Remember Canadian Raccoon Conrad?
...we smirked, giggle-mourned the fury death of a Canadian Raccoon, that was hit by a bus, mainly because of how the Toronto community responded.
Yesterday, a Minnesota raccoon scaled a Skyscraper and captivated the world -- why I do not know. But if you’re a brand that can relate, you should be in 'how can we leverage this' mode, thinking of HOW your company can insert itself into this viral sensation conversation --- you need to strike now while the iron is hot!
This seemingly cute critter climbed 23-floors up a UBS building in Minnesota, decided to nap, garnering coverage from world's media titans such as the BBC, CNN, Telegraph, the Independent, BuzzFeed News, New York Times, Chicago Tribune -- you get the point. And I… am at a loss. It must have been a slow news day. Or that our society just really needed some fun news - I think the latter.
But the internet had fun with it -- and so did I. Actually, the first image that I thought of was Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, when he dropped his little woodland friend from a mountain.
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls
R.I.P Conrad *insert laugh emoji*
So, How SWAY?!
1) Identify the trend and DO THE RESEARCH, before you decide to jump in! If it’s unrelated to your brand it will not help.
Example
Animal Removal Services
Wildlife Centers
*Guardians of the Galaxy* - Rocket Raccoon Merch.
Nature Shows (eg Nature on PBS)
High-Rise Window Washing Companies
Visit Minneapolis Tourism (insert your city)
Animal Conservatory’s
Construction Companies
2) Move Quickly - Trends have expiration dates
3) Don’t feel pressured to jump into the trending conversation -- think of whether this fits your brand’s narrative. You don’t want it to come off as “we’re just trying because it’s cool." Associate your brand with the trending “cool factor,” and ride that wave, this will draw attention to your company, which will be fueled entirely by that trend.