This
past winter was one of the coldest and snowiest winters in recent memory for
much of the United States. We saw temperatures drop below zero and snowfall
rise above a foot. These miserable three months (or four for Pittsburghers)
were branded by the media as the legendary “polar vortex.” Local news stations
relished in the increased interest in the weather and late-night talk show
hosts delivered endless jokes using cold weather as a punch line. For this
reason, the cold weather became a trend. Topics that trend are universally
relatable on multiple levels and encompass a majority of the public’s
attention. Therefore, it is important for businesses to take advantage of
trending topics by integrating into their promotional strategies.
What
most of the general public does not realize is that winters like this happen
every so often just as category 5 hurricanes and F5 tornadoes. However, when
these things happen, people are drawn to the buzz that everybody else is
talking about. Now that the cold weather is over and the sun (or rain for
Pittsburghers) is swelling the skies, the media must find a new movement to
latch onto. As many are aware of, this has come from the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Since
this event encompasses most of the world and brings day-to-day action, it gives
businesses an even greater opportunity to take advantage of a pop culture trend.
Whether your business is directly relevant to the sport or not, here are a few
ways to tailor your promotion to the World Cup fever:
1.
Use
the World Cup to Theme Advertising. Although most small
businesses do not begin with the advertising budget of World Cup sponsors
Volkswagen and Adidas, both have used players and/or countrys’ flags in order
to connect with fans, you can still incorporate similar elements into your
advertising strategy in a smaller budget. Below Volkswagen has integrated the release of
its new Golf hatchback by painting the Bosnian Flag on it and using the tagline
“Goooooooolf” instead of the well-known “Gooooal!” Adidas applied a similar
strategy in its “The Dream: all in or nothing” commercial by employing
Argentina’s Lionel Messi delivering an inspirational message. You can adopt
similar strategies for your small business by integrating soccer themes onto
flyers or creating videos to post on your website or social media pages.
2.
Apply
Incentives for World Cup Supporters. If your business is a
bar, restaurant, or store that sells athletic apparel offer discounts on
specific items. For example, if the US wins Sunday’s game against Portugal you
will take a percentage off of a menu or store item. This tactic can also be used
to invite people to your bar or restaurant to watch the game. Social media
websites can help promote incentives.
3.
Join
the Social Media Discussion. Support your team by
talking about it on social media. Use relevant hashtags (#worldcup, #Brazil2014)
and post during the games to show your support. This will gain the appreciation
of World Cup followers and increase your overall reach. However, you should not
post irrelevant material during game time as your World Cup fan followers will
be unlikely to pay attention to it.
Trends
are perpetual cycles used as stimulating devices by the media and by business
alike. It is important for small business owners to stay up-to-date with what’s
trending in popular culture in order to best connect with their target
audiences. Google trends lists its most popular searches on a variety of topics
from entertainment to politics. Twitter applies a similar strategy by listing
its most popular trends of the moment. While using pop culture trends can be
advantageous, it is important to maintain a connection to the interests of your
core target audience.
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