It happens nearly every time I present at a conference, training, or inspiration session: someone who has been paying close attention, waiting patiently for the Q&A, will raise their hand and point out that the case studies and creative examples of excellent and effective activations in social are all well and good for the Red Bulls and Nikes of the world, “but what about a low interest category?” Or ,“what about B2B?” Or, “what if my brand is just too boring?”
I maintain that no category is too boring for social. If you have a strong brand, a good understanding of your customers, and a little bit of tolerance for risk, your “boring” brand can use social media just as effectively – and sometimes, famously – as the fan favorites that come to mind as naturally social media-friendly brands.
Luckily, the most important principles of making a “boring” brand interesting in social happen to be some of the same fundamentals that make any brand interesting in any medium:
1. Know your brand
Appliances aren’t something most people go nuts about on social media. But in the case of Maytag, there happens to be a character – the Maytag Man – who brings to life the spirit of hardworking dependability that Maytag stands for. Maytag also has a well-known annual promotional period in May (“May Is Maytag Month”).