Proving that some companies can be nimble
on their feet and take advantage of unexpected opportunities, Cinnabon has
parlayed an offhand remark in Breaking
Bad into an ongoing partnership.
When sleazy Saul commented that he'd be
lucky to be managing a Cinnabon, the brand tweeted the actor who plays Saul and
suggested that he visit their careers page.
And then, when he did get the job, they decided to partner with the
spinoff show - Better Call Saul. On the night the series kicked off in 2015,
they offered free "mini-bon" packages to visitors.
For this year's second season launch,
on February 15, they will be giving away a free cup of coffee to visitors. And, if you are willing to take a selfie with
some of the life size Saul's at select locations and post them on Twitter, you
might win a trip for two to Albuquerque, NM, the show's hometown. (Lukovitz, 2016)
So what do you think? Did you get your free mini-bon? Will you pick up free coffee? And what about the selfie? Are you up for it? Will anyone else be?
Lukovitz, K. (2016, February 10) Cinnabon Offers Free Coffee, Sweeps For 'Better
Call Saul' Kickoff. mediapost.com. Retrieved
February 12, 2016, from
5 comments:
It is interesting to see how Cinnabon has managed to transform an unfortunate joke in a successful advertising campaign. Instead of a mere reply, Cinnabon became integral part of "Better Call Saul" setting.
The continuos interaction between viewers and TV-shows is another notable aspect that emerges from this ad. Due to
social networks, especially Twitter and Instagram, the chance to comment is available for everyone and, most of all, immediate.
Through photos and social contests, viewer is easily spurred to interact with shows and second hand with brands linked with.
PS: My answer is Yes. If I could I would pick up the free coffee!!
I love how Cinnabon reacted to this joke and turned it into positive publicity for their brand. It shows that the brand has a playful side and can make fun of itself.
It is important for brands to always be aware of what is being said about them in the media and to respond quickly. This is especially important with social media today, as conversations are happening online - all day - in real time.
I think Cinnabon responded very well and used 'Better Call Saul' to their advantage. These two brands can now run campaigns together to benefit both parties.
Unfortunately, I missed the free coffee day. If I would have known about it, I probably would have gone if there was a Cinnabon nearby. This makes me wonder where they were advertising this campaign, as I did not hear about it until just now.
I think this is a great example of how seemingly negative comment or PR can be reused as something positive. Companies should learn from this example, because just like in life, you can get more if you take a positive attitude. It is easy to imagine how would things go if Cinnabon reacted negatively or did not react at all. In this way they profited because everyone noticed them and they want to be a part of this story.
I must admit I am not familiar with this series, but If I was; I would definitely get a cup of free coffee and take a selfie.
In my opinion this is smart move from Cinnabon! This will definitely draw attention to them and create awareness for the brand. I haven’t seen the show, so I don’t know exactly that in which light Cinnabon was presented there, so it might be that this publicity is only good for awareness not for the employer brand. Anyways, I think it’s better to react then, keep silent. Surely this is good publicity also for the show! So I would say this is a win-win situation.
I would definitely go get a free cup of coffee, but would pass the selfie. As many others I’m quite picky on what I want to post on my personal social media channels. This makes me wonder, how selfie-campaign worked out.
I think most people jump on free opportunities but it doesn't always convert to actual customers. It does however increase awareness in the brand. Freebies can be successful or a expensive promotion. It all depends on the target market. Do the same people who watch Breaking Bad also eat Cinnabon? The same goes for the twitter selfie. If the answer is yes then yea I think people would be up for it.
I, like many others, would try the product because it's free
Post a Comment