I'm always interested in fun newsjacking examples and here's one sent to us by Mazz PR.
Over the past week, the discovery by DNA testing of horsemeat in products sold as beef has been big news in Europe. The story broke in Ireland last month, spread quickly across Europe, and has resulted in products being pulled from supermarket shelves.
Into the furor jumps Mini with this clever ad: "Beef. With a lot of horses hidden in it."
Newsjacking.
This example from Mini is an ad, and therefore could have come from any number of companies.
For an organization associated with the news in some way, the best way to newsjack is by creating content such as a video or blog post.
When people are talking about something in the news, how can you inject your take? Can you get people to talk about you?
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Looks like a brilliant move, yet the topic is a bit controversial.
I wonder if it will backlash in some way, or will it have a full positive effect on MINI.
Posted by: AdrianKnoll | February 21, 2013 at 06:27 AM
Thanks very much for the mention in this blog post! We feel very important today!
Posted by: MazzPR | February 21, 2013 at 07:15 AM
MazzPR - Thanks for alerting me. Did you have anything to do with it?
Adrian - In my opinion, this newsjacking is okay based on what I've read about the situation. Had there been a health issue - people getting sick - I would agree that there would be too much risk. But with one meat vs. another as the only issue (which is what I have read) I think Mini is safe.
David
Posted by: David Meerman Scott | February 21, 2013 at 07:21 AM
I think you've been "blogjacked" by Mazz PR ;).
The ad is meh in my book - nothing special other than timing
Posted by: NoOneYouKnow | February 21, 2013 at 08:37 AM
Great. Thanks for the reply, david.
Adrian
Posted by: AdrianKnoll | February 21, 2013 at 09:59 AM
Blogjacked? We read an article in a Spanish Marketing magazine and forwarded it to David. It's a piece of worked signed by Iris Worldwide. Check the agency's Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/irisworldwide?ref=sgm
Posted by: MazzPR | February 21, 2013 at 11:29 AM
I agree David that this is probably alright considering that no one got sick. The key element about Newsjacking is that it forces marketers and creatives to behave like news publishers and jump boldly into the news cycle. Of course, we know the negative for news organizations trying to be first. They commit forced errors. There needs to be an updated checklist to follow to minimize speed errors. Remember the Air Force's brilliant blog/social media assessment chart?
Posted by: Kevin Cesarz | February 21, 2013 at 11:38 AM
Kevin - I do remember that chart. Brilliant stuff.
Posted by: David Meerman Scott | February 21, 2013 at 04:00 PM
Hi David.
Thanks for picking up on our latest work for Mini it's out of our iris Worldwide London office.
It's been very well received and widely shared.
Posted by: Grant Hunter | February 21, 2013 at 08:48 PM
Hi Grant, I should have known that you'd be behind this. Great work. Shows that a consistent focus on newsjacking can achieve results.
Any idea what the metrics are on this? Where was the ad placed? What was the result? Is Mini happy? David
Posted by: David Meerman Scott | February 22, 2013 at 05:18 AM
Grant - Congratulations for this masterpiece of Newsjacking. Let us know about the metrics to include a couple of follow-up lines in our latest blogpost: http://mazzpr.es/mini-newsjacking-david-meerman-scott/
Posted by: MazzPR | February 22, 2013 at 07:36 AM
Should we not be more conscientiousness about dangling our prepositions in public where they might be viewed by impressionable children?
"Beef. With a lot of horses hidden under the hood."
Posted by: Craigruark.wordpress.com | February 22, 2013 at 02:28 PM
This is a great example on newsjacking. It illustrates that it is not only blog posts and news releases that can be used to newsjack, it can be all other media types as well. This requires that the marketing department also reacts and think in real-time mode. Thanks a lot for sharing this example. I will use it in my lectures.
Posted by: Bernd Hoeck | February 23, 2013 at 12:37 PM
The car hire firm sixt jacks the same topic with its recent facebook campaign. The campaign shows a picture of an advertisement with a claim that translates as follows: "The only way to get more horses is by buying lasagna".
https://www.facebook.com/sixt.autovermietung?fref=ts
Posted by: Bernd Hoeck | February 23, 2013 at 01:40 PM
Hi David and Mazz PR. The Mini post was written by Shaun McIlrath our ECD at iris Worldwide, London. It's one of the first pieces we've done for Mini since winning the UK integrated account. It's been picked up by the press across Europe. It has had 1,779 shares and 4,452 likes - it's one of Mini UK's most successful posts ever. It also appeared as a press ad in a few UK nationals.
More details here: http://www.urgentgenius.com/sector/automative/mini-horse and here: http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/news/1171261/
Posted by: Grant Hunter | February 24, 2013 at 08:29 AM
great article ! This days, there are a lot of articles talking about #Newsjacking.
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