Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Social Media Used Brilliantly for 'Fast & Furious'

I know it's a little late for me to be writing about the Super Bowl. But the news of how intelligently some corporations used social media to further their brands' images during the game just keeps on coming. I'm not talking about Oreo and their swift pivot with social media copy right after the lights went out.

I am talking about Universal's intelligent use of social media to build excitement for the upcoming film "Fast and Furious". Universal Studios has figured out how to break out of the mold. A lot of marketers have no clue how to use social media to build excitement about their brand. But Universal understands the alchemy. Read this really informative article in the New York Times, "'Fast & Furious' Stresses Social Side of Fandom."

I am frequently dismayed to see how lame most big marketers appear when they attempt to be cool on social media. They come across as trying too hard. Even worse, the copy reads as if it were written by a committee or a PR drone who is in the groove of writing boilerplate. Corporate marketers seem to love to hear themselves talk. That's why their copy reads as if they were talking to themselves.

Universal is a breath of fresh air. They are letting their fans lead and ensuring that the engagement builds.