Leveraging Newsjacking for Effective Branding

In today’s fast-paced digital world, the ability to react swiftly to current events and news stories can be a powerful branding tool. This practice is known as newsjacking, and it is quickly becoming a popular strategy for brands looking to increase their visibility, relevance, and personality. But while it holds great potential, newsjacking requires a delicate balance to ensure the brand message does not miss the mark.

What is Newsjacking?

Newsjacking refers to the practice of taking advantage of a current news story or event to promote your brand, product, or service. The idea is to insert your brand into a conversation that is already happening, leveraging the media attention around that story to get your brand noticed. This can be done through social media posts, blogs, advertisements, and even product launches, all designed to connect your brand with the trending topic.

The key to successful newsjacking is timing. By acting quickly and aligning your brand message with the right news story, you can boost your visibility and create a sense of relevance. However, it’s important to remember that newsjacking isn’t just about being part of the conversation—it’s about doing it authentically and meaningfully.

How Brands Can Benefit from Newsjacking

1. Increasing Visibility By capitalizing on trending topics, your brand can reach a wider audience. Major news stories already have a built-in audience, and by aligning your brand with that conversation, you can ride the wave of media attention. This expanded reach can introduce your brand to new potential customers who might not have otherwise discovered you.

2. Enhancing Relevance In today’s competitive marketplace, staying relevant is crucial. Associating your brand with timely and important issues makes your brand appear more attuned to what matters to your audience. Whether it’s a social issue, a political event, or a viral moment, tying your brand to the conversation can create a sense of importance and urgency.

3. Building Brand Personality Newsjacking is an opportunity to showcase your brand’s unique voice, humor, and values. Creative and clever newsjacking can humanize your brand, making it more relatable and memorable. Whether you use wit, humor, or empathy, how you respond to the news can help define your brand’s personality in the eyes of consumers.

Newsjacking Done Right: The Amul Story

One of the most iconic examples of newsjacking is the Amul brand’s response to current events. Known for its witty and timely advertisements, Amul has long been a master of capitalizing on trending topics in India. Whether it’s political developments, sports achievements, or global events, Amul’s advertisements quickly incorporate these stories into their butter-themed billboard campaigns.

For instance, when India won the 2011 Cricket World Cup, Amul’s advertisement read: “India wins the World Cup, Butter Cup.” This clever use of the cricket victory helped Amul cement its place in the cultural zeitgeist, showing that it could seamlessly integrate with national pride and sportsmanship, all while promoting its products in a light-hearted manner.

Amul’s success with newsjacking lies in its ability to stay relevant while maintaining a consistent tone and brand personality. The brand has mastered the art of aligning with current events without losing sight of its core identity, making it one of the best examples of newsjacking done right.

Newsjacking Gone Wrong: Coca-Cola’s Misstep

However, not all attempts at newsjacking are successful. Coca-Cola provides a cautionary tale with its 2013 attempt to newsjack the "America’s Got Talent" show. When a contestant was eliminated from the competition, Coca-Cola tweeted: “You’re no longer in the competition, but you can still have a Coke.”

While Coca-Cola intended to inject humor into the situation, the tweet was widely criticized for being tone-deaf and insensitive. The negative backlash led to the company deleting the tweet and apologizing for the misstep.

This serves as a reminder that newsjacking must be approached with caution. If your brand's response to a sensitive issue or trending topic comes across as opportunistic or tone-deaf, it can backfire and harm your reputation. The key to effective newsjacking is ensuring that your message aligns with your brand values, and that it respects the emotions and opinions of your audience.

The L&T 90-Hours-Per-Week Example

A more recent case of newsjacking emerged around the conversation surrounding L&T leadership’s controversial “90 hours a week” message. This statement sparked widespread discussion about work-life balance, employee well-being, and corporate culture. Several brands saw an opportunity to weigh in on the issue, using it to align themselves with values of work-life balance, employee satisfaction, and ethical leadership.

For example, brands in the wellness and HR-tech space used the moment to emphasize their commitment to healthy work environments. These responses demonstrated that newsjacking can be effective when brands use timely conversations to highlight their core values and engage in meaningful dialogue with their audience.

A Brand Story that Died Due to Newsjacking

Despite the potential rewards, newsjacking can backfire if it’s not done carefully. A brand story that died due to newsjacking involved a major fashion retailer that attempted to capitalize on a natural disaster. When a hurricane hit a major city, the brand rushed to post an advertisement claiming that their latest sale was the “perfect way to survive the storm.”

While the intention was to drive sales, the timing and tone were disastrously off. The ad was perceived as highly insensitive and exploitative, leading to a public relations nightmare. The brand had to issue a public apology, and its reputation suffered for months as a result. This illustrates the importance of ensuring your newsjacking efforts are respectful and relevant to the topic at hand.

Final Thoughts on Newsjacking

Newsjacking, when done correctly, can be a powerful tool for elevating your brand’s visibility, relevance, and personality. The key is to stay true to your brand values, ensure the timing is right, and carefully consider the emotions surrounding the news story you’re engaging with. If done well, it can help you create a memorable brand experience that resonates with your audience.

But as seen in the examples of Amul’s clever engagement and Coca-Cola’s misstep, newsjacking is a double-edged sword. Brands must be prepared to act quickly but thoughtfully, ensuring that their messaging aligns with their audience’s values and expectations.