Creating the Brand Moment of your “Dreams”
By: Jessica Bedussi

“Now here you go again you say you want your freedom…” 

From dancing kermit to pumpkin heads, these quintessential Fleetwood Mac lyrics are now synonymous with a viral TikTok video that blew up the internet. In the original video, TikTok user Nathan Apodaca nonchalantly skates down the street, chillin’ and sippin’ on Ocean Spray cranberry juice, garnering over 23.4 million views. In response, Ocean Spray gifted Apodaca a “cranberry red” truck filled with Ocean Spray. As the song suggests, this is the moment every brand dreams about. 

Ever since Oreo “dunked in the dark,” every brand has been on the never-ending quest to find their viral moment. And in 2020, relevancy is essential. Research shows 25% of a consumer’s purchase decision is determined by a brand’s involvement in culture, and there’s a 73% correlation between a brand’s cultural relevance and its revenue.

You can’t always make a viral moment happen, but you can have a plan in place to react quickly when an opportunity arises. Here are 3 suggestions to ignite a moment:

1. Always Be Listening - Aside from having strategists and creatives who absorb culture, social listening is imperative for your brand to have quick reactions on social. 

2. No Hesitations – The worst enemy of opportunity is hesitation. Many perfect reactive moments die with overthinking and swirl. It’s permissible to analyze concerns, but keep in mind: no risk, no reward. 

3. Plan for the unplanned – Have a process in order for unplanned moments, including who needs to be involved, who needs to give final approval, and how quickly you can put something out into the world.

The Ocean Spray moment wasn’t crafted. It wasn’t briefed. It wasn’t scrutinized through rounds of creative, legal, and influencer contracts. It just was. Through the innate value and magic of social, the world paid attention.

The Rise of Fact-Checking 
By: Sergio Saucedo

Over the course of the last four years, the amount of misinformation being spewed from political leaders, presidential candidates, and the likes have created a market for fact-checking. Since 2016, the number of fact-checking organizations has risen by over 200%.

In the past, fact-checking was an action done at a partisan level. However, the Trump administration’s consistent fabrication of the truth has driven an urge among people to be able to distill fact from fiction. This has enabled new startups to rise, as well as news publications and social platforms to capitalize on this need with the introduction of new content and/or features on their platforms.

And this need is only heightened in the days leading up to the election. In fact, during the Presidential debate that took place a couple of weeks ago, data from SourceWeb shows that Americans were consistently looking for ways to fact check while watching. With sites like the New York Times, NPR, and CNN being among the most visited. 

While the number of companies taking this challenge head-on has multiplied since 2016, there is still so much work that needs to be done to help minimize the spread of misinformation in the digital age.

A Magic Show via Zoom? The New Normal of 2020
By Jade Spadoni

As we continue to shelter in place, our days are filled with working from home, virtual learning, and endless binge watching on our chosen streaming platform. Two out of three of these involve a platform we’ve all grown to love: ZOOM. And as our daily lives have come accustomed to work and school sending out Zoom invites, the theater industry is hopping on the bandwagon to keep the arts alive during the global pandemic. 

The Geffen Stayhouse, a virtual at-home theater experience created by Geffen Playhouse, has kept the magic of theater alive during the pandemic and audiences digitally engaged after COVID-19 closed theaters throughout the states. Their hit show, “The Present”, starring magician Helder Guimarães, first entered the homes of theater lovers on May 7th, and has been extended three times since. 

The show, which will have its grand finale (and 251st show) this Saturday, is held via Zoom from the corner of the magician’s apartment and is filmed by his girlfriend, with directors logging in and directing from their own homes. Like an in-person magic show, “The Present'' allows its audience to interact with its performer and has brought the magic into the homes of families globally (countries including Denmark, Poland, Singapore and Ukraine have all “zoomed” in to enjoy) as well as keep the Geffen brand alive. Famous faces, such as Laura Dern, Mark Hamill, Patton Oswalt, Billy Crystal and Laurie Metcalf, have also been seen enjoying the show from their tiny Zoom boxes. 

The price per ticket averages around $95 per household which includes the cost of a “mystery box”, which is mailed to homes before the performance with props for members to participate in Guimarães’ tricks. At the end of its six month run, “The Present” will have grossed more than $700,000, a huge figure when thinking about how theaters nationally are scrambling to bring entertainment to a virtual audience. Earnings aside, the show has been a positive experience for participants, a form of pure escapism in a time of turmoil, and when a user logs off they are much happier than before (something we all need more of during 2020).