Steal the Spotlight: Newsjacking
This Week:
Use the News to Gain Your Own Coverage
Elevate Your Brand by Elevating Your Brand’s Leaders
The One Thing
Before We Go…
1. What Is Newsjacking—And How Can Your Brand Do It Right?
Last week on The EO Report, we shared how skincare brand The Ordinary made headlines by selling branded eggs for under $4 a dozen in New York City where they were selling for over $5. Why would a company that sells serums and cleansers jump on a PR stunt centering on eggs? Because they knew the price of eggs had become the symbol of every discussion about the state of the economy, and they centered themselves in the conversation in a way that made people laugh, think, and talk about their brand. That, friends, is newsjacking.
So, what exactly is newsjacking?
Coined by marketer and author David Meerman Scott in 2011, newsjacking is the art of inserting your brand or message into a trending news story or cultural moment. Done right, it can win you attention, relevance, and a wave of earned media and social media engagement. It puts your brand in the center of a conversation already receiving a lot of buzz. Done poorly and you risk looking out of touch or opportunistic. Timing and tone are everything.
2. ICYMI: The Power of Thought Leadership
You know what goes hand-in-hand with a strong newsjacking strategy? Thought leadership. When organizational leaders are known to have smart, interesting takes, it’s easier to position them for stories when it’s time to strike on an opportunity to be part of a larger conversation.
3. The One Thing
Each week, we’ll share one task that takes about five minutes to complete and can make an impact on your communications strategy.
This week’s task is inspired by our top story this week.
Your Task This Week: Spend five minutes brainstorming a list of news topics to keep an eye for potential earned media opportunities. If you’re feeling ambitious, spend another five minutes making a list of conversations you’ll endeavor to stay out of.
4. Before We Go…
From the Wall Street Journal: Overused, meaningless phrases fall out of fashion. It would be awesome if they did it a little quicker.
A few weeks ago, we shared a story on how The Four Seasons Maui jumped on a co-branding opportunity with HBO’s The White Lotus. Last week, the New York Times shared a story on additional branded collaborations that emphasizes the characters’ lavish lifestyles.
From Chase Diamond on LinkedIn: 25 ChatGPT prompts you can use to boost your email copywriting results.
Help a friend nab a headline — send The EO Report their way.