Newsjacking

Definition

Newsjacking is a strategy that allows marketers to draw attention to their brand in an unprecedented way. This involves trying to use current events in their favor by picking up on the topics that are currently in the news or being discussed on social media. The purpose of the Newsjacking lies in including one's brand in the top line of the news, thus introducing it to a much larger audience.

Advantages

The great advantage of the Newsjacking is that the attention for the brand increases quickly. By responding early to current events, the brand can establish a strong presence on social media and influence the newsfeed of the audience. There is also direct communication between the brand and customers through the comments, email subscribers and fans on social media channels.

1. Increasing attention: Newsjacking enables companies to increase their visibility by using current events.
2. Creation of Relevance: By aligning their message with a breaking news story, companies can increase the Relevance of their message to the audience.
3. Increasing credibility: A company that can react quickly to current events and incorporate them into their marketing strategy is seen as credible and up to date.
4. Increase interaction: Newsjacking can increase the interaction between a company and its audience, as it leads to the company's content becoming more relevant to the audience.
5. Increase the Range: By aligning their message with a breaking news story, companies can increase the Range of their message, as the news item is already seen by many people.
6. Creation of sympathy: By responding quickly and appropriately to current events, a company can generate audience sympathy.
7. Increase in sales: By adapting their marketing strategy to current events, companies can increase sales of their products or services.
8. Increase brand awareness: Through the use of Newsjacking a company can increase its brand awareness by presenting its name and message in connection with a current news story.
9. Value creation: By incorporating current events into its marketing strategy, a company can add value to its audience by providing them with relevant information and insights.
10. Virality creation: By matching their message to a recent news story, companies can increase the virality of their message because the news story is already seen by many people and has a high distribution rate. This can lead to the company's message being seen and shared by many people quickly, which increases the Range and visibility of the company can increase.

Disadvantages

The greatest challenge in the Newsjacking is that it is applied to the current issues in the news and social media. So there is always a risk that the company will react to an unforeseen event and create a negative impact. Another challenge is that the brand must react to a very short period of time to reach the top of the newsfeed lists.

1. Missing Relevance: Newsjacking can result in a company disseminating a message that is irrelevant to the current event or target audience, which can lead to reduced awareness and credibility.
2. Negative reputation: If a company newsjacked a sensitive or controversial event and responded inappropriately or inappropriately, it could damage its reputation and lose the public's trust.
3. Legal issues: Newsjacking can lead to legal problems if a company distributes a message that contains copyrighted material or violates other laws.
4. Unforeseen consequences: Newsjacking can have unforeseen consequences if a company reacts to an event whose effects it did not foresee or which turns out to be a negative development.
5. Lack of authenticity: If a company newsjacks to an event but does not respond authentically to the event, it can lose credibility and authenticity with the public.
6. Lack of preparation: If a company does not rely on Newsjacking prepared, it may have difficulty responding quickly and appropriately to current events, resulting in reduced attention and credibility.
7. Lack of resources: Newsjacking often requires additional resources such as time, staff, and budget that a company may not have, making it difficult to implement Newsjacking can complicate.
8. Distraction from the actual marketing strategy: If a company focuses too much on Newsjacking focused, it may neglect its original marketing strategy and thus be less successful.
9. Improper timing: Newsjacking may be inappropriately timed when a company is responding to an event that has already passed or is insignificant, resulting in lower awareness and Relevance can lead.
10. Competitive pressure: Newsjacking can lead to increased competitive pressure as other companies may respond to the same event and compete for the audience's attention.

Use cases

Newsjacking is an effective strategy that can be used when a major event is taking place that can impact the brand. It can also be used when a brand is trying to introduce a product or campaign in a specific environment. It is also a good strategy to use when a company is trying to discuss a particular topic on social media and attract widespread attention.

Examples

An example of Newsjacking is when a company tries to promote its brand during the World Cup by advocating for a particular team or running ads for a particular game. Another example is when a company tries to draw attention to its new product by running a campaign on social media and targeting it to customers who are currently discussing similar topics.

10 well-known newsjacking examples

1. Oreo at the Super Bowl: During Super Bowl XLVII in 2013, there was a power outage in the stadium. Oreo took the opportunity to publish an ad with the slogan "You can still dunk in the dark" on Twitter, which led to a viral spread of the ad and an increase in brand awareness.
2. Coca-Cola during the World Cup: During the 2014 World Cup, Coca-Cola took the opportunity to run a series of ads related to the World Cup matches and teams, which resulted in increased brand awareness and sales.
3. Zara during the lockdown: During the lockdown associated with COVID-19 in 2020, Zara took the opportunity to strengthen its online sales strategy and increase its online presence, resulting in a higher sales rate and greater Range led.
4. Netflix during quarantine: During the quarantine associated with COVID-19 in 2020, Netflix took the opportunity to expand its lineup of series and movies and promote its content, resulting in higher usage rates and greater Range led.
5. Heineken during the Eurovision Song Contest: During the Eurovision Song Contest in 2019, Heineken took the opportunity to run a series of ads related to the contestants and the contest, resulting in increased brand awareness and sales.
6. McDonald's during the Olympics: During the 2016 Olympics, McDonald's took the opportunity to run a series of ads related to the athletes and the competition, driving brand awareness and increased sales.
7. Red Bull during extreme sports: Red Bull regularly takes the opportunity to link its brand with reference to extreme sports events, which leads to an increase in brand awareness and a higher sales rate. One example of this was the partnership with the Red Bull Stratos project in 2012, in which skydiver Felix Baumgartner jumped from a height of 39 km and set a new world record.
8. Old Spice during the Super Bowl: During the Super Bowl in 2010, Old Spice took the opportunity to release a series of funny and unexpected commercials that generated a lot of attention and increased brand awareness.
9. Domino's Pizza during the lockdown: During the lockdown associated with COVID-19 in 2020, Domino's Pizza used the opportunity to expand and promote its delivery and pickup options, resulting in higher sales rates and greater Range led.
10. Uber during the New Year's holiday: During the New Year's holiday, Uber regularly takes the opportunity to offer deals and discounts on rides to drive demand and increase sales.

Conclusion

Newsjacking offers companies a unique opportunity to bring their brand and product into customers' newsfeed and attract attention. It allows companies to quickly and effectively build a broad and diverse fan base and enable communication between the brand and customers. However, it is important for the marketer to carefully consider if Newsjacking is the right choice in a particular situation, so as not to disappoint customer expectations.