Brands forking new strategies
has evolved pretty quickly,” Mr. Crawford said. More interactive forms of marketing combine that evolution with more traditional “guerrilla marketing” and “stunt pieces,” he said.
For Kraft Heinz, the spoon-vs-fork debate is the latest in a string of interactive marketing campaigns. In June, the company’s Country Time brand announced a program to pay the fines incurred by children who operate lemonade stands without proper permits. In April, the company announced that it would introduce “Mayochup” — a mayonnaise-ketchup blend — to the U.S. if at least 500,000 people voted in favor in a Twitter poll. By a 55 percent to 45 percent margin, they did.
Not all campaigns will be successful, and some will create some backlash. “You had a lot of brands that jumped on the political bandwagon,” Mr. Crawford said.
Asan example, Mr. Crawford cited a 2017 Super Bowl ad for Washington Countybased 84 Lumber. That commercial referenced President Donald Trump’s promise to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexicoborder, and was initially rejected by Fox Sports as too controversial. The advertisement only ran after 84 Lumber made modifications.
Brands have to balance relevance with the potential for controversy, experts said. Andwhile some topics might be outside the margins of a brand’s image, “To me, the risk you have as a brand today is sitting on the sidelines,”Ms. St. Jacques said.
So what lessons can companies take from the new interactive marketing landscape?
Mr. Crawford pointed to Canadian airline WestJet as an example of the potential for success. The company has carried out “Christmas Miracles” every year since 2012, delivering toys to children after their flights, working with charities and sponsoring other Christmas-themed and airline-related events.
Even though he didn’t fly on WestJet during the campaign, Mr. Crawford said his perception of the brand has been improved by sharing of the festivities on social media.
Some interactive marketing campaigns “are going to work and some won’t,” he said. It all depends on the topic of choice, the execution, and, maybe, a bit of luck, he said.