Marketing in Real Time

Feb 25, 2013 | B2B, Branding, Digital

Following Oreo’s Twitter slam dunk (“dunk,” get it?) during the Super Bowl, brands have been seeing the value of real-time marketing on social media. By participating in the conversation online during events with large viewership (like the Super Bowl), brands can not only be a part of the event without paying millions for a commercial, but they can also monitor what’s being said about them in real time.

A clever way to tie their brand to a big nationwide event. Oscar Mayer wouldn’t normally be the type of baloney you’re thinking of when you watch the Academy Awards… but you are now. Well played, Oscar Mayer, well played.

During the red carpet pre-show on E!, Anne Hathaway told Ryan Seacrest that she enjoys playing the board game Cards Against Humanity (she actually said “Crimes Against Humanity,” but… close enough.) The game then followed up with some cheeky quick-on-the-draw SEO, knowing that people would most likely be Googling them after the Oscar nominee’s shout-out:

Again, a board game company wouldn’t necessarily have a direct tie to the Academy Awards broadcast, but by watching along with the audience (their consumer), they were able to take advantage of a fantastic PR opportunity.

How could real-time marketing work for your brand? Even if there’s no chance of a celebrity shout out for you on national TV, keep an eye out for opportunities during industry events, conferences, webinars, tweet-ups, etc. If you know where your audience will be online, play along and have fun with it. Making your brand part of the conversation is a great way to stay top-of-mind.