Bringing the public’s attention to your business requires dedication and strategy. As well as using SEO Techniques, when properly used, newsjacking is leading the brand’s digital campaigns. There are examples of newsjacking that were good for the brand image and others not so great. Receiving newsjacking opportunities in the best way possible is essential to this strategy. Our marketing and public relations tips can help steer you in the right direction.
So here we’ll dig into the best newsjacking examples and show which ones to avoid.
Newsjacking is a technique where brands piggyback on a trending news story to gain exposure and divert attention to their message. David Meerman Scott coined the term in his 2011 book of the same name.
And what will you get by investing in newsjacking? There are many benefits and we’ve separated the most important ones:
- increase SEO
- leverage a news story with minimal effort
- increase your brand’s visibility and take it to the mainstream audience
- generate a significant amount of social media engagement
- foster brand loyalty
- allow you to showcase your brand’s values in real-time
Common mistakes when newsjacking
While newsjacking can be a successful marketing strategy, there are several common mistakes that, in our experience, you must avoid. We separated 3 that you have to be aware of.
Going out of context
To not understand the context of the news story. Yes, we don’t. Seams obvious, but in the despair of getting into the buzz, some brands make that mistake. So be careful.
Posting something insensitive or inappropriate
This one should go without saying, but we will highlight it. Be careful about what you are posting. The thing about what the public will think. Is it inappropriate or insensitive? If so, don’t post it. Going viral in a bad way can destroy your brand. Remember: public opinion on the internet is a powerful thing.
Being too promotional
Another mistake is being too promotional and using the news story solely as a way to sell a product or service. Lastly, it’s essential to ensure the news story is relevant to the brand and the message they want to convey. If there’s no clear connection, the newsjacking attempt may come across as forced or insincere.
If you are asking for examples of what to do and not to do when newsjacking, you are in the right place. We separated 3 good and 3 bad examples to clear up any doubts on this subject.
Good examples of newsjacking
Now it’s time to shine. Here’s 3 successful examples of newsjacking
1- Oreo Blackout
We will start with the most famous of all. Ten years ago, The Super Bowl 2013 was taking place in New Orleans. Everything turned dark when a faulty relay caused a blackout for a few minutes.
Oreo almost instantly tweeted something that went down in marketing history: The text “Power out? No Problem” with the caption “You can still dunk in the dark”, with a nice, clean design. The internet crowd went insane and the tweet went viral, getting over 15,000 retweets and 20,000 likes within the first hour.
2- What if a major SEO algorithm was launched?
Here we bring a hypothetical example. Let’s say a major search engine algorithm update is released, and it’s causing a stir in the SEO community.
An SEO agency could write an article on their website discussing the update’s impact and what it means for website owners. They could then share the article on their LinkedIn page and in relevant LinkedIn groups.
3- Tide’s “It’s a Tide Ad” Campaign:
We have another sports example. During the 2018 Super Bowl, Tide launched a series of commercials featuring popular actors and TV personalities.
They began as typical commercials for other products but always ended with the tagline “It’s a Tide Ad.”
Tide Super Bowl Commercial 2018 It’s a Tide Ad
Tide capitalized on the buzz surrounding Super Bowl commercials, and their campaign went viral, generating over 50 million views on YouTube alone. The campaign’s success helped Tide gain significant brand recognition and established them as a leader in the laundry detergent market.
Let’s look at three bad examples of newsjacking. We are not trying to shame anyone, only learn from their mistakes.
1- Kenneth Cole’s “Cairo” Tweet:
In 2011, fashion designer Kenneth Cole tweeted about his spring collection using #Cairo in a moment of political unrest and violence. Kenneth Cole faced significant backlash and had to issue an apology.
2- DiGiorno’s “Pizza” Tweet:
In 2014, the hashtag #WhyIStayed was trending on Twitter, focusing on why some people stay in abusive relationships. DiGiorno, a pizza company, tweeted ” #WhyIStayed You had pizza.” The tweet was seen as insensitive and tone-deaf, as it made light of a serious issue.
3- Epicurious’ Boston Marathon Bombing Tweet:
In 2013, Epicurious, a cooking website, tweeted a series of recipe suggestions in response to the Boston Marathon bombing. Needless to say, it didn’t go down well for the company.
A well performed newsjacking is all about Search Engine Optimization (SEO). This happens if you succeed in incorporating trending keywords and phrases, which can significantly improve your website’s ranking.
It can be an effective way to join the conversation and increase brand awareness, but, as we said before, requires careful planning and execution. So read these good and bad newsjacking examples and use this strategy more intelligently!!
