Sivaraman Swaminathan’s Post

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Founder and Partner - ContraMinds Labs. Co-Host - The ContraMinds Podcast, Board Member, Angel Investor, Mentor, Co-Promoter/Co-Founder and Ex-CEO - Hansa Cequity, Fellow, Institute of Data and Marketing(IDM) London.

DID BRANDS AND MARKETERS LOSE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD BRAND SALIENCE AND CONSUMER ENGAGEMENT ON APRIL FOOLS' DAY? In 1996, on April Fools' Day, Taco Bell played this prank. They released a full-page ad in leading dailies claiming they had purchased the Liberty Bell, one of the historic and iconic treasures of the US, to reduce the Nation's Debt! Taco Bell also issued a press release that compared this purchase to corporations adopting highways. It also encouraged other companies to do their bit to reduce the country's debt! This ad created an enormous outpouring of response in America, raising concern and shock! People called Taco Bell headquarters, National Park Service, Philadelphia, to ask if the Liberty Bell had been sold! By Noon, Taco Bell issued another press release stating that it was a hoax and the "Best Joke of the Day," and they committed $50,000 to the upkeep of the Liberty Bell. Thought it was a brilliant way to reinforce Taco Bell's brand image and create authentic customer engagement within the community! Any brand campaigns that you came across on April Fools' Day that caught your attention and imagination? The real question is, are brands, CMOs, or companies willing to take a risk and play at the edge? Also, customers get actively involved and engage with brands only when they play at this edge rather than pure, boring marketing messages that keep saying buy me. Agree? #supercmopodcast #marketing, #brands #digital #digitalmarketing #campaigns #CMO #PR #integratedmarketing #ideas #brandengagement Storyboard18

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Sivaraman Swaminathan

Founder and Partner - ContraMinds Labs. Co-Host - The ContraMinds Podcast, Board Member, Angel Investor, Mentor, Co-Promoter/Co-Founder and Ex-CEO - Hansa Cequity, Fellow, Institute of Data and Marketing(IDM) London.

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Ram Prakash

Co-Founder at Actionboard | Chartered Accountant | Reporting & Transaction Automation Expert

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Back in the day when people were not offended easily - marketing teams were more bolder. Today with the mandate of being politically correct has made creators to be more curtailed in imagination and thereby lesser experimentation.

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