Ah, the selfie. Unless you’ve been lost in the desert for the last few years, you know it’s an evolution of the self-portrait photo, typically taken with a smartphone. With selfies often shared on social media, some brands are leaping at the chance to try to merge their products with what is generally thought of as a lighthearted and benign form of social self-expression. Unfortunately, merely jumping on a hot trend may not be an effective way to bolster one’s brand. A recent Fast Company article on selfies chronicles such an example by Wheat Thins and its selfie promotion.

Adhering to the brand identity

While companies often follow trends, jumping on them with nothing to tie them back to the brand is a no-no. Marketing and advertising should enhance a company’s brand promise and form a connection between the brand and customers. Unfortunately, lots of marketers try to rely on the trend to do the heavy lifting (like the selfie) rather than their brand’s attributes.

Wheat Thins

Take the Wheat Thins selfie promotion. Wheat Thins asked New York passersby to take and post a selfie on Instagram in front of corporate signage. The “grand prize?” The winners’ Instagram handles were featured on a piece of paper being held by Kelly Osbourne. Not much of a payoff. It’s reasonable for brands to ask for help from their customers, though brand-loyal customers will market their favorite brands via word of mouth and social media platforms on their own. The failure of the promotion was that Wheat Thins didn’t offer anything of value in return.

From a brand standpoint, any brand could have recreated the same contest because it wasn’t unique to the Wheat Thins identity and personality. It added little value to the Wheat Thins brand and digital marketing goals.

Be emotionally compelling

Following social media trends like selfies will attract some organic attention, but marketing strategy must also focus on what’s emotionally compelling. Digital marketing is better used to add value and connect with customers. Even a simple “thank you” to a follower or an invitation to contact the company regarding a complaint has much more staying power than a selfie promotion that does not engage anyone. Leave borrowed interest out of the equation and use concepts that come from your brand in an organic way.

At Magneto, our focus is creating work that makes emotional connections for our clients no matter what medium we are working in. If you are looking for ways to elevate your brand or marketing efforts, email us at info@magnetoworks.com. Or if you’d just like to know more about us, go here.

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