Silent yet Tasty

A couple of weeks ago we took at look at a campaign that hid a secret message within the audio of their Facebook video to see who was really listening.

But one company has essentially taken the entire concept of a silent video and branded it...

You know all of those silent, quick recipe videos shot from above that you see all over your Facebook feed? Yeah, Buzzfeed started those.

In under a minute, users see a recipe from start to finish with subtitles over sound - perfect for Facebook’s auto-play feature. 

I mean who in their right mind could ever just scroll past a recipe for Taco Cheese Cups?....

Tasty’s Facebook page now has over 88 million likes and 3.7 million subscribers on YouTube. The brand has spawned spin offs like Tasty Junior, Tasty Happy Hour and Nifty (a DIY video series), not to mention all the parodies and copy cats.

The entire layout of the videos and the thought process behind them has changed the way we ingest visual media and is tailor made for Facebook. 

What's really genius about Tasty is the way they sensed a trend and a change in media consumption before there even was one.

Their videos have a very large market reach across both Facebook and YouTube and are extremely 'shareable' with many people tagging their friends or family in the deliciousness. 

Tribute or Insult

Now, to our first examples of where companies have gotten it very wrong when posting content on social media.

Shortly after the passing of actress and author Carrie Fisher in December 2016, tributes flooded in from around the world on social media to mourn the passing of the "Star Wars" icon. However, for one company, its tribute was not to everyone's taste.

U.S. baked goods company Cinnabon issued an apology on Twitter after the backlash it received from tweeting out a tribute to Carrie Fisher, featuring an image of Princess Leia made out of cinnamon and a cinnamon roll.



Many critics said that it is beyond tacky and many felt that Cinnabon had utilised the death of a celebrity to hawk their product. 

However, Cinnabon wasn't the the only company in 2016 whose tribute about the passing of a beloved celebrity had sparked criticism.

When David Bowie died in January, shoe manufacturer Crocs drew fire after it posted an image of a white pair of Crocs with Bowie's Aladdin Sane flash logo.



Meanwhile Cheerios faced backlash after posting an image saying "Rest in Peace" with a single Cheerio on the 'I' on a purple background, shortly after musician Prince passed away.



These three examples social media marketing blunders should be taken as shining examples of the dangers that relate to poorly thought through Twitter content.

Although very low cost and extremely easy to do, Twitter has such a wide reach that it's integral that the brand's reputation is not defamed as a result of Tweets like these.

Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2016/12/28/cinnabon-deletes-and-apologizes-for-its-carrie-fisher-tribute-after-twitter-backlash.html

Put Some Windex on It

We are all very familiar with the phrase from a certain movie about a Big, Fat Greek Wedding...



Perhaps Toula's Dad paved the way for seeing the distinctive blue cleaning product in a hilariously different light. But Windex have launched a new marketing campaign in hopes of making the product emotionally compelling by focusing not on the product, but on the silent service that it provides.

Windex's "Give Life a Sparkle" campaign was produced by advertising company Energy BBDO and launched via YouTube. The three-minute film titled "The Story of Lucy" recounts that old tale about a Dad witnessing the miracle of birth and watching his daughter grow up.

The brand's role is downplayed, focusing instead on the father's face as he experience the joys and quiet heartbreaks of watching his child become an adult. At the ads beginning, the Father place his hand on the flawless glass of the hospital nursery thus downplaying the brand's impact.

The conclusion of the story shows his daughter and her partner present their own baby to the Father through yet another hospital nursery window as he raises his hand to the spotless glass which drives the recall home.

The ad concludes by telling us that "What's between us, connects us." The results of that insight certainly shine through.

The heart-string pulling rendition marks a departure from the tired product-attribute focus that plagues Windex's advertising sector.

It's a refreshing example of a social media advertising tactic that captures the viewers attention by utilizing emotional appeal rather than a focus on its practical attributes. YouTube is also a great choice of platform due to it's easy sharing capabilities and vast market reach.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUFPGYVhmSs 

Hello? Anyone listening?

Sometimes It Pays to Have the Sound On...

I mean, you never know...it may just win you a Guns 'N Roses ticket..

Research suggests that 90 percent of Facebook users watch videos with the sound off.



In order to see who is really paying attention while scrolling through the never ending feed of Facebook videos, American Express recently uploaded a video promoting a Guns 'N Roses concert which featured a hidden surprise for anyone who had the sound turned on.

Unaware to some viewers, the short video featured a voice-over promising a free ticket to their concert for the first 50 people who knew the name of the band's lead singer.

Not only a great way of seeing who's really paying attention, but also a great measure of advertisement engagement while the extra publicity surrounding the stunt increased brand awareness on a Global, Rock-n-Roll scale.

Watch this space for our next post to see if Any Publicity really is Good Publicity...

Source: http://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/amex-had-a-nice-surprise-for-facebook-users-who-turned-the-sound-on-for-this-ad/

An Introduction

There goes an old saying in that "Any Publicity is Good Publicity"...

But perhaps it isn't? This virtual platform that you have stumbled across will feature a collection of both the good, the bad and the ugly of Social Media marketing ploys from companies all over the globe!

So if you have an interest in what's going on in the constantly evolving world of Marketing, or maybe just want to have a laugh when companies get it terribly wrong, then stay tuned in over the coming weeks for regular posts of all things Social Media marketing!