MKTG Week 5: How to Become Part of the News

Introduction: What is Newsjacking?

In today's age of constant connection and quick access to stories, news and people via technology, newsjacking is one of the most powerful marketing tools there is. 

As a graphic design student, I always keep an eye out to learn the best or newest creative techniques companies use to gain a broader awareness and customer base. While perusing Chapter 9 of The New Rules of Marketing and PR by David Meerman Scott, a funny little word caught my eye; newsjacking. I hadn't heard that term before, so I did a Google Search and, true to the first paragraph of today's post, instantly came up with several other blogs educating me about this topic. 

Newsjacking is something most of us are familiar with, even if the word sounds new as it did to me, or we don't exactly understand what all it entails. When a brand or company takes advantage of a currently trending story to call attention to itself and its products/ services, that is newsjacking. By finding a way to create its own twist on the latest news, the company gains many benefits by incorporating itself as part of an already hot topic. 

Creating a newsjacking campaign is a mighty force; If you do it right, there are major benefits for your company. On the other hand, do it wrong and you can throw your company into a place viewed with judgement and contempt by your audience for communicating a message that they don't agree with or value. 

But what are the benefits of doing it right? How can you as a marketing professional conduct a successful newsjacking campaign for your brand? That's today's topic of discussion. 

Newsjacking Done Right 

Reading through several blogs quickly imprinted one newsjacking example in my mind above all others. While it's admittedly not the most recent example, blog after blog touted Oreo's 2013 Super Bowl move to be one of the most successful newsjacking efforts by a brand, and after reading the story for myself and seeing the image Oreo posted on social media, I can absolutely agree. 

In 2013 during the Super Bowl, there was a power outage in the stadium which threw everything into a sudden, dark halt. Oreo swept into action and quickly posted an image that drew a connection between their cookies and the current power outage with a simple witty line, "You can still dunk in the dark". 

The campaign met instantaneous success, acquiring more than 10,000 retweets within 24 hours after it had been posted. Oreo's Instagram follower count jumped from 2,000 to 36,000 people, and 8,000 more people followed the company's Twitter account as well. Eleven years later, it remains one of the most memorable newsjacking examples in the history of marketing. Its success is due to many reasons: 

1. Relevant and Relatable

In the moment, particularly for the confused and impatient fans in the stadium, this post was extremely relevant and relatable. People sitting in the dark stadium waiting for the lights could get a chuckle out of their current situation because of Oreo's clever little joke and turn to the person next to them to share it, or send it to a friend or family member in another place to reference their current status at the game with a bit of humor. 

Time and time again, people are most interested in what matters to them- what they personally can relate to. A campaign like this one that was relatable to a large number of people in that moment caused the brand to gain the attention of a very wide audience- a much larger audience than if they had simply created an everyday post that had nothing to do with the current situation in the stadium. It wasn't as if everyone in the stands had a pack of Oreo cookies with them, but they were all sitting in the dark. 

2. A Speedy Move

One of the key factors of this campaign's success was Oreo's speed in creating this post. The blackout in the stadium only lasted for a little less than an hour, and if Oreo had created their post after that brief window, it's possible the campaign might not have been quite so successful. But because of the power of nearly immediate news and the online power to connect and share with people quickly, Oreo was able to learn what was happening and create a response in a very short amount of time. 

3. Simple but Powerful Design 

If Oreo staying that on top of things isn't impressive enough, consider how impressive it also was for the company's marketing and/or design team to so swiftly come up with a simple yet impactful design to post, from the clean and effective imagery to the powerful, playful punchline. The team at Oreo was obviously on top of their news and creative game both at once. 

The Rewards 

1. Broader Awareness and More Customers 

The company that conducts a successful newsjacking campaign intentionally places themselves in the spotlight. More people see the brand and learn about it, and more people are talking about it. Not only a broader awareness, but perhaps also a wider customer base is the result. 

A newsjacking campaign can be so powerful, that it is no longer part of the major news story it stems from, and has become a story all on its own. This gives the brand even more engagement and attention from the audience.

2. Positive View of the Company 

Companies that demonstrate themselves as caring about more than just their products/ services and revenue are viewed more positively from the general audience. People see the company as not only a store or brand, but an involved part of the community. 

3. Low-cost Yet Effective 

Particularly as many companies have by now realized the power of using the internet and social media to communicate to the people, newsjacking campaigns can be low-cost yet effective. For Oreo, posting that picture on social media took little funds, but also became one of their most rapidly rewarding campaigns in history. It's more about creativity and speed than money. 

Conclusion  

The technique of newsjacking is an interesting and influential strategy in a marketing professional's tool belt. A brand takes advantage of an already trending story and finds a way to piggyback off that attention to also gain awareness itself- a concept I found fascinating, because as much as it is powerful and seems simple to do, I am sure it is also not always easy to pull off. It takes careful thought and creativity to create something that will garner the positive attention the brand is aiming for, all while pulling it off quickly before the moment is lost and a different story takes over. 

Until next time!

Marielle