MEDIA ARTS MONDAYS:
The Spontaneity Strategy

In today’s dynamic media landscape, people are living their lives at the speed of real time. News is expected to be up to the second, friends keep up with each others’ lives online, step by step and hour by hour, and the latest and greatest can change every time you “refresh the page.” It has created a culture where there is a lot of cache in knowing and being part of what’s current, and anything slightly out-of-date can feel awkwardly out of synch. And it’s not just newsrooms and networking sites that need to keep up; it’s an expectation that audiences are applying to every part of their lives, including the brands they invite to become a part of them. When the context of culture changes on a real-time basis, brands that allow a little spontaneity in their strategy can be the ones that stay most consistently relevant.

Marketers have optimized processes and tools to plan their marketing initiatives meticulously. Detailed annual plans are standard, treating the world like a predictable 12-month cycle with little room for the unplanned. While companies have learned to switch to crisis-management mode in real time when facing a negative situation, it appears that fewer brands are prepared to embrace the unpredictable positive opportunities. Brands need to leave some room for the unplanned and be spontaneous, to make decisions in real time to be in sync with the pace of culture.

Mark Lives in Ikea

Comedian/filmmaker Mark Malkoff was looking for a temporary residence while his NYC apartment was being fumigated, when he asked IKEA for permission to stay for free in the local store. Without letting bureaucracy get in the way, IKEA capitalized on this real-time marketing opportunity by allowing him to move in for an entire week. Documenting his experience 24/7 on Marklivesinikea.com generated not only a million hits daily—with plenty of product demonstrations— but it also reinforced a good-natured image for the Swedish company.

Nike : World-Record Celebration

When Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang broke the 110-meter-hurdle world record with a time of 12.88 seconds, Nike didn’t waste a minute churning out an instant ad campaign to celebrate the track star’s achievement in record time. Just 13 hours after Xiang broke the world record, Nike had created and placed an ad at the prominent electronic billboard on the side of the Aurora skyscraper, and online ads were up and running. When the hero arrived home the same afternoon, his Nike-branded “12.88” T-shirt gave the brand national press coverage.

Crest: Liquid Ban Response

In the wake of banning liquid products in carry-on bags on airplanes, Crest approached Avis quickly to partner up on a relief program of their own. At a time when not many travelers had a lot to smile about, 25,000 free Crest “smile packs” were placed on the seats of all Avis preferred renters’ cars in 25 of the top U.S. airports. The highly appreciated sampling packs included a full-sized Crest toothpaste, mouthwash and dental floss, helping Avis’ frequent costumers to start their vacations or business trips with healthy, bright smiles and fresh breath.

- This newsletter was originally published in March 2008. Media Arts Mondays is produced by Media Arts Lab. You can subscribe to Media Arts Mondays here or download this newsletter here.