials.
What do you think of this effort? On the one hand, they did many of the practices we counsel our clients on all the time:
- Created an emotional connection, enabling New Yorkers to bond over a shared experience
- Leveraged a timely event to create a reason to take immediate action
- Developed a noteworthy angle that broke through the clutter of my inbox and even compelled me to click through to their website
On the other hand, is it in poor taste to leverage what could have been a harrowing experience for corporate gain?
You be the judge.
Image courtesy of MediaBistro
The New York Times reported today newsstand sales for weekly magazines are largely down over the first six months of 2011. These figures are often seen as a good indication of the overall health of a magazine because circulation numbers can be more easily manipulated. Despite provocative covers, noteworthy news (royal wedding, killing Osama bin Laden) and leadership changes most magazines haven’t been able to move the needle at shelf.
This trend is only going to continue. People buy magazines at the newsstand because they expect a magazine to fill a specific period of time to keep them occupied. With the continued adaptation of smart phones and tablets, there’s really no need to purchase a magazine to fill a void. If you like the style/content of a particular magazine, most offer content on mobile-friendly sites and apps. If your interest is piqued by a provocative headline on a magazine cover, odds are you can find the story online. You might not be able to read the prized feature article, but you can still access much of the content, along with real-time blog posts and web-only articles on of-the-moment topics. Many magazines are offering a richer experience online than they are offering in-book. And currently, much of it is for free. It will be interesting to see how the magazine business model continues to evolve as the Internet and related devices continue to adapt. I don’t think it will be much longer before we see app sales and online subscriptions as an indicator of a magazine’s success and newsstand sales fall by the wayside.
Looking to ignite conversation and create a steady drumbeat of news? With millions of media hits and heated online debates, The Hunger Games, the big-screen adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ young-adult science fiction novel, is a case study in creating excitement and news about one core product – months before it even launches.
Capitalizing on the enthusiasm for bringing the first book to the big screen, the Lionsgate PR team has created a whirlwind of pre-launch excitement. So far, they have created two unique phases of pre-launch buzz.
- Casting commencement: This is usually not considered big news, meriting just trade and fan site hits. But with this highly adored series, speculation among traditional and social media (and fans!) went aflutter, resulting in thousands of stories and heated reader commentary.
- Casting announcements: A slow and purposeful trickle of news unveiling the cast. First, Lionsgate made a splash with the announcement that Jennifer Lawrence was being cast as heroine Katniss Everdeen. Thousands more stories and heated debates over whether she’s the right choice ensued. Every few days casting news unfolded, resulting in continued coverage by many media outlets. A Google search for The Hunger Games movie now yields 12+ million hits. Entertainment Weekly devoted an entire section of its site to this story in its magazine and blog.
The amount of buzz generated pre-launch is impressive. Certainly, Lionsgate’s team was set up for success – Collins’ trilogy is highly popular; so excitement about the movie is no surprise. Many fans and media were playing armchair casting director long before casting commenced, so Lionsgate knew media and fans would be captivated by play-by-play news over days and weeks.
What’s the key takeaway for brands from this pre-launch success story? Lionsgate has turned what could have been just one story (the announcement of the full cast) into at least 8 or 10 so far, and casting is far from complete. The next time you launch a product or program, consider coming up with a number of angles and develop a glidepath of news. Use the most pivotal story for launch and what may tantalize your target and build consumer anticipation prior to launch. Consider tying your news to upcoming events or programs created by other organizations to extend the news cycle and build further excitement. You may find three or four different angles you can leverage to your advantage.
I’m excited to see how the news continues to unfold and how Lionsgate tops its pre-launch efforts at the movie premiere!
Nothing like providing a solution to a problem women didn’t even know they had. The March issue of Harper’s Bazaar UK talks about the new phenomenon of facial lines women get from squinting to read their Blackberries and shares a “new” solution some doctors are marketing – “Blackberry Botox.” What a smart way to leverage pop culture and today’s societal norms to market an existing product in a new way! What’s next? Perhaps Sally Hansen should market an existing nail polish as “keyboard proof – no chips.” Or perhaps Dial (client) could leverage one of their existing hand lotions with a new benefit that works well with touch screens. So many possibilities!
Photo via TheHealthAge.com
As Sheryl Trager blogged earlier this week, social media and TV are converging. While watching a big event on TV, many people post comments on Facebook, tweet their POV or share feedback on forums. For me, social media also serves as a companion to many of my favorite regularly scheduled shows. I look forward to reading recaps on TV/entertainment blogs, as they enrich my viewing experience and give me a snapshot of what both the experts and fellow viewers think outside of my network.
Now, both The X Factor and American Idol may be taking this companionship to the next level. Yesterday, news outlets teased both shows will allow Facebook voting. It will be interesting to see which show is first to market with this much needed upgrade. What a great way for the X Factor to make a splash in the U.S. pre-launch and distinguish itself from the competition – assuming they get to it first. Either way, it will be a huge leap forward from the laborious repeat dialing of yesterday.
More importantly, this will make it super easy for people to vote via a medium their viewership is already engaged with and probably will be using as a companion while they watch each week’s competition. All they need to do is give one more click to their mouse (or smart phone, assuming it will be mobile-enabled) and they’ve made their opinion known. Hopefully they will enable voters to see how others voted and allow comments/feedback, so viewers get a real time pulse check as to which competitors are leading the pack.
This is a lesson all marketers can learn from – make it easy for your consumer to interact with you. The easier it is, the more people will take action and they’ll do so repeatedly. My bet for either show is engagement soars and they receive an unprecedented number of votes because they’ve made the process so simple.
When I gave birth to my daughter, the hospital gave me Pampers and Desitin. And because they came from an institution I trusted, I continued to use them when I left the hospital. They were the first products I tried and they remain staples in my baby-care arsenal today. Today, The New York Times reported Disney is getting into that game. Within hours of giving birth, new moms receive a Disney character-adorned baby bodysuit to take home. That’s smart marketing on Disney’s part. Just like the diapers and diaper cream, there’s a good chance moms will dress their newborns in the outfit, get involved in the Disney baby community and buy Disney’s other baby offerings.
EW.com recently posted an article on why Jersey Shore is a hit. This got me thinking … there are some learnings marketers can also take from this nationwide phenomenon:
- Emotional resonance: EW.com states it simply: “the show makes people happy.” It’s why people watch and it is why people keep coming back for more. No one watches or talks about a show they feel “neutral” about. Same goes for a product or service. Marketers want the equity driver of “I love this brand.” Make people uniquely happy with your product or service and they’ll love you back.
- It’s causing a dialogue: Love it or hate it, everyone has an opinion on the show. The ratings have grown tremendously because viewers are sharing their perspectives with their online and offline communities. Word of mouth is one of the most powerful purchase drivers across most categories. Empower and enable your “fans” to talk about your brand. Ratings & Reviews, a Facebook page, forums . . . there are lots of possibilities.
- New twist to an existing formula: The premise of Jersey Shore is not new. The format started almost 20 years ago when the Real World began telling a similar story of eight strangers, living in a house, working together and having their lives taped. Sound familiar? Innovation doesn’t happen every day. It’s finding that unique, noteworthy angle to make your brand relevant. With Jersey Shore, it was casting genius and a new vernacular. It could be anything from a third party partnership, a relevant spokesperson, leveraging a trend. Some good examples from the MMC roster of clients include Poise’s use of humor and “real talk” to make light bladder leakage and their existing pads/liners relevant. Or Head & Shoulders partnering with Cosmopolitan to transform their existing product into a beauty essential for women.
