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Ok … so there is a large real estate company here that is diving into the world of social media. They’ve got a Facebook page, a Twitter account, and even a blog.
They decided to use a spokesperson, “Hailey Brownstone,” as the face of the campaign. (She’s even on YouTube.)
What’s interesting is that “Hailey Brownstone” is a fictional character. The pictures and videos you see are actually of an account representative playing the role of “Hailey.”
A few of us are having a discussion on whether or not this is a good strategy. Personally, I think they are going about this the wrong way. They’re applying the old school marketing mentality to social media. That doesn’t work because social media is about connecting with people and creating conversations…
I wrote those thoughts on another blog and shortly after, I got an email from Jarad (the man running the campaign.) Jarad is a really cool guy and was truly interested in learning more about social media strategy. Since I’m only one opinion… I’m leaving it up to you. What do you think of the campaign so far?
Do they have a good approach?
Is it good to have a fictional spokesperson for the campaign?
Would you know that Hailey isn’t a real person?
What would you change in their strategy?
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December 18, 2008 1:36 pm
Andy,
I commented to you and left my thoughts over on another site regarding this, but I thought I would bring those over here and expand a little:
A number of years ago, there was a girl who began posting videos on a youtube account, garnering a huge following. It was later revealed that she was actually an actress, and her video was part of a series called lonelygirl15. I believe this was claimed as the first online "tv" show.
I bring this up because it seems like this is what the advertising agency is going for. Truly, the series was marketing genius, as it created a huge buzz and still has an enormous following from loyal fans. Still, though, there were articles about fans feeling betrayed.
I heard about the series after it had been outted, but it seemed like a brilliant marketing move and certainly set the trend.
I think, as with everything, it depends on the person. It seems that if they use this correctly, it could be a success, but should be cautioned to tread carefully in their intentions.
What I want to expand on is this: why I think lonelygirl15 worked so well is because they really implemented the purpose of social media, which is community. The writers of the show served as the voices of the characters, replying to comments, bringing the fans into the show through having them solve puzzles, and even scheduling meetups with the characters/actors. It got people involved and thus a community was born. For all intents and purposes, this was a huge success.
What I think this ad agency needs to consider is using social media for its intentions -- not just to showcase a product but to actually engage the audience/potential buyer in conversation, make it, somehow, a two-way relationship.
If they want to follow a trend, look to the examples that were set before them and what exactly made it a success.
I look forward to the conversation this one; thanks for bringing it up!
December 18, 2008 2:19 pm
I'll tell you where they lost me: with the line "I can't believe I used to rent. How stupid is that?"
Why are they calling a huge portion of their clientele "stupid"?
As for the overall strategy, I don't know how much it matters. Based on this video, I don't find "Hailey" interesting enough to follow, much less care if she's real or fictional. So I'd say that whether or not the concept works, the execution does not.
December 18, 2008 2:22 pm
I just took a quick look at other elements of the campaign, and it confirms my first instinct: the execution is poor. It just seems fake. No one goes on and on like that about their housing development.
December 18, 2008 3:28 pm
Do they have a good approach?
It's a good idea, but I'd go about it differently. Read on.
Is it good to have a fictional spokesperson for the campaign?
No. People are already having a hard enough time trusting real estate agents ever since the whole mortgage crisis went down. Which leads me to my next point. It's hard for me to believe that someone her age could afford the mortgage on a home that big all by herself. Unless they're catering to the young, fabulous, and rich they need to target couples and families.
Would you know that Hailey isn’t a real person? No, but she doesn't come across as genuine.
What would you change in their strategy? Film real people, not actors. They should post videos of actual clients giving a tour of their own home.
December 18, 2008 3:34 pm
If they don't film real people, they at least should try filming real stories. One of the things that got a lot of notice about When Harry Met Sally was not just the deli scene, or the men-and-women-and-friendship theme, but the older couples talking about their relationships.
As you learn in the DVD director's commentary, the couples aren't real. They're actors. The stories, however, are real. They tried filming the actual couples who had these great stories of finding each other at different life stages, and it didn't work. So Rob Reiner kept the stories and found a different way to tell them.
December 18, 2008 4:20 pm
@Susan - I had never heard of lonelygirl15 before... Thanks for the insight. They could learn a lot from those mistakes.
@KateNonymous - The "stupid" line really bugged me too. I like the idea you gave at the end... Maybe that is something for them to consider.
@Jada - I forgot to mention... I live in Des Moines, IA. We might have the lowest cost of living in the U.S... lol. $50K here is like $100 in NY. I think they've got the target market right but, as you said, it's not genuine. And where I think they're messing up.
Thanks for the comments everyone. There's some more discussion going on at a few other sites, if you're interested.
Drew's Marketing Minute (23 comments) http://www.drewsmarketingminute.com/2008/12/social-media-fa.html#comments
Iowa Biz (12 comments) http://www.iowabiz.com/2008/12/social-networking-embraced-as-marketing-t...
My site (9 comments) http://www.andydrish.com/2008/12/18/spokesperson-social-media/#comments
December 18, 2008 7:19 pm
Okay here's the deal, there's an integrity issue. There will be a heatwave when they make it big time and people find out they were deceived. Like the aforementioned lonelygirl15, who was an actress, they will get flack for being deceptive and making hailey appear like a real person.
The reason blogs are so successful is because we connect-there's solidarity, we connect, and people like honesty. This is why paid posting took such flack when they stopped disclosing that certain posts were paid. Don't get me wrong, the paid post firestorm is over, but at least for a little while they'll get hit.
For the record, I do paid posts on my blogs. Advertisers wouldn't keep asking me to if it didn't work, but I'm pretty transparent about my blog having paid posts once in awhile. I think they'll have a huge issue with disclosure.
December 19, 2008 9:25 am
i agree i found the videos annoying and poorly acted. This is just an obvious attempt to "GEN-Y" there marketing.
If they want a sincere testimonials use real people.
Find some clients that like or dislike there place and offer them an opportunity to be evangelists for the company.
This false message does not work.
December 19, 2008 4:07 pm
I have posted a response to the issues raised here and on other blogs about Hailey Brownstone here: http://is.gd/czDT. Thank you,
Jarad Bernstein
Hubbell Realty Company
December 24, 2008 2:25 am
Another one of those campagins with a fictional character to lead the way. It might appeal to some who value entertainment and not care for the properties being sold by the real estate company.
I find this similar to Microsoft's I'm talkathon campaign, but Microsoft did it slighly better because the fictional character was promoting CSR initiatives.
With trust an ever increasing issue in the real estate industry, this would just blow back on them.
December 24, 2008 2:25 am
Another one of those campaigns with a fictional character to lead the way. It might appeal to some who value entertainment and not care for the properties being sold by the real estate company.
I find this similar to Microsoft's I'm talkathon campaign, but Microsoft did it slighly better because the fictional character was promoting CSR initiatives.
With trust an ever increasing issue in the real estate industry, this would just blow back on them.
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