Nooooooo! It’s already November. Golf season has ended. Hockey, basketball and football are fighting for your television time and another World Series is about to be decided. I don’t know how to react to how fast this year is zipping by. Speaking of reacting, reactive marketing is this month’s topic (talk about worst segue ever).
I bring this up because I’m reminded of a reactive campaign that occurred during the 2023 baseball season when Shohei Ohtani (he’s all the buzz in this year’s baseball post season) of the LA Dodgers took out a light panel on a stadium billboard advertising Coors Light beer with a swing of his bat.
Quick thinking and teamwork by the Coors ad agency and management at Coors lead to one of the most memorable, ingenious, and award-winning reactive campaigns by an advertising agency from Vancouver.
(scan the QR code —>)
What is reactive advertising exactly? In its simplest definition, it’s when a brand takes advantage of and seizes the opportunity to respond quickly to a current event, trend, or consumer behavior. Whereas proactive advertising is planned step by step and budgeted, a reactive campaign is spontaneous.
A business’ ability to react immediately to an event is well worth considering as we’re living in a “current state of affairs” world with news, social media, anything that reports current happenings, at our fingertips. If you, as a business owner, has a content creator at your side who can think on the spot if an opportunity occurs and if you’re willing, then you have the means to reach others in a reactive capacity.
As mentioned, reactive marketing focuses on seizing opportunities as they arise. This requires not only vigilance but also a deep understanding of your brand values to ensure that responses are authentic and align with your business. If the event doesn’t reflect your brand, save your $$$.
For my personal example, last month whilst sitting in my hot tub with my WWI General John Pershing’s hat, I used a Swamp Donkey Musical Theatre poster and had it floating beside me to record a video to promote ticket sales for our production of The Hello Girls, a WWI story. The soaking wet poster was my gag.
I was done and exiting my hot tub when I heard helicopters approaching overhead. I immediately turned on my camera to record another message. This time saying that folks were using helicopters to get to Bragg Creek to purchase tickets (scan the QR code to see my reel). I received more reactions about the helicopter post which was reactive than I did for the “poster in the hot tub” post. Both videos, one with a poster floating beside me and one with helicopters flying overhead, while wearing my general’s hat, did garner comments as they were weird. That’s me.
The primary benefit of reactive marketing is its ability to create a sense of authenticity and connection in the present moment. It’s a powerful tool for brands to engage their customers in a rapidly changing environment. It shows you are in tune with their interests leading to potentially viral moments, brand visibility and connectivity in a creative manner.
Until next month. At ease.
Cheers, mark.
