Dunkin? Donuts dives into Shark Week mania to reel in fans
The annual event, showcasing content solely based on sharks, has created a cult-like following and phenomenon during the summer season. Brands such as Dunkin? Donuts are taking a unique approach to advertising and sponsorships by partnering in social media posts with the trending brand.
"This could benefit Dunkin in many ways," said Michael Becker, Managing Partner at mCordis. "Key success factors for brands around social marketing include being topical and to align their content with the experience.
"Dunkin bites in to two big topics with this program," he said. "The first is ShareWeek, which has a huge following, and the second, a live-streaming video, which is at the cutting edge of new experiences and technology innovation.
"They also appear to be getting their content right. Dunkin is providing relevant content, like like life ring iced donuts with shark bites. This is very smart marketing, Dunkin gets that their brand is a collection of experiences, not just a product or service."
Social media bait
Discovery is highly cognizant of its pull through social media, especially the excess hype during the weeklong event. The brand is developing new creative methods in further engaging these fans, and has partnered with brands to sponsor these social media innovations.
For instance Shark Week has introduced live feeds with content similar to its on-air content through the network. A recent live stream on Meerkat featured a live feeding of sharks at the National Aquarium, which was sponsored by Dunkin Donuts.
It is an extension of the usual sponsorship on televised programs, without the interruption. Social media platforms such as Meerkat and Twitter create a personal atmosphere, so content resonated more with consumers.
Through Meerkat users can send questions to be answered in real time by the host or those featured in the live stream. It is as if fans and consumers are video chatting with the celebrity or, in Shark Week?s case, an expert.
Brands such as Dunkin? Donuts getting on board with this extend their reach into consumers interests. Whether conscious or subconscious, the coffee house brand?s presence with these live feeds will resonate with fans.
The post on Twitter linking to the stream took a humorous route to further appeal to fans. The tweet read ?Our LIVE feeDDing frenzy at the National Aquarium brought to you by Dunkin Donuts,? referencing Dunkin Donut?s DD nickname.
Dunkin? Donuts also sponsored a contest in which users took pictures of their own feeding frenzy, while they feasted on the brand?s donuts to be featured on Discovery during Shark Week and on the Dunkin? Donuts? Time Square Billboard.
For brands such as Lush and Georgetown Bakery, it was important to show their support for the hyped television event, coming across as another friend excited for the programming.
A post on the official Shark Week Twitter page begged consumers to help keep sharks from extinction, with an image reading a similar message but with Lush?s branded font and included Lush?s image. The tweet linked back to Lush?s official account, as well as all sponsored posts from Shark Week.
Lush also created a bar of soap in the iconic shape of a shark?s dorsal fin bobbing through the ocean water. The Shark Week page shared an image of the unique product.
Georgetown Cupcake made a special batch of cupcakes for Shark Week. The television brand shared an photo of the cupcakes in various shapes regarding Shark Week such as the treats with blue sprinkles, emulating ocean water with fins and life preservers, as well as some with golden brown frosting and sprinkles to imitate sand.
Social discovery
Dunkin? Donuts, Shark Week, Lush and Georgetown Cupcake are not the only brands to innovate in the social media space.
During the second quarter of 2015, brands such as Macy?s and Frito-Lay?s Doritos leveraged a range of new social media approaches to connect more personally with mobile consumers and promote products in creative ways (see more).
Also, Mondelez?s Oreo focused on social media to promote a thinner cookie meant to retain some customers, leveraging a mix of social to distribute free samples, a mobile microsite, video and humorous guidelines for how to eat the new snack (see more).
"Social media and TV both offer benefits to the marketer," Mr. Becker said. "TV still has the greatest reach of any one channel, however viewership is in decline while social media engagement is on the rise.
"It is important to not see TV and social as mutually exclusive channels, they are increasingly complementary," he said. "According to Deloitte 26 percent of people engage in social media while watching TV.
"Marketers must start seeing the interdependency between all media if they are to be successful, Dunkin is very good at this. We will see advertising dollars flow to live streaming as consumer adoption rises, especially in event related, experience based, services like concerts and sports. Initially budgets will be relatively small, test and learn investments, but I expect them to increase quickly given how measurable digital media and video can."
Final take
Brielle Jaekel is editorial assistant at Mobile Marketer
Final take
Brielle Jaekel is editorial assistant at Mobile Marketer