A Brand That Did It Right!

I wasn't at the #bmpr (Broadcasting, Media, Public Relations Tweetup, pronounced "bumper") event like I had planned. But sometimes a brand can do something that can cause instantaneous ripples in the online conversations. Holiday Inn San Antonio did just that today, and as I write this, attendees are still bowled over not just by the generosity of the brand, but by the sheer surprise of it all. The offer? Everyone who attended the event, close to 150 people, were just offered one FREE night stay at a Holiday Inn. Let that sink in. In one fell swoop, close to 150 people were just offered one FREE night, and what does it cost the brand, probably not as much as it'll gain when this audience goes out and Tweets, posts, or writes about it. Each of these 150 people may have hundreds if not thousands of people following them, exponentially the numbers are mind blowing, but talk about an army of work of mouth marketers.

This was not a struggling brand in need of attention, this was not a gimmick, it was a genuine offer made from one brand to a captive audience hosting an event at their venue. Not only was this a surprising, but this gesture will etch itself into the minds of not just those that received it, but also those that read it. Good surprises work that way, think about all the great surprises you've gotten in the past, you probably can still recall them and remember them fondly. Yep, Holiday Inn San Antonio just did that.

So this brings to mind a few key points when brands look to connect with an audience.

• Don't wait till your in trouble to try and gain support, do it naturally and over time. People can sense desperation, and what happens when things are good? Does the brand just disappear?
• The element of surprise, when worked favorably for the brand, can be a memory etched into your audiences mind where they will remember your brand fondly.
• Before it was a known fact that if something bad happened, that person would tell at a minimum, five of their friends. Alternatively, if something good happened the same enthusiasm was not reciprocated. In today's online world, the field is leveled, the good goes out just as far and wide as the bad, so why not use that to your advantage. As stated above, these attendees will tweet out to their followers what happened today, and the good news will be retweeted, liked, and shared until who knows.

Again, I was not present at the event, just a bystander, a follower of those that did attend, and I'm convinced that Holiday Inn does indeed care about their audience, and while I'm sure they are not 100% bad press free, it's things like this that just put a smile on your face and an itch to stay at a Holiday Inn.

So attendees of #bmpr, I want to hear your thoughts. Share your feelings with our readers, it had to have been a surprise and did you go out and tell the masses in your network?