Buzzmar­ket­ing

Creating a media buzz is an essential strategy for getting your business, product, or service into the public conversation. To grab the attention of the media, it's crucial to find a newsworthy angle that fits into the types of stories they typically cover. Unlike advertisements, editorials are key to driving readership and engagement. To shape a compelling narrative, consider using one of five proven hooks: the underdog story, outrageous stunts, controversy, celebrity involvement, or connecting to a current hot topic.

An underdog story often features a smaller entity taking on and triumphing over a much larger competitor. This was seen when Kiwi International Air Lines challenged Continental Airlines, or when Ben & Jerry's ice cream stood up to the food giant Pillsbury. Outrageous stunts can also capture the public's imagination, whether it's through record-breaking attempts, unconventional naming campaigns, or simply bizarre events that demand attention. Controversy is another powerful hook; for example, tennis legend John McEnroe's on-court outbursts earned him the reputation of the sport's "bad boy," which translated into widespread media coverage. Leveraging celebrities can naturally attract attention, so it's beneficial to highlight any famous users or followers of your brand. Lastly, tying your story to a trending news topic can give it additional relevance and reach. Employing a combination of these strategies can amplify the impact.

Getting consumers to buy products using traditional advertising is increasingly challenging due to the oversaturation of commercials and promotions, especially during primetime TV where viewers may see an average of 128 ads. This dilutes the impact of any single advertisement, making it clear that a new approach is needed for effective advertising. A practical suggestion is to use a balanced mix of media, diversifying efforts across sponsorships, billboards, product placements, and other creative avenues beyond conventional TV and print ads. This strategy reaches potential customers where they are already engaged, improving return on investment.

Another recommendation is to leverage less cluttered environments to capture people's focus fully. This could involve sponsoring local events, wrapping city buses, or placing stickers in restroom stalls, placing your brand where consumers aren't bombarded by competing messages. Additionally, showcasing personality and transparency, rather than a faceless corporate image, can make a significant difference. People relate more to real organizations with authentic stories and flaws. Honesty in advertising, which is often lacking, can capture consumer attention as highly polished, impersonal messaging fails to connect on an emotional level. Furthermore, sparking buzz and word-of-mouth is crucial rather than relying solely on advertising. Traditional marketing relies on repetitive exposure, but without massive budgets, focusing on creativity and breaking through the noise is essential. Quality over quantity, producing more ads with smaller budgets versus one expensive campaign, can be more effective as consumers see through the bigger-is-better approach.

In 2002, a classic David-vs-Goliath story unfolded when fourteen major Hollywood directors filed a lawsuit against several small companies for filtering graphic content from movies. Among these, ClearPlay, a Utah-based company with just eleven employees, chose to fight back against claims from directors like Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese that its filtering technology violated copyrights. ClearPlay's counter-lawsuit framed itself as a defender of family values, challenging Hollywood's graphic content. This narrative caught the media's attention, turning the case into a significant intellectual property battle. Large law firms competed to represent ClearPlay, drawn by the publicity.

ClearPlay's clever PR strategy included the memorable soundbite, "Who controls the remote in your house—you or Hollywood?" This positioned the company as a champion of consumer choice, arguing that Hollywood's demands amounted to censorship. ClearPlay pointed out the hypocrisy in Hollywood's stance, noting that films were often edited for television to remove objectionable content, questioning why private filtering for home viewing was any different.

In 1961, the Ford Motor Company was facing a challenging market with declining sales. Lee Iacocca, the general manager at the time, tasked his design team with creating a new sports car targeting younger buyers. This effort led to the birth of the Ford Mustang. Initially considered to be named the Torino, the Mustang name was chosen for its broader appeal, prompting a last-minute change in promotional materials. Ford's advertising campaign for the Mustang was unconventional and tongue-in-cheek, portraying ordinary people as transformed into the center of attention upon purchasing the car. The ads suggested that owning a Mustang was not just about the car but about adopting an exciting lifestyle. This approach struck a chord with consumers, and by April 1964, the Mustang had become a sensation, with Newsweek commenting on its ubiquity in American culture.

To amplify the buzz, Ford purchased all the advertising time on major TV networks for a single evening and engaged top disc jockeys to test drive and then advertise the Mustang based on their experiences. This innovative campaign resulted in massive interest, with over 4 million people visiting dealerships to see the Mustang and 22,000 units sold shortly after its release, leading to a three-month backorder. The media frenzy provided Ford with an estimated $10 million in free publicity.

Creating a positive buzz around a product or service is crucial for a company's success. This process begins internally, with employees becoming brand evangelists. Companies should provide staff with newsworthy information to share externally, while also closely monitoring product quality and customer satisfaction. Negative buzz can quickly undo years of brand-building, so it's essential to establish an early warning system to detect potential issues.

Listening to instincts and acting on gut feelings is the first step. If customers aren't enthusiastically endorsing a product, it's a sign that something needs improvement. Identifying and addressing the root cause of dissatisfaction promptly is key to delivering a consistently exceptional customer experience.

Secondly, senior executives should interact directly with customers, not through filtered staff reports. Witnessing issues firsthand allows leaders to quickly resolve them. Even minor adjustments can significantly reduce negative buzz. Employees are likely to follow the lead of executives who pay attention to details. Thirdly, regular customer surveys can provide valuable feedback. Two key questions to ask are: How did you first hear about us? Would you recommend us to friends? The answers to these questions can indicate whether customers are spreading positive buzz. If they aren't, it's important to quickly find out why.