Drugi jezik na kojem je dostupan ovaj članak: Bosnian
By: Anita Sedlić, content manager, Dialog komunikacije
In times when everybody is talking about influencer marketing, I am sure a story about an influencer without a profile on social networks would make your ears prick up. Moreover, the four legged youngster became a sensation overnight and made one of the biggest reputation U-turns this year.
Do you remember the gorilla named Harambe and the incident in spring 2016? After a boy fell into his enclosure in Cincinnati Zoo, Harambe was killed to protect the boy. If you don’t know the story, follow the link here. After the incident, the zoo received a lot of negative press. The torrent of negative reactions caused them to shut down their Twitter account for a short while. A desperate move with no positive outcome you might think. But some stories have a happy ending.
In the same zoo, in January this year little Fiona was born weighing in at just over 13 kilos. As the little hippo was born prematurely, her survival was not guaranteed. The zoo gave regular updates on her condition, celebrating each milestone. Slowly but surely her fan base grew. Can you guess how this ends? Harambe was remembered less and less as Fiona’s fan base grew. Although Fiona’s story wasn’t planned, Cincinnati Zoo grabbed the chance and won their reputation back.
What can be learned from this story? Let’s break it down.
Be on the ball! A good story does not need big drama. They drip fed news every day – from her weight to what she had for lunch. All content is good content, when used correctly.
Be positive! You know how it is, a positive attracts a positive. In Fiona’s case it meant attracting numerous donors who wished to be part of this lovely story.
Be transparent! One of the most important rules in communication is to be honest. They learnt that in Cincinnati Zoo, their posts include the animals’ health issues and their needs.
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket! Although Cincinnati Zoo could make Fiona their star attraction, they played a smarter game. They used her fame to showcase other animals.
It is clear a U-turn such as this doesn’t happen every day, but it is an excellent example of how to exploit an opportunity.
