On Demand Outrage = Marketing Opportunities
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Whether it is consumers instantly blogging about a brand’s latest ad campaign in disgust or cable and network TV simultaneously enlightening tax payers that multiple private jets are waiting on the tarmac for cash-strapped executives testifying for bailouts, we have come to understand that we live in an overly connected world that can deliver On Demand Outrage – or ODO.
Good marketers know that news, good or bad, accurate or not, needs to be dealt with head on, beyond the traditionally reactive, often defensive marketing and communications channels which are simply not effective enough weapons in an ODO war.
Smart marketers know how to leverage ODO or any social media activity into new opportunities to connect directly with consumers. CPG brands are dealing with ODO more frequently, and learning how to react quickly and retooling their shops to make it this a core strength, so they can change interactive ads based on threaded reactions and discussions rapidly. Last fall, McNeil Consumer Products, which markets Motrin, pulled its Motrin ads after an instant outpouring of negative postings via Twitter, video on YouTube and postings on other social sites. The ads, launched online and in magazines, suggested that new moms who carry their babies in slings might need Motrin. The ads likened the sling to a fashion accessory and said that while toting the baby can be tough, it “totally makes me look like an official mom.” Many mothers saw the ads as gibes at motherhood. Some marketers thought the ad recall was hasty (http://adage.com/article?article_id=132787).
The McNeil ad, spoofs of it, and consumer video responses were posted on YouTube and can be found by searching under keywords “Motrin” and “mom”.
Smarter marketers are getting ahead of this reactionary cycle all together and using online environments to test, discuss, listen and learn from live humans (a.k.a. consumers) before they launch their next campaign. That’s right — not new product launches, just simple ad concepts. Beauty retailer Sephora utilized this tactic to gain reactions from their consumers about their online marketing efforts and used their research to help refine and create subsequent campaigns.
As marketers we now have platforms like TNS Cymfony and Compete that can help us innovate—as long as we don’t revert to using them within our traditional models and behavior. We should be careful not to start the next pre-campaign reactionary cycle by being too sensitive to all ODO. That negative reaction may be just the right mix of edginess needed to transform your next ad from ho-hum to the hot discussion topic. It can give your ad extra legs and exposure from the blogosphere – from hockey moms in the real world, to the guys in those private jets.
