Mindful Marketing
  • Home
  • About
    • Mission
    • Mindful Meter & Matrix
    • Leadership
  • Mindful Matters Blog
  • Engage Your Mind
    • Mindful Ads? Vote Your Mind!
  • Expand Your Mind
  • Contact

Moving Aside To Let Consumers Drive

10/17/2020

45 Comments

 
Picture

by David Hagenbuch - professor of Marketing at Messiah University -
​author of 
Honorable Influence - founder of Mindful Marketing

It was a frightening experience.  After driving around the parking lot for a few hours, we turned onto the main road, which I had been on many times before, but now 40 mph seemed like 80, and my whole body tensed as cars whizzed by in the opposite direction.  I was afraid because I was a passenger, teaching one of our children to drive.  I wasn’t in control of the car, they were.  I wonder if Ocean Spray has felt similar fear during its rapid TikTok ride.
 
In a social-media-driven world, marketers increasingly face a dilemma:  Should they keep communication control or slide into the passenger seat and allow someone with no professional experience and little company commitment drive their promotional strategy?  That’s the question Ocean Spray has had to answer as a longboard-riding, selfie-stick-toting Idaho potato worker unexpectedly drove the firm into pop culture prominence.
 
Nathan Apodaca wasn’t well-known before he posted the 25-second TikTok clip of himself skateboarding to work, while lip-syncing to the Fleetwood Mac classic “Dreams,” and sipping from a 64 oz. bottle of Ocean Spray cranberry juice.  However, the video went viral, gaining over 46 million views and almost 8 million likes, while also grabbing mainstream media attention from the likes of CNN to NPR.

Meanwhile, the cranberry cooperative from Middleboro, MA must have been asking itself, “What just happened?” and “How do we handle it?”
 
When you think of food companies with conservative product lines, there aren’t many more staid than Ocean Spray.  It’s not Nantucket Nectars or Snapple with their overabundance of very creative drink concoctions.  The majority of Ocean Spray’s juices, as well as many of its other products contain cranberries, which seem positioned somewhere between raisins and prunes and probably appeal more to ‘mature’ than to youthful palettes. 
 
Case in point, I’m a member of Gen X whose beverage repertoire happens to be boring—I drink little besides water, but I do have a glass of Ocean Spray Cran-Grape juice every day.  All that to say, I suspect much of the company’s revenue comes from other mundane middle-agers-or-olders like me.  I doubt those in Ocean Spray’s target market are heavy users of TikTok, which makes the firm’s reaction to its sudden social media fame even more remarkable.
 
Picture

However, Ocean Spray didn’t jump on Apodaca’s longboard immediately; instead, it ‘took a beat’ for over a week, which in social media time can seem like an eternity.  Still, positive public reaction suggests that the company’s move was ‘lit’—not sure if I’m using that term correctly.  
 
The firm first did its homework and found that Apodaca wasn’t simply someone aiming for internet fame or a corporate payday.  He was a hard-working father, living in a mobile home, whose pickup truck died on the way to his job at the potato factory.  Rather than miss work, Apodaca pulled the skateboard from his truck, jumped on and, with hydration in hand, began cruising toward the plant.  Videoing himself was a spontaneous thought, brought on by the “Dreams” tune and a desire to capture the uniquely ‘chill’ moment.
 
Ocean Spray, in turn, captured the hearts of the nation and beyond by gifting the stunned Apodaca a new cranberry red Nissan pickup truck, packed with a generous cache of the company’s products.
 
Meanwhile, TikTok parodies have proliferated.  Those grabbing a bottle of Ocean Spray and skateboarding to the sound of “Dreams” have included legendary Fleetwood Mac drummer Mick Fleetwood, Ocean Spray CEO Tom Hayes, and lieutenant governor of Montana and governor candidate Mike Cooney.
 
From surprising Apodaca with a new truck to filming their CEO’s own TikTok tribute, it seems like Ocean Spray did everything right, but one could also argue that the company was living dangerously by jumping on the TikTok longboard, for three reasons:
 
1. Skateboarding Spills: From the first time I saw Apodaca’s TikTok, I wondered about the safety.  Since my own skateboarding experience was very limited and decades ago, I ‘let it ride,’ until I had an opportunity to ask those in a college class their opinions.
 
One student, Jordan, said he uses an E-skate (electric skateboard) to commute to campus.  While he acknowledged the freedom that some enjoy from riding unencumbered, he was quick to call Apodaca’s approach “ill-advised” because of:  multiple distractions (juice, music, camera), no protective equipment, and proximity to fast-moving traffic.  He also showed a nasty scrape he sustained from a recent spill, even while wearing a helmet and reinforced leather gloves.
 
But, why should Ocean Spray worry about any such accidents?  It would be tragic to read the headline:  “Car Kills Teen Doing Ocean Spray TikTok Parody.”  Yes, people will mimic Apodaca regardless what Ocean Spray does, but the company’s support of the viral celeb and its own CEO's imitation could be construed as support for the act and its disregard for danger.
 
2. Unknown Endorser:  Most of the time, famous spokespeople work out well for their sponsors, largely because celebrities are ‘known commodities’ who have been living in the public spotlight for years.  Even then, though, there are times when a celebrity’s poor choices sour the promotional partnership, e.g., Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte in Brazil.
 
When an ordinary person suddenly rises from obscurity to become the face of a brand, there is increased risk related to an unknown history and uncertainty how he/she might act going forward, both of which could lead to another very undesirable headline, e.g., “BREAKING NEWS:  Ocean Spray Spokesman Apodaca . . .”
 
3. Brand Confusion:  In keeping with the prior point, brands carefully choose their spokespeople and dozens of other identity-defining elements in order to position themselves precisely where they’d like to be in consumers’ minds relative to the competition.  Allowing whoever happens to shoot a viral video of themself become the face of one’s brand seems like a pretty nonstrategic approach.
 
If Ocean Spray wants to move its image in the direction of ‘younger,’ ‘carefree,’ and possibly even ‘irreverent,’ the TikTok tie-in works.  If not, embracing the viral video could create some cognitive dissonance when consumers attempt to interpret it in light of the company’s other marketing communication.
 
However, the three cautions above must be interpreted against the reality that Ocean Spray really had to do something.  Not acknowledging the viral video would have made the company seem ungrateful, not to mention completely out of touch.
 
Even though Ocean Spray didn’t ask for Apodaca’s promotional help, the right thing to do was to reward him for the enormous exposure he created for the brand.  When someone shows you kindness, you thank them; and, if you’re a company with the resources of Ocean Spray, you do more.
 
Picture

In deciding how much gratitude ($$$) to show, company management may have wondered whether the Tik Tok-driven sales uptick would last.  As parodies focus on other things, the firm’s revenue will relapse, but probably not entirely.  Some of its newly-won market share may last, as operant conditioning suggests:  At least some people who never had Ocean Spray before shooting their own video probably tried it, liked it, and will buy it again.
 
Similarly, the entire Tik Tok episode may have the effect of lowering the bottom end of Ocean Spray’s age demographic, which is something almost any brand would like.  At some point, every organization must appeal to the next generation; otherwise, it goes to the grave with an ever-aging target market.
 
Still, were these rewards worth the three risks outlined above?  My cautious answer is—Yes.
 
First, the idea of Ocean Spray implicitly endorsing Apodaca’s somewhat dangerous ride is mitigated by the fact that his truck broke down and he was just trying to get to work.  It wasn’t a thrill ride for the sake of social media shares.  Plus, company CEO Hayes and others have modeled safer and still-satisfying Tik Tok tributes.
 
Second, should anything unseemly surface from Apodoca’s past or taint his future brand ambassadorship, Ocean Spray could easily pull the plug on the affiliation.  Likewise, knowing Apodaca’s situation and the impromptu circumstances under which the relation was formed, the public probably would give some grace to both the individual and the organization.
 
Third, most of the people who could potentially experience brand confusion from Ocean Spray’s positioning pivot probably aren’t on Tik Tok anyway.  That media/demographic separation combined with what will likely be a relatively short shelf-life for the video, should mean that traditional perceptions of the brand remain largely intact.
 
I still enjoy the control of being behind the wheel.  I don’t mind, though, when someone else drives, as long as I feel safe and I have some input into where we’re going.  Marketers increasingly need to know when to slip into the passenger seat, yet continue to influence the way to the destination, all while someone with less promotional experience drives.
 
Like Ocean Spray, those who can successfully navigate that unique balance are on the road to “Mindful Marketing.”
​
Picture
Subscribe to Mindful Matters blog.
Learn more about the Mindful Matrix.
Check out Mindful Marketing Ads
 and Vote your Mind!
45 Comments
Aysia Johnson
10/21/2020 10:31:51 pm

This blog was so enlightening. Social media has had such a big impact on marketing. David made a great point about the risk of an unknown endorser. People nowadays are so observant, and the fact that video recording has become so accessible it bears positive and negative effects. For Ocean Spray this worked out well because the positives outweighed the bad. Even if there was a person who died doing the Tik Tok, people would look at Tik Tok not Ocean Spray. Ocean Spray was smart in providing a car for Apodaca because it showed that they care about his safety and well being.
I also find in interesting that Ocean Spray took so long to "ride the wave" when the Tik Tok first came out. Trends are a hit and miss and they happen in the blink of an eye. I am curious as to why it took them so long to form a response to the video. However, I think that gifting Apodaca a car full of Ocean Spray products was a great idea! There is no better way to thank a customer than with a gift that they will always remember.

Reply
Malik Nevarez link
10/27/2020 11:41:55 pm

I think that this blog speaks about an important problem about consumers driving. I do believe that can be used for major business corporations and it will help the economy. I believe that innovators will use this for the benefit of mankind. . My thoughts on this blog is that it had a lot of good information and I agree with this argument. I do believe it utilizes a mindful marketing approach.

Reply
Marwan Bahu
10/23/2020 04:24:55 pm

I agree with what Hagenbuch said about the various risks Ocean Spray was taking when endorsing Apodaca. I feel Ocean Spray did a good job with their marketing decisions, they not only helped grow their brand but they also look good giving Apodaca a new truck. I don't think Ocean Spray's approach is fit for every company's encounter with random social media fame because every situation is different and there can be consequences for endorsing the wrong person.

Reply
Jasmine Widjaja
10/24/2020 12:38:00 am

I am totally agree with you, Prof. David. I love your creative and critical thoughts about the impact on social media nowadays. Social media has taken our place, attention, shops and time as well to be honest. Whenever we see our social media, new advertisement suddenly pop out and show us a certain product. A promotion strategy change from TV, newspaper, brochure and stuff into something faster such as social media (twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, etc). I guess following this generation flow will help the company to reach even greater promotion and influence for their product. The example for Ocean Spray that follows the flow of this generation of Tik Tok (ers). The decision to promote the product in the famous social media really shows a great impact on the marketing promotion. I like the idea for rewarding someone when they help you to create a branding for your product, however it is a bit risky for sure if the company did not select their ambassador well.

Reply
Jeremiah Kim
10/25/2020 06:15:55 pm

Reading this post opened my eyes to a lot of new perspectives regarding a video that I had seen before. Honestly, I wasn't even aware that the man was drinking Ocean Spray or that Ocean Spray had acknowledged the video and bought the man a truck. I agreed with the risks that you mentioned, and I also agree that the company was right in considering these potential risks and still deciding to move forward with how they handled the video. TikTok certainly provides an avenue of marketing that companies might be ill-equipped for, but Ocean Spray certainly handled it well. This might not work in every situation, but as you mentioned, Ocean Spray did their research and felt comfortable proceeding.

Reply
Eugene Hong
10/25/2020 09:21:45 pm

Hey Professor Hagenbuch, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this article. The insight you made on Ocean Spray's investment to Apodaca was very interesting. I agree that the level of risk Ocean Spray had in partnering with Apodaca was dangerous because people may have viewed Apodaca's actions as hazardous. I am surprised as well that Ocean Spray didn't know the amount of influence Tik Tok had on today's generation. I think it was very generous of Ocean Spray to gift Apodaca with their products because of the publicity they got from him. Overall, I do think this brings out the integrity of Ocean Spray and how much they care for the individual.

Reply
JD Gunn
10/25/2020 10:20:39 pm

I find the comparison of you sitting in the passenger seat while teaching your kid to drive, and that of Ocean Spray in the passenger seat as Apodaca "drives" to be very interesting. While a lot of times we like to be in the drivers seat, as you mention, we can also feel comfortable in the passenger seat. I think your second point "Unknown Endorser" was very though provoking. I have never really thought about what it means for a company to have someone such as Apocada endorse them, when they know nothing about him. Often times it is easy to rely on people who are well known such as celebrities, but there are risks when a company uses someone unknown. I would have never thought of the implications of what would happen if that unknown spokesperson all of the sudden did something horrible, or something bad about their past came up. Marketing seems to be more difficult that what I would have thought to begin with. I think that there is a lot more that goes into it than one may originally think. I learned from this post to be careful who you allow to market your product, but also to take risks.

Reply
Audrey Johnson
10/26/2020 01:09:16 am

I was so surprised to see a popular Tik Tok I recognized while reading this blog post. I love how you were able to take a popular Tik Tok trend and display how it relates to marketing and potential challenges. Personally, I agree with the stance you took; It doesn't seem that Apodaca was seeking fame, but was simply documenting his commute to work. Therefore OceanSpray does not seem to be placed in a threatening position. It was so sweet to know more of the details surrounding this Tik Tok and know that he was gifted with a new truck! I am so impressed with OceanSpray and how they went about this situation.

Reply
air freight companies in hong kong link
10/26/2020 03:22:18 am

you have done a great job i hope you will do much batter in the future

Reply
Joshua G
10/26/2020 01:20:42 pm

Thanks for another excellent post. I find it surprising that this was such a hit. I went and watched the video on youtube,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtzVKUCZE5w

Safety immediately stood out to me and I think your points regarding liability were well taken. I also agree with your assessment of the brand's handling of the situation. Clearly the audience attracted to this isn't going to be easily confused about what's happening and is familiar enough with the medium to handle any intricacies that develop.

Reply
Henry Michael Reeves
10/26/2020 05:45:18 pm

Hey Joshua, I just read your post and no I am not talking about you in my comments lol. I am talking about on of the points from the blog. Just want to make sure before there is any confusion lol.

Reply
Antonio S
10/26/2020 01:39:37 pm

David, you have made some fascinating points that I would not have figured out. Ocean Spray did the right thing by doing some research first and figuring out why Nathan created the video. In doing so, Ocean Spray figured out that he was trying to go to work, and giving him a new truck was the most appropriate gift. It isn't very comforting to think that someone can randomly take control of a company's marketing. Still, I believe that in today's market, the more genuine a product placement is, the more significant the impact.

Reply
Henry Reeves link
10/26/2020 05:43:25 pm

I think what Ocean Spray did was very smart no doubt about it. They took an opportunity to help out a customer who was literally giving them free advertisement. By helping out Apodaca, it showed that Ocean Spray does in fact care about their consumers which sends a positive message and create a sense of brand loyalty with its consumers. For the person who said "it is not a good video because of safety not being taken seriously" needs to be quiet. Let people live their life the way they want to live it. I am so tired of people having issues with everything someone does even though it has nothing to do with them at all. But overall, great blog!

Reply
Andrew Garcia
10/26/2020 06:08:28 pm

I think that the author made some great points regarding the response of Ocean Spray to the Tik Tok video. I think that the company responded well to the free publicity and can now enter into a new market and serve a younger demographic. I think it will be interesting how Ocean Spray changes their product to fit with the younger generation's preferences.

Reply
Andrew Beauvais
10/26/2020 10:13:08 pm

I think that you have done an outstanding job to show the support that Apodaca received for the free advertisement that he had given them, even if he was unknowingly doing so. It shows that Ocean Breeze really takes care of their consumers and can connect with them on a deeper level. Ocean breeze is also allowing themselves to take part in the trends that we see throughout social media because of this support. Great blog, really enjoyed it!

Reply
Samantha Penor
10/26/2020 10:46:49 pm


Hi Professor Hagenbuch! I remember watching this video on Tik Tok and was unaware of its impact on OceanSpray and its following. I thought nothing of what he was drinking and it really surprised me that the company responded to the subtle promotion. I one hundred percent agree with you that as a company, it is important to respond to kindness shown towards your product without creating a professional affiliation. Nowadays, there is more authenticity to marketing where the public is shown real people using products such as a man randomly drinking the cranberry juice on a TIk Tok video. That is why social media and the internet is so important for advertising in this digital age. Great post, I really enjoyed it!

Reply
Shelby Rogers
10/26/2020 10:47:51 pm

Dr. Hagenbuch, great blog with a lot of insight. You made a great point that brand confusion likely wouldn't happen because the typical consumer of Ocean Spray is not on TikTok. This is a great opportunity for Ocean Spray to break into a new market of younger consumers!

Reply
Tony Yang
10/27/2020 12:26:26 am

I think it is important to be mindful to jump on the social media/internet fame. Even though there are companies who would dream to have their products in viral videos, it is still a risky situation, and companies must make very strategic moves to decide how to engage in internet sensation. I believe Ocean Spray did a wonderful job on how they have approached Nathan Apodaca. Ocean Spray did not make him their spokesperson, since Mr. Apodaca does not have a long track record. It is also important that Ocean Spray has sent their support and rewarded Mr. Apodaca, because of his viral video that brought Ocean Spray to mainstream social media.

Reply
Alissa Wooley
10/27/2020 12:34:19 am

This article was really exciting to read. As someone who borders on the Millennial/Generation Z line, it is enlightening to read about what marketers are paying attention to regarding my own age group. I have not spent a lot of time thinking about this sort of perspective but I really loved learning more about it. I can’t imagine the pressure or complexities more “simple” companies are facing as the marketing world evolves. I have grown up my whole life with the internet and social media, but there is clearly a conscious decision that these companies are having to make about whether the adapt or to stay true to what they have always done.

Reply
Isabella Salinas
10/27/2020 01:19:06 am

I really enjoyed reading this post because of the insights on both sides of the argument. It allowed me to work through multiple perspectives on my own and I appreciate that Dr. Hagenbuch provided his own conclusion at the end. Regarding the point about safety, I think another way that Ocean Spray suggests that they care about a person's safety is by providing Apodaca with a car. They didn't provide him with a newer skateboard, but a safer option for transportation. If Apodaca were to do something that is a harmful look for the company, I also believe that people would give them grace because he is an ordinary person and Ocean Spray didn't intentionally choose him to promote their product. It was a random promotional opportunity that Ocean Spray took advantage of well.

Reply
Nicole Bernal Moné
10/27/2020 01:59:33 am

This was an interesting article, I would never think to think much about a tiktok like this, but I can see how as silly as this viral video is it can create a big buzz for a marketing team. I enjoyed your thoughts in that it is still worth giving thanks to Apodaca because of the new customers owned even if the sales might fizzle out, there will still be a customer retention. Also, I honestly do not know as to why someone would be questioning the safety of the video or actions in the video, maybe i'm just not on social media enough to see it, but it would be a stretch to me to think about a complaint like that.

Reply
Lindsay Gerle
10/27/2020 12:53:16 pm

This was very insightful reading about how effective social media is becoming, especially something like TikTok, when it comes to company brands. If I were to see this TikTok, I wouldn't have thought anything more about seeing a man holding a bottle of Oceanspray, but it was insightful reading about what when on behind the scenes of this short video that was probably only intended to be funny. Including the 3 dangers behind this video and how Oceanspray is trying to benefit from this was informative since I also didn't consider the dangers behind shooting a video while riding distractedly. This could've instead made the brand look bad if anything were to happen to this man. It's interesting trying to unwrap the different ways a company can market and how easily it can all come apart if one mistake is made that could hurt the brand.

Reply
Bradford Hardy
10/27/2020 06:18:50 pm

Overall great post, loved it. I think it is so smart that Ocean Spray decided to reach out to Apodaca since he brought them a sudden boom of publicity. Social Media moves so fast now so it is important that they moved fast. When it comes to safety I don't think that they have to worry much about that because the average consumer is more responsible for themselves. It is not up to the Ocean Spray for monitoring the safety of others but they should be focused on what really matters and that is the brand image. Great post Dr. Hagenbuch!

Reply
Sarah Duran
10/27/2020 10:47:06 pm

This was insightful reading about how effective social media is becoming, especially TikTok, when it comes to company brands. It is fascinating to see how someone who had no intentions of going viral, ended up not only being famous. Yet, became the leading figure for the product that was represented in the video. I found it very insightful hearing about the three risks that Ocean Spray may face, and it helped me to think outside of my biases and look at the potential risks behind this. Yet, if this man were to participate in wrongful actions, I do believe the media would give him grace since he is a normal man that was never seeking fame in the first place.

Reply
Malik Nevarez link
10/28/2020 12:22:00 am

I think that this blog speaks about an important problem with consumers driving. I do believe that can be used for major business corporations and it will help the economy. I believe that innovators will use this for the benefit of mankind. . My thoughts on this blog are that it had a lot of good information and I agree with this argument. I do believe it utilizes a mindful marketing approach. I believe that oven spray should be taken seriously.

Reply
Noa Wilding
10/28/2020 05:43:38 pm

I remeber seeing this on my Tiktok "For You" page and craving Ocean Spray for the first time since I was a kid. With Gen Z continously watching less televion or media that allots for a substancial amount of advertising, it is becoming more important for brands to take the "passenger seat" as the article says. It helps advertisers to continue to adapt their product to the market once they fade from the spotlight. They can see what does and doesn't work about their brand.

Reply
Timbrel McIntosh
10/28/2020 07:28:06 pm

I loved this article! It is very informative regarding how there are times when a company experiences an unexpected growth in sales. In my opinion Ocean Spray benefited immensely from Apodaca's Tiktok video going viral, even with the risks that could arise for Ocean Spray. This article shows how much social media truly influences consumers, and therefore has the potential to affect a companies revenues greatly. When I initially saw the Tiktok video, I had no idea the backstory and hadn't even thought of how much Apodaca affected Ocean Spray's target market.

Reply
Jocelyn Chu
10/28/2020 07:42:10 pm

This article is so interesting to me because I remembering seeing this video on my feed on Tiktok. There was nothing about this man that made me think Ocean Spray was going to sponsor or affiliate with him. Further, I wondered what took Ocean Spray so long to reach out and connect with this creator. I had never thought about the back story to Apodaca's video or the possible dangers of those who saw the video and wanted to recreate it. I have always been a fan of Ocean Spray cranberry juice, so the video confirmed my loyalty because I loved how they responded appropriately and with a helpful focus.

Reply
Jammyla
10/28/2020 07:42:46 pm

I think that this article gives so much insight into what it is to work in marketing today. You never know when a video of your brand could go viral, and you need to know how to respond if that happens. It's incredible to think about the effect that one 25 second video can have on the market. In this case this one video helped Ocean Spray have an increase in sales and I've seen other small businesses that have made thousands of sales from TikTok. However, I know that this could completely backfire if done incorrectly so it's a thing of balance.

Reply
Jordan Williams
10/28/2020 08:24:53 pm

This was a very interesting article. It is very clear to me that Professor Hagenbuch thinks critically and more deeply than most people. There goes a saying that any publicity is good publicity. Hagenbuch clearly shows this to be false; that market researchers should be aware of what's going on with their products, who's endorsing them, and how they should move forward with this knowledge. Although I do think that it's a good thing that they have gotten publicity from TikTok, Ocean Spray needs to be careful with who they allow to endorse them.

Reply
Brandon McClean
10/28/2020 09:00:12 pm

I think this was a well-articulated article. I am in agreement that Ocean Spray did the right thing in rewarding Apodaca. Although there were some risks, the recognition that Apodaca has created for the brand is enormous and deserves to be rewarded, although he didn't intentionally mean to gain so much recognition. Social media is such a large driving force in our world today and this is a great example of that.

Reply
Jessica Roat
10/29/2020 12:57:07 am

I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this blog for several reasons. It’s heart-warming to hear about Apodaca’s backstory as a hard-working father, choosing to enjoy the simple moments in life. While this cannot be said about everyone, there are still many people who want to see products be advertised by real people. Although the collaboration was not planned, it resulted in substantial but across several social media networks such as Tiktok and Twitter. It is truly amazing to see how quickly a video can spread by way of social media. It was enlightening to become aware of the possible downsides of a brand such as Ocean Spray connecting itself with a random customer, as I didn’t realize the physical danger aspect, the confusion of brand direction, and the other implications that could have potentially arisen as a result.

Reply
David Alexander Flores
10/29/2020 02:32:28 am

First by reading this blog I have now gained a new perspective on something that happens on a daily with social media and social marketing. Something so unintentional like Apodaca's post is something that happens regularly in social media. All it takes is one video or post to spark a new trend or get people to try things like Ocean Spray. I will say though that videos on Tik Tok have no age limit so sometimes posting things can influence bad behavior for more of a younger crowd trying to fit in.

Reply
Anna
10/29/2020 10:55:54 pm

I tend to think that OceanSpray isn't liable for what their customers do with their product and I also don't really think that their product had that big of a role to play in the TikTok. I don't really think it was their responsibility to feel like they have to go out and work on their PR. However, it is impressive that they decided that they should do something about it, and even more impressive that they provided Nathan with a truck. I think it was a very mindful thing to do and it made a lot of sense from a marketing standpoint.

Reply
Hunter
11/22/2020 11:46:28 pm

I totally agree with what you are saying. I think that it was great that OceanSpray provided Nathan with a truck. It shows that they are willing to help people in need of help. I think that this really boosted their brand name and company overall. I also agree that they are not liable for what customers do with their product. I think that everything that customers have done with their product they have benefited from, especially what they have gained from tiktok.

Reply
Antonio Rosales Varona
10/29/2020 11:36:18 pm

This blog was very interesting to me, because I saw the trend on TikTok as many people started doing it. But I had no idea about who started it. I think that it is very cool to see someone like Apodaca, who is a hard-working man just posting fun videos about what he does going to work. From the company’s perspective, they did right by letting the trend go and use the free marketing. A random 25 seconds video gave them publicity to 46 million people, without counting the remake videos that people did. It is crazy to think how much power social media has over companies, as with one video by a potato worker, the revenue of Ocean Spray went up. And not only the revenue was benefited by the probability of having new consumers is very high, as many people tried the drink for the first time just to join the trend. From the company’s perspective, they did right by letting the trend go and use the free marketing. A random 25 seconds video gave them publicity to 46 million people, without counting the remake videos that people did. The rewards from stepping aside were bigger than the risks from my point of view. But It seems like Ocean Spray marketing team had it under control.

Reply
Brandon Bagley
10/30/2020 02:29:40 am

I think this is a very interesting topic! Considering that I've seen the TikTok personally, it makes this even more interesting. Social media marketing and social media influencers have become a crucial part of marketing. For example, Charlie D'amelio is featured in many ads and music videos now. I also think Kourtney Kardashian has used Addison Rae to boost her popularity since she recently was seen as the "bad guy" on their reality TV show that is discontinued. I think Ocean Spray did what any normal person would do with such an opportunity. They did not abuse it and encourage dangerous activity, rather than endorsing the person who helped them and what they found cool. It is not their responsibility as a company to make sure that a trend they did not create ensures the safety of others. Each person is responsible for their own safety.

Reply
Austin Condon
10/30/2020 06:35:49 pm

I don't think it was a bad decision for Ocean Spray to go along with the popularity they gained from this guy, even if there were some safety risks involved in what he was doing. This is simply a company that didn't have a large social media presence, but saw an opportunity for making that change. By getting involved with this social media trend they gained much more revenue and exposure to the younger generations. This situation perfectly shows the power social media has to influence the success of big businesses. Also, thanks for talking about this because previously I didn't know the cause of the surge of this social media trend.

Reply
Zac Barbato link
11/21/2020 02:38:44 pm

I think that it was a good idea for Ocean Spray to encourage and reward the guy who helped them. As it listed and mentioned in the article it may have been a risk to encourage this type of "Dangerous" activity but I think it was a risk worth taking. It greatly targets the younger people and demonstrates the impact that social media can have to a company. One minor thing went so far for this company. I also thought that it was very cool that Ocean Spray rewarded him, as they had no requirement to do so but they just wanted to. I thought it was cool.

Reply
Noah Grannas
11/23/2020 06:20:41 pm

I think Ocean Spray endorsing Apodaca and rewarding him for the attention he generated the company was a good idea. He gave the company some good publicity by having his video go viral. He generated some unexpected buzz by doing so. Also with people trying to replicate Apodaca TikTok, they have to buy the product. So by rewarding Apodaca shows appreciation by Ocean Spray for Apodaca bringing in unexpected revenue for the company. Also by others doing spinofffs on TikTok younger people will see the product so it will bring the target market age down.

Reply
Zack Venus
11/23/2020 08:22:55 pm

I really enjoy reading these blogs. I think it is quite interesting how anyone on a social media platform can raise a brand by a video or a picture. In this case, the Idaho potato worker skateboarded to work and filmed a TikTok that went viral. I think it is in companies’ best interest to use this as part of their marketing. I think this because they have average individuals that live a normal life and are using their product. This then generates others to do the same as they see the normal person in the ad or video. Now that Ocean Spray has become viral on TikTok, their target market has had the opportunity to expand and they have been able to create more revenue. Further on reading, I think the rewards were worth the three risks outlined listed.

Reply
Job Pelete
11/24/2020 10:22:23 am

I think this was a great idea for Ocean Spray. Apodaca was growing very fast on TikTok and he helped Ocean Spray get attention. After going viral on TikTok, other famous creators started doing their own version with an Ocean Spray drink. I understand the "danger" with what he did, but I believe that he knew what he was doing. He wouldn't have a skateboard/longboard if he did not know how to ride one. After going viral on TikTok, other famous creators started doing their own version with an Ocean Spray drink.

Reply
Luke Meads
11/24/2020 11:48:44 am

I agree with Dr. Hagenbuch that the move by Ocean Spray was the right move and was very mindful marketing. Tik Tok, being the ever growing social media monster that has became, was an excellent way for Ocean Spray to get exposure and they handled it in a very mindful way of taking a step back and weighing their options before jumping the gun to promote a random person on social media. The one issue that I do have with Ocean Spray promoting the Tik Tok, which was mentioned in the article, is that promoting this type of unsafe behavior is dangerous and I imagine it has lead to many unserious falls and scrapes. The company did I good job of promoting more safe ways to perform the viral video with their CEO and many other videos were more safe.

Reply
Jenna Humcke
2/16/2021 03:41:21 pm

The idea of using a unpaid citizen to promote their brand is a dream situation for any company. The people watching know that the "sponsor" is unbiased so they're more likely to buy the product and the company doesn't have to pay the person. In Apodaca's case they chose to gift him products to thank him and establish that they saw the video. This was a golden opportunity for Ocean Spray since like Dr. Hagenbuch states the brand is only popular with the older generations. In order to keep their brand stable for the next 50 years they need to make sure they bring their break their products into a new market such as the one Tiktok provides.

Reply
Abby
2/16/2021 11:55:52 pm

This year for the super bowl the most memorable commercial was the amazon commercial advertising their new Alexa, and this most certainly will never be a commercial that I will forget. Overall the advertisement was efficient in making people aware of the new Alexa, as well as including some of the nice features that it can do. It didn't include a crazy amount of details and therefore allowed for people's interests to be encouraged to seek out more information on the new Alexa, in hopes of people then committing to a purchase. For these reasons the commercial upheld the stakeholder value. However this commercial contained high sexual tension throughout the entire clip. Which cause ethical dilemmas no matter who you are, of what gender, age, race, etc. For this reason it does not uphold societal values because it most likely caused a conflict of interests for some. With that being said, the amazon commercial would fall under single-minded.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Subscribe to receive this blog by email

    Editor

    David Hagenbuch,
    founder of
    Mindful Marketing    & author of Honorable Influence

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014

    Categories

    All
    + Decency
    + Fairness
    Honesty7883a9b09e
    * Mindful
    Mindless33703c5669
    > Place
    Price5d70aa2269
    > Product
    Promotion37eb4ea826
    Respect170bbeec51
    Simple Minded
    Single Minded2c3169a786
    + Stewardship

    RSS Feed

    Share this blog:

    Subscribe to
    Mindful Matters
    blog by email


    Illuminating
    ​Marketing Ethics ​

    Encouraging
    ​Ethical Marketing  ​


    Copyright 2020
    David Hagenbuch

Proudly powered by Weebly