A hit on traditional... but missing on social

Like many of us, I delight in my DVR's capability to record my TV shows for later viewing... but I equally enjoy the ability to zip past the noise that is 99% of today's commercials.

So when I find a commercial that I like enough to watch--enough to rewind and re-watch the spot--it warrants a post.

Because it happens so rarely.

What's not rare, unfortunately, is when a terrific traditional campaign hits it big...only to strike out on the many social media opportunities they're afforded. (I advocate integrating programs across media.)

Let's first start with the campaign, which started in late 2006 I believe, for Jimmy Dean's line of breakfast dishes featuring their famous sausage. (I think the ad agency responsible for the creative is TBWA\Chiat\Day).

What's great about the ads? They do a terrific job of communicating the key benefits of the product--great-tasting; variety; fast and easy to make--as well as positioning the company around "breakfast." They do so through a witty narrative featuring the weather, most notably the sun, the moon and even a cloud.

Let me first show you a couple spots and then I'll talk what's missing on the social side. Email and RSS subscribers, you'll need to click through to the blog to view these spots.

Here's the sun and the moon (who is due to be full that night):

And here they are during an eclipse:

As you can see, by featuring these "everyday guys" in silly suits, instead of using hi-tech animated characters, brings then down to earth and makes them very likable. Like other campaigns, they've successfully made an otherwise inanimate object human... and we humans like that because now we can relate to them (they even speak our language ;-).

So, what are the missed opportunities? I found several, including:

*Maintain your Web site. At their Web site they have a clearly marked area for videos...yet it only features one of their many commercials instead of the entire series. So in trying to show these to my marketing colleagues, I had to do several searches in YouTube. But I shouldn't have to search to share and promote a product (for free). Which leads to my next point...

*Maintain your YouTube page, too. In finding what I assume is their YouTube page--it hasn't been updated in months (nor do they link to it from their Web site). Even worse, I can't find any of their commercials through it. So I had to do searches in hopes that others have uploaded the spots. Which brings me to my next point...

*Promote videos that others have created about you. In having to slog through YouTube searches, I even found a video segment where a man spends 6 minutes reviewing the product as part of his great Web series on frozen foods (who rated the product 4.5 out of 5 stars!). Why wouldn't Jimmy Dean want to publicly thank this man as well as feature his glowing video review somewhere on their own Web site? Which brings me to my next point...

*Treat your audience to a special treat. At their Web site and through searches for the spots, I found quite a bit of good feedback on these commercials. So they've succeeded at getting positive attention. But now that they've garnered attention, the objective is to keep it (and amplify it). At their site, they could feature ways to allow people to sign-up so that they're (1) notified when a new commercial or Webisode is released and (2) offer them the chance to sign-up to view the newest commercials 48 - 72 hrs. before they debut on national TV. Folks, people love being "in the know" or privy to knowledge before the general public. Which brings me to my next point...

*Engage your fans by giving them a hand in the story. They could poll consumers which "weather character" to introduce next in their series. For instance, maybe it's time for Mother Nature to hold her annual board meeting...or for the wind's stomach to "roar with hunger" or snowflakes to fall now that it's winter in the U.S. In any case, engaging your fans only serves Jimmy Dean in engaging people around breakfast--which is the meal they're working (and spending big bucks) to firmly position around. Which brings me to my last point...

*Use Twitter to stay in touch with your audience--and use it in creative ways. On their Web site they feature short recipe demos that teach consumers how to cook different dishes (like "sausage fajitas") using their products. They could start a Twitter account (I could not find a Twitter account for them, but I might be missing it) and promote these recipe videos, as well as recipes submitted by their customers. Also, being they have these fun characters, they could also get creative with Twitter and highlight different weather patterns all over the U.S. with the various characters having some fun with one another. 

OK I fibbed, I have several more marketing pointers but this post has already gone too long. (If Jimmy Dean or their agency is listening, they can comment or drop me an email so I can better explain.)

But my over-arching point for ALL marketers, using this great campaign as an example, is this...

When you have a hit on your hands, don't miss out on cost-effective, creative ways to extend your traditional campaign into social media with efforts that engage your fans... and bring you yet more attention. After all, isn't attention--that leads to sales--what we're all after? Especially at a time when the main action that consumers take with commercials is to fast forward through them.

Comments

[David Reich]

Now that I have a DVR, the Jimmy Dean ads are the kind I love to zip past quickly.

I think the campaign is silly and the ads get tired very quickly. I wouldn't run to other forms of media to interact with the characters in the ads.

But hey, that's me. Maybe I'm not the target consumer. What do I know?

[Vince Blackham]

This was a great post! It's become clear that larger corporations can take advantage of social outlets like twitter and youtube to reach out to their online customers. Dell has generated revenue through twitter, certainly Jimmy Dean could do it.

[Alan Wolk]

Actually documenting something like this, as you've done in this post, is very helpful.

Too many corporations actively ignore the web. Or at least pieces of it. They'll do just what Jimmy Dean did - pretend that TV has nothing to do with the web, that the same audience doesn't in fact live in both places. Or they'll get all the social parts right and forget about search.

I guess it just makes it all that much easier for brands that get it.

[Piotr J.]

Slightly unrelated to the topic, but still interesting is the fact that DVR is also another missed opportunity. With the ability to go frame by frame, stop and start commercials there's a whole unexplored realm of user engagement available for the taking. Maybe it'll take a controversial brand to jump off the deep end.

Back to the topic though, I just discussed this with a friend the other day. If a company is spending hundreds of thousands on a TV spot, why not post it on their website. Or YouTube. Losing equity? Psh. Whoever is surfing the site is probably not watching TV. And by being able to pass these commercials around, there's more impressions.

[Doug Stevenson]

I LOVE these spots too -- Entertaining and yes, they do communicate. Good product too!

Doug Stevenson, aka MadCreative@Twitter

[Diane Davidson]

I love these ads, also! I like that they add new characters and the actors they select are really perfect. Love the rainbow gaining color after she eats. The important thing always if people remember them, not everyone will "like" them but think of the power of those annoying As Seen On Tv producst... must be working cause that spokesperson gets a lot of work!

[Dina Giovale]

Great post. I love your suggestions that would take it to the next level.

[Tim McCleary]

Hi CK,

I agree with the many ideas you've shared here. They make great marketing sense. The challenge corporate advertisers face is restrictions on where and for how long ads can be viewed due to negotiated talent rights. In this day of social networks, it's a shame, but a tough reality.

Tim

[Jeff Klaubert]

This post was very helpful to me as I'm currently working on a project that is designed to show the relevancy of social media to corporate marketing and sales initiatives.

Also, very entertaining.

Thank you.