Newsjacking:Capitalizing on the moment

The double-gold victory of Filipino Olympian Carlos Yulo in the recently concluded Paris Olympics has hogged the national headline for days – bring honor to the country that remains hungry for global recognition in the field of sports.

But his victory has also raised a cacophony of issues from some sectors of the public – particularly how some brands have associated themselves with the victorious gymnast – with some praising the brands for showering him with rewards while a few raising eyebrows arguing these brands maybe a getting a “free ride” for their products and services. One observer even warned to “separate the sincere and celebration from the predatory messages.”

Truth to be told, the art of injecting brands and brand messages into a trending news story to generate attention has become a staple in the modern marketing playbook. It is called newsjacking and there is a vast array of literature discussing its use in brand management.

Coined by David Meerman Scott, newsjacking refers to the practice of leveraging trending news stories to generate media coverage and increase brand visibility. It is a high-stakes gamble that can yield tremendous rewards for the brands that employ it especially when executed skillfully. However, this tactic can also backfire spectacularly if and when mishandled. Indeed, while this strategy can be a powerful marketing tool, it also comes with significant risks and ethical considerations.

There are several advantages to newsjacking:

Heightened visibility: By aligning with trending news, issues and topics, brands can further corner a larger share of the consumers to gain additional and expanded exposure that may be more costly when done during normal marketing cycles.

Improved relevance: Brands may be perceived as “current” and in tune with contemporary events, which promotes higher degree of relevance to their target consumers.

Cost-effective marketing: Leveraging hottest stories of the day can be cost-effective to expand publicity without huge marketing and PR budgets.

Expanded engagement and virality: When done right, newsjacking can boost increased social media engagement and potentially result in a viral content which may