What Could Have Been A Berry Successful Campaign

When looking through the Forbes.Com Article about Social Media campaigns, I was shocked to discover that a good number of those considered the 'best' were things I hadn't seen before. This is likely a side effect of infrequent use of sites like Facebook and Twitter, which are quickly becoming the sole form of communication for my age group.

And yet... I do have accounts, I do fall victim to popular youtube videos, and to suggest that I've never seen the Old Spice commercials with Isaiah Mustafa would be an outright lie.

What is it that makes social media such a successful outlet for product placement? I think the main factor is the fact that advertisements have found a way to become interactive, and the best way to get a person on board with your brand? Make them feel as if they have a say in it! Like stockholders, but without any monetary benefit.

I know that when Mountain Dew recently placed three new flavors in stores and asked consumers to vote, I was determined to try every single one. When a store didn't have one of the new three flavors in stock? I'd just buy the original. At the time I didn't even think of how easily they'd hooked me.

Thinking over this topic reminded me of what could have been a successful social media campaign and fell somewhat flat. When a commercial featuring a man in a funny outfit doing a dance and singing a tune aired on television for Starbursts - Berries and Cream flavor, all of my friends were talking about it. Whether they felt the commercial was hilarious, or just plain silly, it had captured their attention. Soon after, a video hit youtube showing exactly how to do the dance featured in the commercial.




If only they'd found some way to connect this with flash animation! Then we'd all be able to do the 'Little Lad Dance' without stepping away from our computers. Unfortunately, the campaign failed to recognize the main appeal of social media - tell everyone you know with the click of a button, not a flap of the tongue.