This Fourth of July, as we celebrate our independence from Great Britain amid a sea of patriotism, you might just reach for a British beer. That is, if a Facebook campaign planned by Newcastle Brown Ale does its job.
A recent Adweek article dissected Newcastle’s use of social media to outpace traditional advertising at carefully selected times of the year, highlighting the Heineken-owned brand’s core platform, Facebook.
Newcastle’s Fourth of July campaign, entitled If We Won, will feature videos presenting what our world would look like if the British had won the American Revolution. The humorous twist will follow on the heels of the company’s Super Bowl 2014 campaign, If We Made It, which poked fun by showing what Newcastle would have done with the time, had they bought an actual television spot during the big game.
According to the article, that campaign resulted in a triple digit increase in beer sales, as well as marked increases in brand awareness and purchase consideration. The company is hoping for a similar success as the beer of choice on America’s birthday.
The idea of harnessing the power of social media to outpace traditional advertising is one which has gathered momentum in the national marketplace.
Also targeting the predominantly male sports fan demographic, Red Stripe lager ran a social media campaign around the 2013 Super Bowl which garnered significant attention. It was created spontaneously in response to media conversation around a leaked Volkswagen ad centered on drivers speaking with Jamaican accents. When a media conversation grew, calling the ads offensive, Red Stripe responded by posting videos through social media channels. The hook was a Jamaican referees making on-field calls, including the VW ad controversy – which he declared not offensive, as “happiness was always in play.”
By the end of the big game, Red Stripe held a top spot in the social media rankings for the Super Bowl without ever placing an ad.
Big or small, it’s about changing the conversation.
Newcastle and Red Stripe are large brands with large agencies. But regardless of a company’s resources, the concept is the same: change the conversation.
While traditional marketing channels hold a powerful position, especially in the areas of reinforcing an overall brand, social media allows for immediate interaction. To spark a topic, one need only post it. No need to wait weeks or longer to check response rates; they will be right in front of you.
If you’re going to change the conversation, however, you also need to steer it.
A random post here and there won’t set the right ball in motion. With the ability to respond immediately to what you have posted, people will do so – positively or negatively – and it’s important to be ready.
To make sure you guide the conversation, it’s important to cover some bases:
- Word your post in a way that solicits response. Ask a question, take a poll – anything to make your recipient pause and think of how they might contribute.
- Be ready to chat. You wouldn’t start a conversation at the dinner table and then walk out of the room. Posting and moving on is the same concept. If you successfully engage your audience, let them know you are listening.
- Address concerns. Even online, the customer is always right. If you receive negative feedback, address it right away with an offer to help correct the situation. People appreciate good customer response – the quicker the better.
Planned strategically, social media marketing can supplement or even surpass the ROI of traditional advertising. If you need help developing the right content for your social media audience, and to make a splash in a creative and impactful way, we would love to help. Visit us at www.klcpr.com or give us a call at 203.762.8833.
– BML
