(2 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
Loading ...I’m going to go against the orthodoxy of my fellow social media practitioners. I’m going to commit heresy. I’m going upset the apple cart of the proverbial echo chamber.
The new 2008 version of Where the Hell is Matt YouTube video isn’t going to live up to it’s intended purpose. It will be something that many of us will talk about, blog about, pontificate about. Then it will go away.
Here’s the video if you haven’t watched it:
But that’s it.
Don’t get me wrong. I like the concept. I’m not against the concept. I, like many of you, find the idea of a this young American traveling throughout the world, visiting places, getting to know the people, the culture. And video taping himself, dancing, often with others, often many others. And often with children.There’s something touching about Matt Harding dancing in Jerusalem in one shot, on the West Bank in the next. There’s something inspirational seeing him dance with children in Zambia or Morocco or Bhutan.Regarding the “rules” of social media, it was done almost flawlessly. The company didn’t require him to wear a Stride shirt or hawk the gum or promote it in any way. All they got was a mention at the end in the credits. It was right in line with what I’ve been reading on all these blogs for the past two years. Subtle, not in your face. Makes us feel good.But that’s not enough. Not in today’s world. An ironic thought, considering the theme of the video. Here’s why.
It creates little brand awareness
One can watch the video several times and not have any idea that it’s a marketing effort by Stride Gum. In fact, I bet the vast majority of people that view it and/or forward it have no idea that there was a company behind this. The little credit line at the end isn’t enought. Sorry, social media folks, but that’s he way it is.
There are 4 million people around the world willing to sit through almost 5 minutes of video. These people are receptive to the simple brand message offered by Stride Gum. That is 20 million minutes of brand engagement — opt-in.
Gavin, even if all 4 million (now it’s up to 6 million) viewed the entire clip, if they don’t know that this is in somehow related to Stride Gum, then it ain’t brand engagement. They’re simply watching a cool video on YouTube. Brand engagement means viewers must be aware that they are, in fact, engaging a brand. Ergo…
It has no brand connection
I’m betting the vast majority of people who watch this video are enamored by it. Hell, I am as well. Big time. Seeing all those people dance with Matt. I mean, CK’s in joyous tears over it. Yet she wrote a blog post about it…but didn’t even mention the sponsor’s name.
Dancing with some sort of small primates in Madagascar has no connection to chewing gum.
Neither does dancing amidst red crabs on Christmas Island.
I mean, if Matt wore one of those shirts from Stride - the one’s that everyone is trilled that he didn’t wear - in every, say, 12th location…so what? It would have helped the 6 million of us viewers understand what was behind this. The entire video itself it inspirational enough to overcome that. A little promotion here and there is not shoving it down anyone’s throat. In fact, Matt could have worn other T-shirts as well, saying things like “End Violence Now” or “Help Defeat Malaria”. THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN COOL.
So, yeah. So what if an occasional Stride T-shirt shot pisses off 18 social media marketers who want and demand a false notion of purity.
If you don’t know that there’s a brand behind it, or even related to it, then…
It creates no brand affinity
We all love Matt now. Don’t we? We think he’s a fine young man. We want to grow up/be like/have a son like him some day.
We imagine what it must be like to be able to travel to Tonga and Iceland and the Cape of Good Hope. We want to have that freedom. We want to be able to experience the world.
The affinity here is with Matt. This fine young man.
What was the name of that sponsor?
Filed under: Abraham Harrison LLC, Authenticity, Brand, Brand Advocacy, Brand Promotion, Branded Entertainment, Branding, Branding Online, Conversation Marketing, Internet Strategy, New Media Marketing, Online Brand Promotion, Online Branding, Social Meda, Social Media Marketing, Social Media PR, Viral Advertising, Viral Marketing, YouTube, YouTube Marketing
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Right now, there’s doesn’t seem to be much tie-in to Stride. Which is most likely because sponsorship aside, there is no real tie-in. Stride found this and sponsored it.
But they could have done a number of small things. Like noting on the YouTube page the video lives on that it was sponsored by Stride.
Doing a bunch of PR to get people aware of it.
Heck, even “Where Is Matt (big) Sponsored by Stride (small)
Matt thanking Stride at the end for sponsoring him.
A TV commercial clearly from Stride promoting the YouTube video
And that’s all just off the top of my head.
I’d love for someone to do some research to see what percentage of the people who watched the video knew there was a tie-in to Stride? The number may be much higher than we’re thinking.
Hi Johnathan … I think you hit the nail on the head “unless they piggyback on it in a couple of months”.
Where the Hell is Matt 2008 is just a building block — and I hope Stride Gum see that (and read your post). I have no idea what their objectives were in supporting the 2008 incarnation — but I do hope that whoever is advising them on strategy, that they see this as yet another footstep in a long social media journey.
If there is no follow-through, if Stride Gum are not using this as a way to build their brand, raise awareness or drive sales, then they are simply wasting their own money.
As an experiment, I certainly hope that it continues, or encourages other brands to learn/test the waters. If nothing comes of it, then it is an opportunity foregone. But for now, the goodwill that Matt is renting out to Stride, has bought my attention — and I am willing to wait for the next instalment.
Alan
I seriously doubt that a lot of people now about it. I mean, why would they? Matt is a known quantity to many on YouTube. For those that watched him before, they may see this as a sequel. My guess is that most of us that know that stride is behind this are in online marketing in some manner. Or read about it in a news publication. My guess is the percentage is in low single digits that will know or will remember.
Maybe I should set up a Google. Alert for Stride Gum.
Thanks for commenting!
Hi Gavin
I fully agree. September, latest October. They need a follow up.
I’m wondering where one can buy Stride. I’ve actually bought a pace here in the Washington DC area. But I wonder how vast their distribution network is.
But following up is key. They need to capitalize on the goodwill. But my concern is that many don’t know whom the goodwill applies to.
My guess (and it is only a guess) is that Stride Gum is not even available in most of the countries shown in the clip. I certainly don’t remember seeing it on shelves here in Australia. Strategic use of intrigue? Or pure accident?
You know, you’re right about this. The beauty of the video completely obscures the fact that his journey was underwritten by a sponsor.
I haven’t seen the gum here in Canada. But I’m not a gum chewer.
Gavin
Odd thing is, I’ve read where he started his original journey from Brisbane!
Ah, yes, but I think Brisbane was way before sponsorship. Though, I could be wrong
I don’t disagree with the remarks made here at all.
But as witnessed on my blog post about this (which didn’t mention the sponsor), I could care about the “marketing ROI”…it was the emotional connection and sheer joy that moved me to share it.
Yes, sometimes it’s just about human reaction (vs. ROI).
And that’s where Matt has delivered…and where no company could ever compete. Kind of like how blogger social was a special event–because there was zero marketing agenda–just building and cherishing relationships.
Thanks for writing on this. And thanks to Matt for creating it (and for Stride enabling him to do it).
[…] 2008. I see this as an affirmation of previous posts of mine, The Fallacy of Community and Where the Hell is Matt (2008) Probably Won’t Proceed, along with Chris Abraham’s Community Leaders Make Communities. There’s caveats, of […]