Taco Bell and Old Spice recently interacted with each other on Twitter, as reported by PR Daily. When Old Spice tweeted “Why is it that ‘fire sauce’ isn’t made with any real fire? Seems like false advertising,” Taco Bell tweeted a response to the mention of their product, “@OldSpice Is your deodorant made with really old spices?”
I was surprised when I first read the posts, but it also made sense. If Facebook and Twitter users often mention brands and friends in their Facebook posts and tweets, why shouldn’t companies also interact with other brands online? It seems like it would be a common practice, yet it is so uncommon that two brands exchanging briefly on Twitter is a “newsworthy” story.
This exchange sparked the question: Are brands finally catching up to the more casual atmosphere on social media? While many brands have been figuring out how to voice their personality online, others are still wearing the wrong clothes. Many brands try to avoid a conversational tone on social media, but find it hard to connect with customers.
It is important to determine the right voice and tone for your brand so that it reaches your audience effectively. To reach more potential customers, some brands may want to consider interacting with other brands as part of their social media strategy. While the interaction must be appropriate – for example, a baby clothing company probably wouldn’t interact with a nightclub – reaching out to other brands occasionally may make your brand seem more human. For example, Taco Bell and Old Spice have two completely different products, yet they have a similar audience, which makes them a good fit.
After determining which brands might be a good fit for your company, give it a try and start a conversation. While it shouldn’t be forced, you just might make a new friend – which may lead them to mentioning your company with their followers.
Has your company ever started a conversation with another brand on social media?
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As design director at Cookerly, Tim serves as the creative lead in the development of branding campaigns, print collateral and digital media for clients across a broad range of industries, including consumer, professional services, healthcare and technology.
As a senior vice president at Cookerly, Mike Rieman is a strategic communications leader specializing in media relations and reputation management. With a proven track record of securing high-profile placements in top-tier outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNN and USA Today, he excels at crafting compelling narratives that resonate across print, broadcast and digital platforms.
Mike Touhill is vice president at Cookerly Public Relations, where he helps lead traditional, social and digital media programs for B2B and B2C clients in packaging, telecommunications and technology, among other industries. As a communication leader, he develops and executes public relations strategy, provides proactive and reactive counsel to C-level executives and secures earned media coverage for client initiatives and product.
Andrew Agan is a vice president at Cookerly Public Relations, overseeing the agency’s internship program and leading media relations, content strategy and social media initiatives. He provides counsel and executes campaigns for clients across various sectors, including finance, healthcare, hospitality, technology, automotive and many others. Andrew excels at crafting compelling stories and building media relationships, resulting in clients being featured in notable outlets such as CNBC, Associated Press, Business Insider, Fox Business, HBO, Inc. Magazine, Sirius XM, The Wall Street Journal and USA Today, among others.
As vice president of Cookerly, Sheryl Sellaway uses her extensive corporate communications background to lead consumer PR efforts, deliver strategy for marketing programs and share expertise about community initiatives.