Ask any marketer and they’ll tell you that word of mouth still gets you the most bang for your buck. In 2017 these brands were able to produce plenty of it and stick in the minds of consumers.
1. Amazon
Merely announcing that they were thinking about adding a second headquarters sent cities into a frenzy. The impromptu bidding war (in my opinion this was the goal from jump because Jeff Bezos is one of the most calculated businessmen of our time) that ensued afterward resulted in many cities figuratively rolling out the red carpet in hopes of landing Amazon’s coveted HQ2. While some attempts at wooing the online retailer were pretty bland, others really showed creativity and some out of the box thinking. Campaigns like Birmingham’s #BringAtoB or Tucson sending a 21-foot cactus, although it wasn’t accepted, showed that cities were having a little fun with this. Stonecrest, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta, even voted to change its name to Amazon if the company chose to accept their 345 acres of industrial land to build on. And who would be the Mayor? Why Jeff Bezos, of course. For life. By far, the most impressive came from New Jersey. While they didn’t have any over the top antics, they did offer an upwards of $7 Billion in tax breaks in hopes of being the perfect match. In all Amazon received 238 proposals and a ton of earned media from publications wanting to weigh in on where would be the prime location.
2. Eminem
No stranger to prescription drug references in his music, announcing his upcoming album through fake pharmaceutical ads was an on brand, bold risk by his team that paid off. Revival marked Em’s return to the Billboard charts with his eighth straight number 1. Although the album itself was hit or miss, the rollout was one worth applauding.
3. Patagonia
After yet another uninformed, problematic and downright illegal proclamation from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, the outdoor adventure brand decided to take their advocacy up a notch and file a formal lawsuit against our current administration. “The President stole your land” read their homepage. Can’t get any more straightforward than that. As word got out, the traffic increase caused their site to crash and cleared over 60K retweets on Twitter. It’s also worth noting that if 45 were to have his way, over 1 million acres of the Bears Ears National Monument would be up for destruction. With Patagonia being a for-profit centered around outdoor recreation, America’s fourth largest industry, such a change could also do some damage to their bottom line. The same way taking a larger stand should help it.
4. Cheerios
Sounding like something straight out of Jingles 2000, Cheerios harmonized their way into our subconscious with one of the catchiest tunes of the year. Let’s see if you can finish this — “Good goes around and around and around ______”
5. Joe Budden
No stranger to drama, 2017 saw Budden “beef” with Lil Yachty, Migos, Zoey Dollaz and probably some others I’ve forgotten. It also saw him position himself as one of the top, and maybe most hated, voices in Hip Hop through his stint on Everyday Struggle, which could have easily been called Joe and Nem. While he openly voiced his disdain for the way his creative home at the time handled things, little did we know, he was plotting and ES would be the finesse of the century. Hate him or love him, he often makes extremely valid points and now there’s a rumored multimillion-dollar deal with REVOLT on the table. Consider the bag secured.
6. Big Baller Brand
I don’t know about you, but I haven’t seen not one Big Baller Brand ad. While many have voiced their disdain for (I’ll say it, the marketing genius) Lavar Ball, I’ve consistently given props. Yes, his approach can be somewhat problematic at times but that doesn’t take away from the fact that he either knows what he’s doing or keeps getting lucky as shit. From jump, he ignited controversy with the hefty price tag attached to Zo’s debut sneaker and other merchandise offered on their site. Since then, the Big Baller has seemingly finessed his way to a headline every week. From being mentioned by 45 to two appearances on CNN and more ESPN coverage than they’d like to acknowledge, Lavar seems to have a Kardashian-esque knack for keeping himself and BBB relevant. Additionally, he’s facilitated multiple streaming deals with Facebook, caused the Lakers to enforce a new rule and graced the squared circle of the WWE. Not mention, Hov openly supported the brand, stating that he bought 4 pairs of the Zo2 sneaker. Yes, he never got them, not yet at least, but still. One could say he’s creating a hostile work environment for his kids (it’s true), sure, but look at it this way. The Vytautas Prienai, an unknown Lithuanian team, is about to have 5 games streamed live with the chance of reaching a billion people. Something that without a doubt wouldn’t have been possible if the Balls hadn’t fallen into their lap. Who needs national tv when your talent is about to be on display internationally, on-demand? With all of his antics, he’s arguably created a lane (no pun intended) for himself that could outlive the on-court careers of either of his three offspring. Don’t be surprised if he becomes the go-to voice for opinions we really don’t want to hear but are as outlandish as they are entertaining. Say what you want about him, just realize, you’re saying something.
7. Wendy’s and Company
If you’re even remotely active on Twitter then you’ve more than likely come across the gem of a profile that is Wendy’s. While many have come for their Twitter throne, all have failed. And who could forget #NuggsForCarter?(yes, 2017 was a very long year) As of late, we’ve seen other brands like Moonpie, Netflix, and DiGiorno start to get more into the mix but not quite like the feisty redhead. All in all, these brands are providing live-action case studies on how to win at social. Also, quick shoutout to Hamburger Helper. Although their account isn’t what it used to be, they were one of the first really great brand accounts. They even put out a mixtape.
8. Fenty Beauty
There are few better examples of word of mouth than what Rihanna was able to accomplish with Fenty Beauty. With the help of the #RihannaNavy, Ri Ri took the cosmetics world by storm. With over $72 million in earned media in month one alone, Fenty came out the gate shaking the table and hasn’t stopped since. In the weeks after release, there was an enormous catalog of user-submitted reviews and looks as well as how to’s from professionals and amateurs alike. And I must admit, Fenty had a lot of wimmenz looking like whole snacks out here. While other brands tried to play on limited quantities and “exclusivity” she did the exact opposite, offering a shade range and selection choice that’s unmatched in the industry. She listened to the concerns of her customer base and it paid off big time.
9. Bud Light
Dilly Dilly! Enough said.