Could Mr. Bubble be the next social media phenomenon?
The other day, on behalf of Mr. Bubble, I sat through three full-blown new business pitches designed to increase preference for this nostalgic brand.
Three agencies, Evolve, Pulp and Milk Street rolled out their A teams and put on a show, bringing to life the brand, its consumers, and unveiling social media ideas that would build community, inspire conversation, and connect with Moms on their terms and in their space.
Some
pretty smart people taught me about millennial Mom’s approach to child rearing, her belief in creativity, her social media habits and the role of nostalgia in brand relationships.
Bet you didn’t know six brands are battling it out for bubble bath dominance. Or that Johnson and Johnson is the biggest threat to the playful pink bottle. Or that even today’s Moms are influenced by their own mother’s recommendations.
But Mr. B doesn’t have to worry. Why? All three agencies know exactly how consumers interact with both the category and the brand and more importantly how they use social media as it relates to to personal care and bath products.
They search “bath time” and “bubble bath” for information and ideas. They research products and their safety, relying more on blogs than the brands’ websites. They socialize their own findings and opinions on content sites and across networks.
And while there may be some obstacles – Moms are time-starved, brand awareness is very low among Moms in the 33-42 age range – the agencies have ideas to overcome that. From very cool “bubble yourself” apps, to crowdsourced videos documenting creativity, to my favorite: Bubbleduck, a pink rubber duck that travels across the country virtually and physically, all while encouraging Moms and their kids to have fun and inspiring them to use the product.
Oh, I almost forgot. We even have measurement and analytics programs that track everything from traffic to engagement to brand preference. Not to mention modeling to predict sales increases.
Now for the kicker. Mullen interns, half of them still in college, comprised the three agencies and made all of the above presentations. They did the research, the consumer interviews, the strategies, the videos, the social media campaigns, the search optimization, and the analytics. They did it mostly by themselves. And they presented it all with such authority that if no one had told me they were interns, I may not have known.
These students and recent graduates get it. They don’t think in terms of advertising or PR or social media. For them it’s all mashed together, united by the web, digital technology and their own media habits. They’re comfortable thinking in the space, creating in the space, connecting in the space.
This is the future. These guys are coming. My suggestion? Take advantage of them. Hire them. Put them to work. And get out of the way.
How many young people do you have in your organization? Are you giving them real responsibility?
Comments
You nailed it Edward. Or should I say your interns did. To your point, all we have to do is be smart enough to listen.
.-= Leo Bottaryu00c2u00b4s last blog ..A Carousel of Leadership & Client Service =-.
Andy
Thanks. Appreciate the props. And you are right. There an awful lot of people who talk and write theoretically about SM but haven't actually done anything with it for brands. Not that that's important for individuals, but it sure is for companies or professionals who claim to do it on behalf of clients.
Great post! Great to see a shout out to the future faces of marketing/PR. There is a big difference between those who can tell you about community and those who can show you community. Keep up the great work at Mullen!
.-= Andyu00c2u00b4s last blog ..4 Reasons Why Your Most Social Friends Wonu00e2u0080u0099t Join Twitter =-.
Leo:
Well I can tell you who we'll be listening to in the years to come.
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