I’m penning a love letter to Oreos, and it’s shamelessly revealing how incredibly loved up I am about this brand. Oreo cookies themselves for sure (not a dunker but, wow, that bite is just so good this little diabetic is chomping at the bit). My love goes a little deeper than that, and I’m not even embarrassed to admit it..It’s the Oreo brand persona I see on Twitter that just makes me smile. Human, relatable, engaging and even a little cheeky at times. The 2013 Super Bowl “Tweet in the Dark” spontaneous genius amid a TV blackout is one such example: 15 000 retweets; more than 20 000 Facebook likes; and zero cost. All this was during TV time that sees brands fork out up to US$4.1m for 30 seconds. It’s a lesson in being both agile and spontaneous enough to capitalise on opportune moments, balanced with strategic collaborations and just plain likeable content. And. I. Am. Here. For. It.In the same category, for me, at least (in the same glycaemic index WhatsApp group), is beloved household brand of the UK, Greggs (pies, or pasties as they say in the UK). It’s everything I wish every retail brand would be in digital and traditional communications spaces and I’ve no problems saying that out loud.Exhibit A: Greggs has a larger-than-life store opening in the infamous Leicester Square, home to entertainment, celeb appearances and film premieres like no other. There’s no “coming soon” sheeting to cover up the construction site. There’s a perfectly written, perfectly placed giant steak bake peeking out its wax paper wrapper, and a simple yet effective “Caution: Freshly baked goods are premiering soon. Please take care to avoid feeling peckish. Oversized bake is for illustrative purposes only and is not edible. Which is a shame.” It’s whimsical and witty enough to have transgressed into news, could hardly have been much of a budget issue, and has gotten people to notice and to talk about it.I’m amused, I’m impressed and I’m now a little hungry, too..Everyone loves a brand willing to get more real and more playful but so few, dare I say it, get it right. So few manage to capture hearts, minds and column inches in press. So why don’t we see enough of this kind of comms from others? Are we so focused on a hard sell that we lose sight of one of the most amazing things about communications and marketing: its ability to win people over beyond a cash purchase?We’re seeing comms and marketing budgets slashed so furiously since the arrival of covid-19 and an aggressive approach to sales that’s unnerving, to say the least; are we cutting our legs out from under us? Super Bowl commercial budgets aren’t always required to make a mark, to leave an impression, and to get people engaged and inspired. The formula is seemingly simple:SimpleRelatableWell-timedCulturally and socially relevant, andJust plain cleverOne of the greatest weapons we may have is the intrinsic strength of our brands and, once clear and established, the ability therein to mobilise quickly (Oreos Super Bowl Twitter-style) or spot and act for opportunities seemingly easy to miss (Leicester Square Greggs’ steak bake mission). We see Nando’s and Chicken Licken capture their fair share of talk and time too, I will admit. But why is it increasingly hard to add to that list?The bigger brands get, the larger their team, and the more hierarchy and red tape within, the tougher it is to be brave with our engagement, to be bold with our comms, and to take a chance with how we show up. Simple. Relatable. Well-timed. Culturally and socially relevant. Just plain clever.Give me the perfect mix of the above any day, and you’ve got me sold and coming back for more. There’s no number of pies I won’t buy, or Oreos I will turn away after being impressed by a good play on words, a quick acting comms hero, or a sense of cultural relevance to the cause.As I write that love letter to my Oreos, I’m once again finding the closest thing to a steak bake or cheese pie. YOLO, right?.This article originally appeared on MarkLives
I’m penning a love letter to Oreos, and it’s shamelessly revealing how incredibly loved up I am about this brand. Oreo cookies themselves for sure (not a dunker but, wow, that bite is just so good this little diabetic is chomping at the bit). My love goes a little deeper than that, and I’m not even embarrassed to admit it..It’s the Oreo brand persona I see on Twitter that just makes me smile. Human, relatable, engaging and even a little cheeky at times. The 2013 Super Bowl “Tweet in the Dark” spontaneous genius amid a TV blackout is one such example: 15 000 retweets; more than 20 000 Facebook likes; and zero cost. All this was during TV time that sees brands fork out up to US$4.1m for 30 seconds. It’s a lesson in being both agile and spontaneous enough to capitalise on opportune moments, balanced with strategic collaborations and just plain likeable content. And. I. Am. Here. For. It.In the same category, for me, at least (in the same glycaemic index WhatsApp group), is beloved household brand of the UK, Greggs (pies, or pasties as they say in the UK). It’s everything I wish every retail brand would be in digital and traditional communications spaces and I’ve no problems saying that out loud.Exhibit A: Greggs has a larger-than-life store opening in the infamous Leicester Square, home to entertainment, celeb appearances and film premieres like no other. There’s no “coming soon” sheeting to cover up the construction site. There’s a perfectly written, perfectly placed giant steak bake peeking out its wax paper wrapper, and a simple yet effective “Caution: Freshly baked goods are premiering soon. Please take care to avoid feeling peckish. Oversized bake is for illustrative purposes only and is not edible. Which is a shame.” It’s whimsical and witty enough to have transgressed into news, could hardly have been much of a budget issue, and has gotten people to notice and to talk about it.I’m amused, I’m impressed and I’m now a little hungry, too..Everyone loves a brand willing to get more real and more playful but so few, dare I say it, get it right. So few manage to capture hearts, minds and column inches in press. So why don’t we see enough of this kind of comms from others? Are we so focused on a hard sell that we lose sight of one of the most amazing things about communications and marketing: its ability to win people over beyond a cash purchase?We’re seeing comms and marketing budgets slashed so furiously since the arrival of covid-19 and an aggressive approach to sales that’s unnerving, to say the least; are we cutting our legs out from under us? Super Bowl commercial budgets aren’t always required to make a mark, to leave an impression, and to get people engaged and inspired. The formula is seemingly simple:SimpleRelatableWell-timedCulturally and socially relevant, andJust plain cleverOne of the greatest weapons we may have is the intrinsic strength of our brands and, once clear and established, the ability therein to mobilise quickly (Oreos Super Bowl Twitter-style) or spot and act for opportunities seemingly easy to miss (Leicester Square Greggs’ steak bake mission). We see Nando’s and Chicken Licken capture their fair share of talk and time too, I will admit. But why is it increasingly hard to add to that list?The bigger brands get, the larger their team, and the more hierarchy and red tape within, the tougher it is to be brave with our engagement, to be bold with our comms, and to take a chance with how we show up. Simple. Relatable. Well-timed. Culturally and socially relevant. Just plain clever.Give me the perfect mix of the above any day, and you’ve got me sold and coming back for more. There’s no number of pies I won’t buy, or Oreos I will turn away after being impressed by a good play on words, a quick acting comms hero, or a sense of cultural relevance to the cause.As I write that love letter to my Oreos, I’m once again finding the closest thing to a steak bake or cheese pie. YOLO, right?.This article originally appeared on MarkLives
