BI-WINNING: CREATING WIN-WIN BRAND ASSOCIATIONS WITH THE HOTTEST TRENDS

Lindsay Garrison, Atlanta & Julia Wei, Singapore

How often are we encouraged to ‘think opportunistically’ for our clients?  However risk-averse or –inclined they may be, brands – and the agencies that represent them – should be keeping constant watch on the marketplace for events, trends or other phenomenon to help demonstrate or reinforce key brand attributes.  

Here’s a recap of some recent examples that have worked, and some that have not.

THE GOOD – OAKLEY AND CHILEAN MINERS

Remember when “Super” Mario Sepulveda Espina emerged from the Chilean mine last fall wearing Oakley sunglasses to protect his eyes from the sun?  Footage of his and the many other rescues garnered $41 million in equivalent advertising time for the brand at the cost of $6,300 in product.  We’ve since learned that it was actually a Chilean journalist who was ‘thinking opportunistically’ about the brand, but we suspect there’s someone in Orange County tasked with this now. 

THE FAST AND FURIOUS – GARRARD AND THE ROYAL WEDDING

It was hard to miss the coverage of the royal wedding this spring.  Media from around the globe spent weeks predicting the dress and then analyzing the hats.  But, as many of us witnessed firsthand, there was also a backlash among both mainstream media and the blogosphere to wedding outreach. The exception? Luxury jeweler Garrard, which had the foresight to go beyond the ‘we make tiaras, too’ pitch and actually create something - a mirror allowing women to see themselves wearing a stunning £100,000 tiara (a la Kate Middleton’s) through augmented reality.   Though the brand parted ways with the royal family in 2007, the installation was a very timely reminder of its 160-year history as Crown Jeweller as the company celebrated its 275^th anniversary. 

THE BAD - MEDIACORP SINGAPORE AND THE JAPAN EARTHQUAKE

Soon after the 8.9 magnitude earthquake struck Japan, many concerned brands and organisations developed initiatives to help provide relief support. Most did so below the radar, or at least subtly.

Ironically, a brand that was slammed in Singapore for being overtly opportunistic with the Japan disaster was a local media powerhouse – the national broadcaster MediaCorp. The online community had somehow got its hands on a sales pitch circulated by a senior MediaCorp Sales executive shortly after the earthquake struck. It was an email soliciting for advertisers with clearly marked up costs per slot. The pitch said: Book your spots in the Weekday Evening News Bundle as the channel brings viewers comprehensive coverage reports on the disaster with extended versions of news bulletins tonight. Months later, MediaCorp has still left a poor image of the station with most of the nation. 

THE WEIRD - CHARLIE SHEEN AND XANGO

In most cases, brands would jump at the opportunity to get ‘free’ celebrity endorsement. But in the case of Charlie Sheen and XANGO juice, the impact was understandably questionable. Soon after Charlie Sheen started talking about the ‘tiger blood’ that he drinks every day, it was discovered that the health drink was actually a mangosteen juice bottled and sold as XANGO juice. The bottler claims the juice helps maintain intestinal, joint, and immune system health ... and also promotes a healthy respiratory system. Somehow it didn’t mention anything about causing mental instability. As of now XANGO hasn't tapped Charlie to be a spokesperson. Sources connected with the company tell us they are "very nervous" about being associated with the actor.

THE ART OF BI-WINNING

Whether our clients are inclined to act opportunistically or not, we should all be thinking that way.  When done right, the results can be astounding.  The point is, we need to act fast.