3 Things They Did Right, And What They Could've Done
Whether intentional or not, with social media, great campaigns are viral, and spread like wild fire.
Remember when Oreo tweeted during the Super Bowl blackout and everyone couldn’t stop talking about it?
This year, the winner of the most viral campaign went to JCPenney. Although the campaign was slightly controversial, I thought it was a great move for the department store.
Here’s what happened: just before halftime, JCPenney tweeted what appeared to be drunk tweets:
Who kkmew theis was ghiong tob e a baweball ghamle. #lowsscorinh 5_0
— JCPenney (@jcpenney) February 2, 2014
Toughdown Seadawks!! Is sSeattle going toa runaway wit h this???
— JCPenney (@jcpenney) February 3, 2014
Were these tweets posted by accident? It wasn’t clear. Was the intern drunk? Nobody could tell.
A stream of replies quickly followed with onlookers wondering whether they were about to witness a public meltdown on Twitter. Even other brands took the opportunity to poke fun at JCPenney:
.@JCPenney We know football goes great with Coors Light, but please tweet responsibly.
— Coors Light (@CoorsLight) February 3, 2014
Eat a #SNICKERS, you’re not you when you're hungry RT @JCPenney Who kkmew theis was ghiong tob e a baweball ghamle. #lowsscorinh 5_0
— SNICKERS® (@SNICKERS) February 3, 2014
Slow down, @jcpenney. Have some #Doritos.
— Doritos (@Doritos) February 3, 2014
Hey @jcpenney need a designated driver?
— Kia Motors America (@Kia) February 3, 2014
@jcpenney Yo dudes - you need some pizza...?
— Pizza Hut (@pizzahut) February 3, 2014
When the tweets set off a firestorm of drunken intern jokes -- something the company's agency did not expect -- the team had a tough call to make. On one hand, the campaign quickly became a trending topic on Twitter, but on the other, the brand was quickly being associated with drinking irresponsibly. This was when JCPenney regrouped and revisited its campaign.
After garnering over a thousand replies, retweets and favorites, JCPenney's social team revealed its secret-- it turns out it was a part of a planned campaign for Team USA’s Olympic mittens.
Oops...Sorry for the typos. We were #TweetingWithMittens. Wasn't it supposed to be colder? Enjoy the game! #GoTeamUSA pic.twitter.com/e8GvnTiEGl
— JCPenney (@jcpenney) February 3, 2014
Originally, a stream of mispelled tweets were planned for the campaign before the mittens were revealed. But given how quickly things got out of hand, the social media team decided to cut it short and responded with an explanation on the third tweet.
Bravo, JCPenney, bravo!
What JCPenney Did Right
While JCPenney’s success even caught the company and it's agency by surprise, here's what we can all learn from it:
1. Be Unique.
While the Super Bowl gave the brand it's audience, what made it so successful (although slightly controversial) is that nobody expected to see tweets with typos from an official company account. Lucky for the team, they have a fun and honest strategy to get themselves out of hurting their brand. Just be careful if you want to say something bold -- being associated with drunk tweeting isn't the best way to build your brand.
2. Be Humorous.
JCPenney's marketing agency, Evolution Bureau came up with a fun and playful idea: what do you do when it’s cold and you have something really important to tweet? Keep warm with mittens and tweet anyway. It's a little cheesy, but you have to admit, it works well with the product they were trying to promote.
3. Be Nimble.
While I think the team may have reacted and revealed the joke a little too early (more on that later), they made a good recovery to protect the brand. It's a tough call when you're in a stressful situation like that. Every second counts on Twitter.
But still, they made a good move by taking the time to step back and reflect. It allowed them to think creatively as a team, which ultimately led them to play along, make some fantastic responses, and keep things fun and relevant. They even took the chance to hand out free mittens while the brand was in the spotlight. Good feelings all around!
Heeded your advice, @Doritos. #DoritosWithMittens is a little messy but a lot good. #TweetingWithMittens pic.twitter.com/ByDagA7eRs
— JCPenney (@jcpenney) February 3, 2014
.@Snickers The wrapper’s proving a bit tricky. #SnickersWithMittens #TweetingWithMittens pic.twitter.com/gzXU4m2Bkv
— JCPenney (@jcpenney) February 3, 2014
What I Think JCPenney Should've Done
JCPenney had a great campaign but I think it wasted a big opportunity. It should've continued with the tweets -- instead of giving in to the pressure too soon. (I know this is easier said than done, but still). Why? Because it did what every brand dreams of doing: getting people's attention.
While this may have given the brand a bad rep in the short term, it was only temporary. It was all part of a story it was trying to tell using a clever surprise that would eventually shed light on the mystery. I wish the company and it's agency would have realized that through.
However, these are just my thoughts and opinions. Now, it’s your turn! What did you think about JCPenney’s #TweetingWithMittens Super Bowl campaign?
About the Author:
