Making news

This is slightly old news, but the content is evergreen.  It is important for a brand, especially an established brand, to “make news” in order to stay relevant in the minds of consumers.  Sometimes real life news events can provide that opportunity.  Superstorm Sandy was the latest example.

P&G’s “Loads of Hope” campaign for Tide detergent illustrates how a company can burnish its brand while also genuinely helping people in need.  They have generated immense goodwill with “Loads of Hope,”  introduced during Hurricane Katrina, in which they bring a mobile laundromat into a disaster area and do laundry for affected citizens.  And sure enough, they were on the scene for Sandy as well.

The New York Times discusses several other examples, both good and bad.  In the wake of Sandy, P&G also was on the streets with its Duracell Rapid Responder, which offered free batteries and charging outlets for mobile devices (good!)  On the flip side was the home furnishings retailer Jonathan Adler, which encouraged consumers to “storm our site” and get a free discount by entering the word “Sandy” at checkout (bad!)