Facebook campaigns have proven two separate things. #1 – When a campaign goes right it can be great for the company or individual holding it. #2 – When a campaign goes wrong things can get quite interesting to say the least. The fact that the rapper Pitbull is heading to Alaska is firm proof of the truth behind the second statement. While some may feel that the campaign actually failed the truth is that it simply came back to bite those involved – especially Pitbull.
As the spokesperson for Energy Sheets, a caffeine laced version of a breath strip, Pitbull was to visit whichever Walmart store location that received the highest number of new Likes within Facebook. Since the contest’s start on Tuesday one Walmart location’s page has steamrolled to the forefront. The lucky store? Walmart #2711 in Kodiak Island, Alaska! The Facebook location page for Kodiak has garnered more than 60k Likes – a fact made even more amazing when you consider that the island’s entire population lies much closer to the 6,000 mark.
So just how did this campaign take such a hard turn into left field? Simply ask Jon Hendren and David Thorpe. Anyone who has been to their site, Simply Awful, can attest to the power of snarky comments that may be leveraged. Thanks to both guys a counter campaign called #ExilePitbull was started and has literally exploded. Once #ExilePitbull took hold it was all done but the crying.
Energy Strips, and in turn Walmart, both looked to benefit from the exposure the campaign would create. What they didn’t bargain for was that a counter campaign could take hold let alone become so powerful. It raises several important questions. Can either company rely on the results of the Likes? Would the attention be best defined as positive or negative? Should Pitbull honor the outcome of the campaign even though he knows that the results were artificially inflated in Kodiak Island’s behalf?
While you can surely see how a campaign such as this can go poorly for at least some of those involved there is no argument that at least someone benefits from this particular one. Energy Strips and Walmart both proved that their campaign was strong enough to get someone’s attention. Pitbull has the opportunity to show that he is a good sport, and Kodiak Island has a chance to show everyone its collective hospitality.
Not all campaigns are so lucky. That is why it is urgent that you put enough forethought into your campaign as you are designing it so that you can avoid potential pitfalls down the road. Look closely at those involved, whatever prizes are being offered, and other such details. Try to look at each from all angles so you can be sure that you are not leaving yourself wide open to a counter campaign. Do this and you will have a much better chance at running a successful campaign rather than coming up with a dud.