Social Media

Social Hour: Don’t Buy into Trends That Betray Your Brand

by Jessica Smith Posted On November 2nd, 2017 | 7:09pm EST

Hopping onto trends and viral social media campaigns is a surefire way to get more eyes on your brand. But will it bring the kind of attention you want?

Dunkin’ Donuts recently tried to get in on the makeup tutorial trend to promote their spider donut for Halloween. The following YouTube video was shared on their Facebook page; it appears to have since been deleted.

The video sparked a bit of debate in the Facebook video comment section that essentially amounted to one key question: why would a donut and coffee chain offer makeup advice?

This sort of marketing can be tricky, especially for big name brands. It’s harmless and inoffensive, but fails because it doesn’t feel organic. (Among their other Facebook posts, hairstyle tutorials on creating “spider donut buns” received only slightly better reactions – well, at least the donut was brought into play.) Harnessing relevant topics and current events can be successful if employed the right way, but you should never stray from your brand’s messaging.

Think about the kind of audience you want to reach and what your brand can offer them. Is there a way you can tie in a trend that sticks to those values? If not, it’s best to leave that idea on the back burner. And as a general rule of thumb, makeup and hair do not mix with food.

For more insight on content marketing and ways your brand can avoid mistakes like these, check out the City/Studio site. We’re here to help.