Thanks to Lori Russo for inspiring this post.
You want to make news. We get it. You're smart and, for several reasons, following current events when you spot a trending news story. More importantly, you see it's an opportunity to "hijack" the story in some fashion.
Take a deep breath. And whether you call it hijack, news jack or culture jack -- make sure you know jack about tying your news into a bigger, hotter story. Ask yourself a few simple but important questions before culture jacking.
1) Am I adding to the conversation? Or am I forcing it?One reason Oreo's Super Bowl effort was so well-received is that it communicated Oreo was listening and it was also dealing with the lighting issue. More importantly, the "issue" was minor enough that a light-hearted reference made the content extremely relevant. If you're not adding to the conversation, you're probably forcing it. And the end result, or lack thereof, will simply reinforce this fact.
2) Is this going to advance my clients/brands goals or simply get coverage?If you tap into a meme with that right mix of timing, relevance and a quality message, you're sure to get some impressive analytics for your wrap report. But will a megaton of shares, likes and retweets help you accomplish your goals? It's not going to matter in the long term if your stunt just pads your report and doesn't help you reach your clients' goals.
3) What's the bigger picture with this idea? Who's the audience you're trying to reach. Is this news story relevant to THEM? Look past the initial wave of insanity where your social media monitoring starts pinging as if you were suddenly tracking a general keyword. You're helping your client become part of a conversation when you news jack. But if there's no real connection between your brand, the story and your target audience, what's the point?
4) Do you want to jack THIS news?There are stories you simply do not want to news jack. Just ask Kenneth Cole. Since 2011, this brand has been stepping into well-deserved anger with its painful attempts to news jack. And since the first attempt in 2006, we stopped counting how many PR people broadly distribute a pitch for their client when someone in the public eye dies. It's usually because the client has some very indirect connection to the deceased.
These moments are not opportunities for you to introduce a news outlet to an expert. In fact, it's the worst time -- making your client out to be as shameless as you. And I don't think the public cares if their favorite brand is also thinking about the victims of the latest national disaster. Sometimes the right thing to do is absolutely nothing.
7) What if I don't capitalize on this opportunity? What's the worst case scenario?Test and learn opportunities are worthwhile, but you're about to burn several hours of time and tap resources to pull this off. Is it worth it if NOTHING happens? If not, just do nothing. Focus elsewhere on something that will help move the needle.
Get Smart(er) about NewsjackingHijacking is not a friendly word. It's a reminder that this is an art and a science with equal parts risk and reward. Check out David Meerman Scott's latest tome on Newsjacking to learn more about what it takes to tap into the benefits of real-time marketing...for all the right reasons.
:: Written by Kevin Dugan, @prblog
All very good advice. I sympathize with my PR colleagues whose clients scream at them some version of "Why wasn't I interviewed for this story?" when news media run a reaction or local angle featuring a competitor following a major news event. There is no explaining to a client when you've guessed wrong, held off on a pitch that smacks of newsjacking - and then a direct competitor gets the interview. You end up erring on the side of caution. If you haven't made any attempt to put them in position when they think they have the expertise to comment, you're going to get fired eventually. I pick my battles here carefully.
ReplyDeleteWhen someone in the public eye dies, it can be an OPPORTUNE time for smart publicists to pitch their clients, as long as the pitch and their expert is a PERFECT fit.
ReplyDeleteThe weekend after actor James Gandolfini died, the cable news networks were filled with experts talking about how obesity, drug and alcohol abuse, overeating and other bad lifestyle choices contribute to heart disease. The discussions were interesting, educational, and probably caught the attention of people who might not have given the experts a second glance had it not been tied into the sudden death of a very popular star. The Ken Cole tweet is a good example of an outlandish tie-in. But people shouldn't assume that that dumb tweet means they should shy away from newsjacking when someone popular dies.