Zombie Hockey Players

For Halloween last year (2013), nothing special was done by brands. It was the same old movies and same old Halloween themed corny shows that don't stick out. This year, lets try something different.

Imagine a viewer tuning into the nationally televised NHL event and seeing "zombie" hockey players playing their hearts out. The players have individualized makeup on as well as ripped jerseys that all play into the Halloween theme we are shooting for. Not only that, but when play is stopped and cameras pan out to the audiences, the crowd is decked out in zombie face paint and other Halloween themed clothing, giving off a "zombie hockey game" on and off the ice. Both hockey and non-hockey fans alike will tune in to see such an event (assuming good marketing pre game).

The NHL is a perfect candidate to do something halloween themed that:

1) Provides great content
2) Is centered around social (and mobile)
3) Stands out (and "wins") on Halloween

The Players

Assuming there is face paint that would not in any way interfere with a players ability to play hockey (i.e. sweating), this should absolutely be done. This is a chance to create a social product that is fun for both the players and the audience. IMO, there would be nothing cooler than tuning into a live sporting event only to see zombie hockey players flying across the ice and acting like it's just another day on the job. Hilarious.

Obviously players shouldn't be forced to participate if they don't want to, but I don't see any reason why such a fun idea wouldn't be celebrated by all. It is an opportunity for a select few teams to showcase a product that has never been attempted before.

The Crowd

If stadiums were to provide face painting before the game, and individuals were encouraged to show up early and get their face painted, there is potential for an entire crowd of people at a hockey game to be a "zombie crowd". That in itself is just amazing to think about. Just tell people to wear their hockey jerseys to the game, hire face painters, and sit back and watch as all their photos go viral online. Younger people are always looking for cool photos to share with their friends, so it should be popular with them and sellouts should be no problem.

The TV Audience

Lots of people are at home on Halloween night doing nothing besides waiting for the doorbell to ring for trick-or-treaters. Unfortunately, Halloween 2014 rests on a Friday night, so plenty of people will be out, but if you promote this event correctly most of those people out will still try to get a glimpse of the game wherever they go. Either way, tons of households will tune into the game because

1. It's a live sporting event
2. There is nothing else to watch on TV
3. It appeals to all types of people

Marketing

Each social media network has its unique advantages that should be leveraged.

Snapchat: Sending snaps to people that disappears in seconds will give people a "glimpse" of what is to come. This would most effectively be used pre game, when the hockey players are getting the face paint put on. Most of the younger crowd is on Snapchat so it would definitely capture attention/buzz on other social networks with these individuals.

Twitter/Facebook: Obviously strategies on each network should be different; how you do it is up to you. I would at least suggest posting compilation albums of the players/crowd and also starting a #hashtag promotion so you can aggregate all the pictures possible.

Why McDonald's Should Fund Jamaica's Bobsled Team

The Jamaican bobsled team just qualified but needs $80,000 in funds to even go to the Sochi Games in a couple weeks. What brand better than McDonald's to make this dream come true? If my beautifully photoshopped picture above doesn't already convince you in itself, let me explain why McD's is a perfect match for Jamaica's problem.

The cost is only ~$80,000 which is peanuts from McDonalds perspective. At a very minimum, it provides great publicity for the brand and sheds them in a good light with all who hear the story. They will most certainly be praised from the Jamaican community which provides a good opportunity to connect again with this market? It could provide a perfect segue into expanding into the Jamaican market again, just saying. The publicity alone should be enough to convince you; and imagine if the Jamaican team were to actually do well in the event or even win! I think any brand would be elated with being part of such a story, even a corporate behemoth like McDonalds.

In our ever expanding Social Age, plenty of news outlets have gotten wind of this story and you can guarantee the costs will be covered by someone, but who will step up and take advantage of this enormous opportunity sitting in front of us?

Skittles: Taste The Beastmode

Fact: Marshawn Lynch of the Seattle Seahawks loves Skittles.
Fact: The Seattle Seahawks are currently still in the Super Bowl hunt.
Fact: This is a great marketing opportunity for Skittles to take advantage of.

Skittles has a fantastic opportunity this weekend (and possibly the Superbowl) to set up a promotion. I am disappointed they didn't do anything noteworthy this past weekend when the Seahawks played the Saints. Marshawn Lynch scored a touchdown after which followed a shower of Skittles from the stands:

I mean, how much more obvious should it be? Skittles dropped the ball. They at the very least should have known that "Beast Burgers" were being sold which included a bag of Skittles as a side dish. It especially hurts considering they are one of maybe a few brands that has a native (and real time) marketing opportunity in an NFL game; which is incredibly difficult to come by.

Obviously Skittles should want to run a promotion. Free exposure on one of the highest rated (live) televised events should warrant such an activity. Last years NFC Championship game garnered 42 million viewers, while the Super Bowl had 108.4 million viewers tuned in. I fully expect these two upcoming weekends to have an even larger audience, considering the storyline (old school [Brady/Manning] vs. new school [Wilson/Kaepernick], which is an absolutely phenomenal storyline for the NFL.)

Considering that this weekend will be the only opportunity for a game to be played in Seattle, Skittles needs to act fast.

Here is my proposal:

First off, let me say there are a ton of different ways for Skittles to spin this off, the following is only the first thing that came to my mind. Also, I am not sure how content the NFL will be with such a promotion, but that can hopefully be figured out.

-Get as many Skittles as you can into CenturyLink Field during game time.
-If Marshawn Lynch scores a touchdown, the fans will make it rain Skittles*
-Capture a hopefully amazing moment
-Have social media posts ready

"Real time marketing" is a phrase often thrown out a lot these days, and it is a very real possibility with your brand this Sunday. You will have no better chance at owning a moment in front of 40+ million people at home. I can't think of an "endgame" to this proposal (such as how to get the viewers at home involved and ultimately make your brand money), but I'm sure something is there. If the Seahawks end up winning Sunday's game, then you have another major opportunity at the Super Bowl to highlight the brand in a creative way.

THE CONTEST:

One idea I thought of was a "How many total Skittles will be on the field by the end of the game?" contest, with the assumption that Marshawn Lynch scores at least one touchdown. A crew will pick up all scattered Skittles throughout the event, and at the end of the game they will be counted. This gives Skittles an opportunity to divert attention to the brand AFTER the game as well.

In order to qualify for a guessing number, one will have to purchase one of your products (say a $10 product)  before this Sundays game online to get a code which is used to "unlock" the ability to have a guess at the end amount of Skittles on the field. Winner receives two Super Bowl tickets? that they can either use or sell.

I'm a big math guy, so I think the use of numbers/data/statistics should also be used. Since the contest revolves around guessing a number, I think it's only fair to show consumers other interesting numbers.

According to Ask.com, there are approximately 65 Skittles in each regular sized bag. CenturyLink Field has 67,000 non-club seats. If one bag was sold per customer (at $1 each?), there is a possible 4,355,000 Skittles in the stadium. Assuming people run out after Lynch scores a touchdown, and there is additional time left in the game where Lynch can score again, there should also be vendors walking up and down aisles so people can "refill" at a cheap price.

*                  *                 *                 *                *

There is an absurd amount of creativity that can go into this promotion, but the most important part is that you act fast. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. In my opinion, it is an exciting opportunity for the Skittles brand to showcase their creativity, and maybe most importantly get some great exposure and make the brand lots of $$$.

Tyler Yearian
@KizmitSolutions
847 650 5319

*While I am not advocating fans throwing Skittles and potentially causing injury to anyone, it can't really be prevented. This past Saturday's game is evidence. If Skittles wants to do a safer route, then there are definitely alternatives. Additionally, Marshawn wears a visor, so at the very least no Skittles would hit his eyes. Also, if the Seahawks (and Lynch) had advanced notice of this, there can be a protocol on what is to be done if Lynch scores.

LeBron James' Ripped Jersey

Last night, LeBron James ripped his jersey towards the end of the game against the New York Knicks.

What's my point? My point is that it was a perfect opportunity for a brand to take advantage of real time marketing. I'm still trying to figure out exactly what the rip looks like and what brand would be best to take advantage of the situation (looks like a hood to me, which I pointed out in my @IdeaPundit Twitter account), but the point is that no brand recognized the situation.

Another thing to point out is that when something like this occurs, it is not a free-for-all model. I can't see any way in which, say, Pizza Hut can take advantage of this situation. The uniqueness of certain situations just naturally benefit some brands compared to others.

This goes back to the Oreo Superbowl tweet. What made Oreo's tweet so great was that it was a spontaneous action by an brand in a non-scripted situation. (Hint: just like LeBron's ripped jersey!) No brand has come even close to replicating such an execution. The only "real time" marketing tactics that have been used by brands are premeditated tweets, such as Denny's tweet after the recent BCS championship:

If it's any consolation Auburn fans, there are 47 chances to win on the way home. #BCSChampionship #BCS pic.twitter.com/2HZbH3kpsY
— Denny's (@DennysDiner) January 7, 2014

or Red Bull's VMA tweet:

The hottest new look on the red carpet. @MTV #movieawards pic.twitter.com/ii52nfgd3K
— Red Bull (@redbull) April 14, 2013

In order to duplicate Oreo's Superbowl tweet, brands need to recognize that real time marketing can occur at literally any time, and need to always be on the lookout for opportunities such as the one that occurred last night.

Until next time.