Aren’t we all in search of the secret sauce to make things go viral? In a world where word of mouth, mouse and mobile can deliver free publicity and earned media, going viral is the Holy Grail. And I think I've cracked the code. It' all about igniting the second wave of sharing. For sure the initial reach is important, as is the number of influencers within that reach. … [Read more...]
10 reasons why “Sid and Nate: Drive thru rookies” went viral
This week Tim Hortons uploaded a series of commercials to Youtube featuring Nova Scotia hometown boys, Sidney Crosby and Nate MacKinnon serving up coffee at the Dartmouth Tim Hortons Drive Thru. The stunt was called "Sid and Nate: Drive Thru rookie". The pair bumble their way through orders, charmed surprised patrons, and peppered their speech with just enough "sorry's" to make … [Read more...]
10 Reasons Why #DeadraccoonTO Became a National News Story in One Day
On July 9 a raccoon died in Toronto. By July 10 it was national and international news, which begs the question - why? And more importantly, if you're in marketing - how? Although it's unlikely, for those that missed the story, a report of a dead raccoon was called into Toronto City Animal Services the morning of July 9th, and despite a timely initial response, … [Read more...]
A campaign to make the fur fly
I remember well a day back in 1988 when the advertising sales department at the Georgia Straight, Vancouver’s urban weekly where I was working at the time, fell in the cross hairs of activists on behalf of the inhumane treatment of animals in the commercial fur trade. You see, long before desktop publishing, newspapers were constructed like puzzle pieces – ads created and then … [Read more...]
People don’t choose brands, they join them
People don’t CHOOSE brands, they JOIN them. That’s a pretty powerful statement if you pause to think about what it actually means. “Choosing” is about making a selection for now. It’s transactional and it may or may not be repeated. “Joining” is about commitment, now and into the future. It’s about being with others who share you interests and values. The notion of … [Read more...]