So what exactly is Newsjacking? It is when you have an opportunity to incorporate a current news event and add your own genius perspective. If you have an opportunity to work a current even into your marketing strategy, it can be incredibly effective at creating traffic, interest, and humor into your brand.
A great example is when Oreo Newsjacked the 2013 Superbowl. When all the power went out within minutes Oreo had this ad:
This was a genius advertisement that was also humorous and caused no harm to anyone’s feelings.
Another Newsjacking that didn’t cause any harm is when the news came out that in Europe beef products being sold had horse meat mixed into it. Mini cooper came up with this ad to go along with the breaking news:
When Newsjacking goes wrong it can become a huge liability for the company. When the horrific event with Hurricane Sandy happened a company decided to use it to their advantage. The company said that for every Facebook “like” their page got they would donate electric generators to the victims of the Hurricane. This backlashed and many fans were furious with the company. Had the company just donated they might have gotten some positive feedback.
As we saw in the examples, you must be able to think outside the box when considering Newsjacking, and you must also be aware of your target audience, when Newsjacking goes wrong things can become very ugly. How to Newsjack efficiently is as easy as 1, 2, 3: 1. Find news to jack 2. Formulate a strategy in real-time 3. Instantly get your take into the market.
Works Cited:
http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/news/1171261/
http://www.socialmediareinvention.com/2011/12/newsjacking-david-meerman-scott-book-review.html
1 Comment
Great info….never really thought of it that way, but great way for companies like Oreo to take advantage of a situation