Magiclogix

There are two constants in my life: I am easily sold by a good marketing/advertising campaign, and I will drop everything I’m doing if some sort of oceanic documentary is on TV. So as you can imagine, it’s very easy for me to get caught up in the yearly Shark Week hysteria. The Discovery channel manages to convince me every year that my life will have no meaning if I miss shark week, while my inner aquatic documentary loving nerd feels the excitement of underwater adventure. Much like the relationship between sharks and pilot fish, my relationship with Shark Week has been perfectly set for years to come.

As someone who is a fan of marketing, advertising and social media, you can imagine what a phenomenon Shark Week is to me. Unbelievably enough, this year marked the 25^th year of a consistent summertime week of shark greatness. Long before social media was even a thought, Shark Week had a loyal cult following. Given the fact that not much changes about sharks, this is pretty amazing. Think about it: the basics of shark week are the same. The sharks are predators, they strike fear in the hearts of man, the Great White is a beast that should not be reckoned with, etc. The physiology and hunting patterns of sharks remain unchanged yearly. Yet, shark week continues to be a huge deal.

There is an obvious lesson here to be learned for inbound marketers. Knowing your audience and providing compelling content in an appropriate context can yield positive results. In the days before a social climate like today, much of this cult phenomenon relied on word of mouth promotion. This buzz was easily generated by The Discovery Channel’s ability to understand their audience. The lesson here can easily be adopted by marketers everywhere: supply your target audience with quality relevant content, and they will become a fan of your brand.

In today’s landscape, it’s easy to take an idea like Shark Week and run with it. Customized hashtags, marketing and advertising campaigns, and trending topics certainly help fuel the fire. In addition, since so much of social media success relies on visual elements, then vibrant video and imagery will also help the campaign. Essentially, the idea of Shark Week couldn’t be more perfect. Provide your audience with something they want, get them talking about it, and use it as a marketing and promotional tool.

So even if you’re like me and are pretty easily sold by marketing and advertising, try to look at it in a different light. With every idea for every campaign you adopt, try and think of how awesome shark week is. If you’re able to understand your customer and have them even half as interested as a campaign that’s spawned a quarter of a century’s worth of interest, you’re off to a phenomenal start. Sure, it may not be as cool as a shark at first…but who’s to say what the future holds? If your audience understands it, you’ve already won half of the battle.

Tags: Advertising, advertising campaign, compelling content, digital marketing, Discovery Channel, Great White, inbound marketers, marketing, marketing campaign, Marketing Solutions, Media, Shark Week, social media, Social Media Marketing