Watching the Jack in the Box Superbowl ad seemed regular enough. A cliffhanger ad with a website URL as the call to action. Nothing special.
But going to the website, you recognize that they’ve done something great with it. They’ve taken advantage of social media tools to make the site feel more authentic and create an experience for users. The SMM tools used on the site: Blog, Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, comment boxes, video comment submissions. Quite an impressive array of SMM tools. But more interesting than the number of SMM tools used, is the fact that they’re used properly. The YouTube videos shot with a handcam effect. The tweets are timed before and after the accident to show a change in character and and explanation as to what’s happening. This campaign keeps the Jack in the Box users engaged. It also keeps Jack in the Box at the top of their minds when they’re thinking of a fast food restaurant to eat at. That’s how it really succeeds.
The goal of SMM is the same as any other marketing: get the customer to buy. It’s just a new tool in your toolbox. Only use it in certain situations.
March 17, 2009 at 4:08 pm
I’m not saying the Superbowl ad wasn’t clever… but this is NOT a good example of Social Media Marketing. Social Media was designed to be social. Marketing is not social. There is nothing social about solicitation. And the idea that main stream brands with well established corporate images can insert into the ‘viral video’ culture is tried and played out (Marc Horowitz killed it).
Crap in the Box’s effort to leverage Social Media by spending boo-koo bucks on a filter that gives their video a ‘you-tube’ style IN addition to the MILLIONS spent on the add mirrors the product they sell – both can be made to look appealing – but when it comes to content, everyone knows Crap in the Box’s content is crap.
Perhaps what Joseph is missing is the nuances of the Social Media subculture, one that is led by techies and early adopters who oppose the dilution of truly social content. Looking for good examples of Social Media Marketing? Ask Siqi (UCSD grad who wrote Super Poke).
March 17, 2009 at 10:29 pm
Hi Brad,
Thank you for the comments. Though I agree that early adopters and techies lead the charge on emerging technologies such as social media, marketers can still use the medium as a way to engage customers. The website uses many forms of social media to keep Jack in the Box on the top of their mind, hopefully leading to more sales of their products. I say it was a good use of the medium because JitB was able to create a story where people wanted to stay engaged. Instead of having a contest that asked people to participate, they used a story of Jack in a fatal accident so that true loyalist would want to know what happens. Asking the customer to buy into the story made it social and I still believe they did a good job of leveraging social media to enhance the campaign.
April 17, 2009 at 9:03 am
I think at minimum it is something new, rather just another ad that blends in with the rest.
I personally like the Burger King’s Whopper Sacrifice campaign, where people sacrifice facebook friends for free whoppers. It’s viral, it’s humorous, it’s new.