One Brand's Mistake Turned Into A Big Win For Their Competition
Everyone knows the massive empire the Kardashian/Jenner clan has built. With billions of followers across all social media platforms, there is nothing a member of the family does without the entire world seeing it. Including the positives... and the negatives.
And that also means the world is made aware - in a social media heart beat - when a company gets on the wrong side of of the clan. In this blog, Hollywood Branded takes a look at how one brand swooped in to get an incredible celebrity endorsement from Kendall Jenner and how your brand can take advantage of similar opportunities.
How Lyft Swooped In On Uber
No one's quite sure how Kendall Jenner got "banned" from Uber but Lyft used it as a big-time opportunity for their brand. One fateful evening recently, Kendall Jenner, a faithful Uber user, somehow could not use the app to get a ride. Apparently her account had been "banned."
Kim Kardashian tweeted to her 47.8 million followers "Ugh I have to drive @KendallJenner around tonight bc she's banned from Uber! Why @Uber?!?! She's a "model" passenger!!!!!"
Although Uber quickly responded, it was too late - the damage was done. Not only had Kim K tweeted about it but had also Snapchatted about the inconvenience of driving her little sis around.
Then, Lyft was there to save the day. They picked Kendall up and gave the model and social media celebrity free rides for the next year. Kendall showed her thanks by Snapchatting a video of herself in her Lyft thanking them for her ride. She says in her snap, "Hi guys, I just got in my Lyft and I'm so excited. Thank you, Lyft, for the free rides and for taking care of me!"
While the number of followers Snapchat users have isn't public, Jenner has 65.1 million followers on Instagram and 19.5 million Twitter followers. It's safe to say her celebrity endorsement of Lyft reached a staggering amount of social media users.
Celebrity Endorsements Can Come From Unexpected Places
Using quick thinking and smart marketing practices, brands can take advantage of situations like this one. Lyft swooped in on Uber for a massive brand win.
Another example of an unexpected brand endorsement is Ryan Lochte. After lying about a supposed robbery in Rio and subsequently losing most of his massive endorsement deals, it looked like Lochte's reputation was irrepairable.
However, his name was still all over the media and Pine Bros Softish Throat Drops took full advantage of this notoriety, signing an endorsement deal with the U.S. Olympian, with the campaign: "Pine Brothers Softish Throat Drops: Forgiving On Your Throat."
Pine Bros CEO Rider McDowell said, "We all make mistakes, but they're rarely given front-page scrutiny. He's a great guy who has done incredible work with charities. I'm confident that Pine Bros. fans will support our decision to give Ryan a second chance"
While it's not a huge deal for the swimmer who lost deals with Speedo and Ralph Lauren, and even his cosmetic aesthetic medical hair removal endorser, it's something. And it's a massive opportunity for a small brand to take advantage of a celebrity dominating the headlines.
Get Your Brand Involved With Social Media Influencers
Are you interested in learning more on how your brand can work with social media influencers? Download our infographic that provides case studies, rates and strategies for success when creating a social media influencer program.
