Old Spice... A Social Media success story!

In my period of quiet (!) reflection, I have been contemplating on my recent post about P&G, and I realize I have been a little unfair, hasty and maybe even harsh on my critique of  their social media campaign.

While they may be new to non-celebrity brand ambassadors, their re-launch of the 'Old Spice' via a social media blitz was an astounding success. It's never easy to re-launch an old brand, especially to a new demographic with entirely different values, kudos to P&G for a bold step in the right direction... it would have been quite unfortunate to see such a memorable brand die out, considering having grown up with, my dad being an avid user of the product. 

The campaign itself is innovative, and takes bold steps by actually addressing the decision maker, 'the woman', and also potential purchaser even though the end consumer 'the man' is entirely different. It not only recognizes the buyer decision making process, but it also adds value and appeals to the customer/end user. 

And the best part is, it invites people to send in their questions via twitter etc, and in reply creates a whole new short clip on you-tube. IMC...definitely! successful??? It's an A* in my books, and its not a surprise to find out that Forbes has short-listed it as one of the most richest and engaging social media campaigns. 

The others can be viewed at  Forbes picks top social media campaigns

While I may not be it's ideal target market, it has certainly got my Attention & Interest and I am delighted! 

Why has it succeeded? It has certainly taken the principles of social media to heart. It engages the consumer on a personal level, makes them feel valued by answering to their most basic needs, while augmenting it by appealing to the self-esteem needs in  Maslow's hierarchy, if I was to get theoretical. It not only allows the viewer to partake, but its co-creation at its finest with the company and customer working together to create a product/brand which creates value for everyone. The ultimate win-win situation, in which the customer feels  appreciated, with their needs being addressed, while the company gets to promote its product and highlight its brand. 

For those of you who have not seen it yet (!!)...have a look at it here: Old Spice - The man your man could smell like

And if your interested in seeing the response videos, they are grouped up here: Old Spice responses, the whole 185 of them...quite an commendable effort. 

Now, on a personal note, I would like my many (here's being hopeful) and dedicated (ok pushing it a little) readers to feel free to comment on any of my posts. It's all about engaging, sharing, and learning and I'm keen to know what you'll think.