As many of you know - Sodastream was all over the news these past few weeks with stories about their Ad having been banned and breaking ties with Scarlett Johannson. With roughly 12 tweets an hour, I unfollowed Sodastream yesterday on Twitter for spamming my feed with unfunny and non-relevant content.
So, there is a lesson to be learned here - not only was Sodastream's investment in the Super Bowl unnecessary, but it was foolish. Early in the week, Sodastream took over the national news with a "Banned Ad" here is the thing - this was intentionally banned. Sodastream gave the news a story, and they bought it. Last year's SS ad was banned for THE SAME REASON - product shaming its competitors (Coke/Pepsi - who the Super Bowl Commission has reason to not allow shaming of, namely $$$$). The ad that was aired implied that it was "too Sexy" for television. Their ad was featured and played on HUNDREDS of news sites and on the air - for FREE. So why pay to air an ad during the SB - other than more traffic?
Okay, let me just climb up on my high horse here - a couple of things. Soda is no longer a lifestyle drink, and if it was - I am just not sure sex is the brand SS should be selling. Focusing on ethical consumption, green, money saving has worked well for SS in the past - gaining them significant ground and market penetration. So, ScarJo and sex is a huge brand narrative departure. Also, I DETEST when creating content specifically to fool America into sharing works. Social Media should be about genuine dialogue and engagement. The news and other channels broadcasting this doesn't equate virality - well, technically it does, just not in a consumer to consumer sense, which should always be the goal rather than B2C and Media2C. ALSO, breaking with your branding, and inserting yourself into a discussion on everything (like the above) alienates your advocates.
Social Media Marketing is about a couple of things that are longer term plays - loyalty and brand identity. You can't get that with shallow engagement and breaks from your value proposition.Yes, Sodastream won a TON of traffic, and they may even get sales- but its unlikely they will see longer term growth with this strategy.
Further - be cautious with your Twitter - its tempting to be tweeting about every cultural event, but in the end - Sodastream tweeting about James Franco feels strange. Brands need to develop a voice and a narrative that they can use on Twitter. I would have been more interested in a tweet about the "Coke side of life" and how much waste it creates (focusing again on value proposition). Pop culture commentary (no matter how fun) is not necessarily the vertical brands belong in - even on Twitter. Oreo hit it out of the park by integrating their brand proposition into their social media strategy last year AND tying it with a pop culture event. Remember your audience, remember who your brand is- and ALWAYS keep your strategy centered on those two things. Authenticity and consistency matter and focusing on that will garner long term results.
