Honey Bunches of Oats and Pandora: A “Soundful of Joy”
April 23, 2008
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Today I was listening to Pandora, once again rocking out to some John Mayer radio, and I noticed one brand trying to get close to “social media”, through somewhat a unique form of traditional advertising mixed with social media. .
The picture of the banner ad to the right screams traditional advertising. I think that I count 16 Honey Bunches of Oats logos in this picture: from the construction hats, to the T-shirts, and even to the box itself.
Now the social part of it (although somewhat hidden in the branding) was a Honey Bunches of Oats radio station, called “A Soundful of Joy”. What I found by adding it to my radio station was that this station would play:
- Sarah McLachlan
- KC and the Sunshine Band
- Train
- The Jimmy Castor Bunch
(and several other bands that were before my time..)
In short, I think this is a unique way to get a big brand into social media. Why? Because it shows that one of the best social media strategies is to provide value back to the customer. Even though I still am on my John Mayer station, the “Soundful of Joy” station is right there when I feel like something completely random.
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2 Responses to “Honey Bunches of Oats and Pandora: A “Soundful of Joy””
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Great post. Pandora is always on at my desk. Right now I’m chilling with the Gym Class Heroes station.
I agree with you. This is a great way to get a big brand into social media. It would be great to see some social marketing cross promotion. Ex. Having a “Save the Music,” “Free Rice” or “Frozen Pea Fund” station promoting artists who support those initiatives.
What a great way for folks to interact with your brand. Even better, if the music on your playlist is chosen by employees of the company.
From the Buzz Bin:
“[On] employees becoming the brand of a company, particularly through blogs…
What is the definition of a brand? An audience member says it is how customers perceive you. Shel sees brand as the aggregate of all the experiences you have had with a company, which turns it into what you see, feel, and think. Brand is owned by each individual.”
http://www.livingstonbuzz.com/blog/2008/04/23/sncr-employees-are-the-brand-with-shel-holtz/
(But, uh, what’s with those hats?)