If you’ve paid attention to marketing trends, it seems that businesses are always trying to take advantage of the times.
With trends starting and passing at lightning speeds, to be an effective marketer, you ought to have a keen eye for what’s going on in the world, and hence, the consumer’s mind. Whether it’s keeping up with the Kardashians, or bashing Burger King’s latest pride burger, staying relevant means staying in business.
So to hone our senses for keeping up with the times, why don’t we look at something that’s been affecting us globally — rising gas prices.
Take advantage of the times: some context
Ever since Russia invaded Ukraine on the 24th of February, 2022, the US has experienced record gas prices. And it’s not just the U.S. that’s been feeling the burn of the war. The cost of food, energy and materials have been “surging at rates not seen for decades,” in Europe.
Turning our attention back to fuel prices, the disruption of oil exports from Russia has put a chokehold on the supply of gas around the world. That’s caused gas prices to rise to over $5 a gallon in over 10 U.S. states, breaking the historical record of $4.11 a gallon which was set in 2008.
To make matters worse, on June 8, 2022, a fire broke out at a large US export terminal, pushing Europe’s natural gas prices even higher. UK prices soared as much as 39%.
It’s really not looking great for gas prices, and even prices in general around the world. So what do marketers do in this situation? Aside from biting the bullet and spending more on gas than they ever have in their life, they turn this global concern into an opportunity to connect with their audiences – and yes: take advantage of the times, while being sensitive at the same time, no?
Businesses offer relief
When gas and food prices are high, and spirits are low, a little financial help goes a long way. Businesses like Krispy Kreme, Bojangles, and even two Cannabis companies knew that very well, and offered relief in these trying times by taking advantage of the times in a good way. While it’s funny to think a donut shop, a fried chicken fast food joint, and weed companies could alleviate gas prices, it’s actually endearing to see them try.
Krispy Kreme
For Krispy Kreme’s attempt at resonating with its customers, it launched a campaign to lower the cost of their donuts to the price of a gallon of gas.
When you take a $10 box of delicious donuts and sell them for about $4.11 — that’s a great deal. And more than a deal, if you went and bought these cheap donuts in the spirit of dealing with surging gas prices, it kind of feels like Krispy Kreme has your back. Or your stomach.
Bojangles
Bojangles took a more direct approach at helping customers pay for gas, by offering $10 gas gift cards for every purchase of a 12 or 20 piece fried chicken family meal. That’s another great deal! 10 dollars go straight to paying for your gas, and the food fills your stomach.
Here’s what Bojangles’ Chief Brand and Marketing Officer had to say about it. “Southerners are known for being friendly neighbors, so as a Southern brand, it’s in our DNA to want to help our customers who are feeling the pain of soaring gas prices.” What a smart play by Bojangles, tuning into the hearts of their customers and offering a hand.
Jars Cannabis & Hyman
Two Cannabis companies, JARS Cannabis and HYMAN, partnered together to hand out $70,000 in gas cards to their customers in Michigan. For every purchase of a limited edition jar of a HYMAN product, customers received a $25 Speedway gas card.
Take advantage of the times, but put your heart in it!
A successful campaign that tackles the struggles of everyday living, has to have the heart behind it. People will know when it’s BS and only done for PR.
Earlier we mentioned Burger King’s failed attempt at celebrating Pride Month — happy Pride Month by the way! — by introducing their pride burger. It comes in two versions, one with both buns being the top piece (round and topped with sesame seeds), or with both buns being 2 bottom pieces.
Misplaced Pride?
People didn’t like the they took advantage of the times at all. They thought that the buns had little to do with the LGBTQ+ community, and that the rainbow-coated ad had pride-washing written all over it. People complained that if Burger King really wanted to support the community, they would donate to organizations instead of promoting this silly burger.
It goes to show that if you as a business are trying to directly alleviate a customer’s pain point, whether related to your product or not, it has to be earnest and heartfelt. Find out what the community is really saying, and don’t assume your campaign will make them swoon…
In conclusion
If you’re ever looking for an easy way to take advantage of the times and getting into your customer’s hearts, consider using a professional voice over to get your message across. Find the perfect voice for your project from Voice123! The human voice can work magic when connecting your message with your audience!
