With almost 100,000 more followers than the official Twitter account for this year’s Olympics, the @SochiProblems account presents an interesting take on the winter games in Russia. The account is run by a sports journalism student from Canada who simply highlights some of the major issues with conditions in Sochi, but attempts to put a positive spin on everything.
New plumbing work or extra shower hose? @espnWD. #SochiProblems #Sochi2014 pic.twitter.com/U0YH6h3hYF
— Sochi Problems (@SochiProblems) February 6, 2014
Many brands have steered clear of interacting with Sochi or any form of Sochi Problems, very possibly due to civil rights issues and negative PR coming Sochi’s way. However, certain brands can still pull off some clever newsjacking in this situation.
Clorox is that brand this time around, with their clever response to a trending Sochi Problem:
@SochiProblems We’ve got just the thing. #SochiProblems pic.twitter.com/6eX1WNCqdw
— Clorox (@Clorox) February 7, 2014
With over 1,100 RTs and over 900 favorites, it’s safe to say Clorox’s potty humor was received pretty well. If you compare it to the backlash some Olympic sponsors are seeing on Twitter, it was received extremely well.
So why is Clorox’s tweet a good example of newsjacking? It follows three simple rules:
Be relevant
Clorox saw a major problem being discussed, and presented a relevant solution. Given that even the @SochiProblems handle advocates for presenting solutions and turning negatives into positives, Clorox stayed right on topic.
Be clear
With a simple graphic and clear message, it’s easy for anyone following the topic to understand what Clorox is talking about. With limited characters and limited attention spans from users, it’s important to keep tweets simple.
Be yourself
In the simplest sense, the brand was very authentic with their tweet. The brand is fun and family-friendly, and it did not go out of its way to make an impression.
Want more newsjacking advice? Check out The Right and Wrong Way to Use Newsjacking.
