Real Time Marketing (RTM)
Real Time Marketing, i.e. real-time marketing reacting to current social, cultural and political events that at a given moment are breaking popularity records, primarily on the Internet.
It is a spontaneous form of brand communication with the customer, which is why the most common channel for RTM activities is Social Media, where attractive content spreads virally.
A bit of creativity, a reference to current events, and we have a recipe for viral promotional material. Below we present a few interesting RTM ideas.
Examples of RTM from the Olympics and films
During the opening ceremony of the Olympics in Sochi, the fifth Olympic ring was displayed incorrectly. This is how fans of the brand Audi used that event.
The brand KFC also had its own Real Time Marketing in relation to Star Wars.
Let us take as an example RTM for the birth of a new member of the royal family. Many marketers had a quite natural association: the number 3. All that was needed was a bit of creativity, a reference to the Royal Family, fitting the product into that environment, and we have a ready-made advertisement.
The reaction of the brand Tide to the discussion loudly debated at the time among Internet users (whether the dress is white with gold stripes or blue with black stripes).
(For reminder, a photo of the famous dress)
and the reaction of Tide:
The post by the brand Oreo on Twitter during the 2013 Super Bowl. During the game, the lights went out at the stadium, and the cookie manufacturer reacted to it. Its post was shared by more than 15,000 people. It was a simple marketing action - someone was watching the game and quickly reacted to the unexpected event. As a result, the company received excellent advertising at low cost.
IKEA is a veritable master of real-time marketing. Swedish product names are often associated with a topic that is being talked about. After a moment, a photo of the product with an appropriate caption appears on social media.
IKEA consoles Brazil after its elimination from the FIFA World Cup
A reference to Game of Thrones
Concepts from the article
Social Media — Social media. Platforms enabling users to create, publish, comment on and share content as well as build communities. For a brand, they are an organic, advertising, service and analytical channel.
Why it matters: It combines reach, dialogue and sales in one place: the brand speaks, listens and responds where audiences spend their time. It is also a service channel and the first front line in a crisis.
When to use it: Continuously: organic content, paid campaigns, handling inquiries, opinion monitoring and cooperation with creators.
What the risk of omission is: Absence in social media hands the narrative to others: the brand is talked about anyway - just without its voice.
Summary
Real Time Marketing is spontaneous communication by brands reacting to current events – from the Sochi Olympics, through the birth of a royal baby, to the Super Bowl. The examples of Audi, KFC, Oreo, Tide and IKEA show that the key is speed and creativity, and viral reach can be achieved at minimal cost.
The most spectacular effect was achieved by Oreo, whose Twitter post during the blackout at the Super Bowl was shared more than 15,000 times. IKEA, in turn, regularly uses Swedish product names to comment on current topics – from the World Cup to Game of Thrones.
