“Mindless babble…”
“Fanboy frivolity…”

I usually sit and listen (patiently) while they list out the need for a drawn out conversation with their customers to explain the intricate mechanics of their products and the magnitude of value that their employees’ commitment provides to the bottom line – NOT TO MENTION their commitment to quality and the….

SNORE….

“Cult obsessions…”
“Waste-of-time…”

“INSANE”

Before you use that particular word, consider a recent example:

How hard do you think it would it be to produce and then promote a musical about a woman with bipolar disorder? Imagine the media.  Imagine the freakishly insensitive commercials and awkward attempts to make bipolar disorder “entertaining” (let alone make it a MUSICAL)!

The Broadway hit “Next to Normal,” did just that.
(Please click through to read about the musical.  It’s moving – Wikipedia-Synopsis, Show Site)

The producers and marketers of this compelling (and painful) story about a woman with bipolar disorder and her troubled relationship with her family, used Twitter to build audiences. According to a recent report by The Wall Street Journal, the play’s marketing team tweeted the entire show at 140 characters per installment, over five weeks through May and June.  At the time of this post, their Twitter account (@N2Nbroadway) had more than 730,000 followers and had sold more than 90 percent of their available seats!  Talk about ROI!

As added flair, due to their unique approach to using the tool, Twitter selected “Next to Normal” as a featured tweet. Saying so makes them an automated opt-in for new users of the service.  To be featured by Twitter is one thing, having almost three quarters of a million followers in just a few months (auto opt-in or not) makes quite a statement for this little bit of insanity.

There’s plenty of coverage about the massive success “Next to Normal” has had using Twitter to market (just to a Google search for “Next to Normal” and Twitter)

Think it’s so “insane” now?

How could Twitter fit into your marketing strategy like it did for “Next to Normal?” What could you or your company do to harness the power of Twitter’s network – or any social media marketing network for that matter?

Food for thought…

Keep Cooking (remarkable ways to connect to your audience)!
Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef

Straight jacket image from: http://theshockdocshow.com/