We all know the phrase, “There’s no such thing as bad publicity.” It’s credited to one of the greatest showmen and publicity hogs of all time, P.T. Barnum.
There are exceptions, of course. One of these was noted by Irish writer Brendan Behan who opined, “…except your own obituary.” And then there’s Brian Williams who has been forced into hiding until mid-summer in the hope that his publicity will blow over and be replaced by some other scandal by then.
But in these modern times, we can also think about publicity as word of mouth. It doesn’t have to be all good in order to make your brand a part of the daily conversation.
Brad Fay, one half of the Keller & Fay team that is known as word of mouth experts, recently wrote an opinion piece in MediaPost’s Marketing Daily. Titled “Let’s Rethink How Advertising Works,” Fay wrought that the lynchpin that determines the success of advertising is this question:
“Does it stimulate consumer conversation and sharing? Nothing else matters as much.”
He submits that there’s a fine line between advertising and word of mouth. We may have seen this play out recently in the aftermath of Jon Stewart’s announced departure from The Daily Show.
Regular viewers know that Arby’s is one of Stewart’s snark targets. So what does a brand do under these circumstances? Offer Stewart a job, of course:
And just like clockwork, “The Daily Show” was all over this with an appropriate response to Arby’s tweet that is no doubt the envy of the entire fast food industry:
>Email recipients: Click here to watch Jon Stewart reject Arby’s job offer<
And they even created a new slogan for Arby’s: “Come for the tweets – run from the meats.”
Now of course this is classic Jon Stewart snark treatment, but if I’m the CMO of Arby’s, I’m looking at the best publicity ever, with great word of mouth that follows. And between shares of The Daily Show video and Arby’s Twitter page, the conversation heats up.
Brands simply cannot control their social media treatment. Consumers will do and say whatever they like on their preferred platforms. But being a part of their conversation is the admission ticket to building brands and making sales.
As Fay notes, “Media that reach people in a social context through co-viewing or co-listening can have more impact.”
That’s a challenge to all of us who manage brands. Whether it’s our advertising, our marketing, or our social activity, it is essential we do more than just repetitively hammer a slogan or a position.
Campaigns, conversations, and social intercourse that stimulate word of mouth is the goal. In this case, it was about timing, humor, self-deprecation, and being in the moment.
For Arby’s, mission accomplished.
Bon appétit!
Thanks to Mike Stern and Lori Lewis for the assist.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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