Creating Your Own “Oreo Moment”

Social media has finally evolved to the point where live-tweeting or tweeting in real-time is a staple for all major events. But, what happens when you are presented with a unique opportunity as a real-time tweeter? You can either “embrace the disruption” or miss the chance to make social media history.  Today we consider the branding benefits of seizing a moment versus creating your own by looking at two beloved North American brands: Oreo and JC Penny.

During last year’s Super Bowl, fans and social media enthusiasts alike experienced two major unexpected events. The first was an epic power outage during one of the most watched sporting events in the world and the second (happening only 10 minutes after the first) was a revolutionary tweet from Oreo.

This past Sunday during Super Bowl XLVIII, millions of viewers were glued to their televisions and social media accounts. Companies world-wide were waiting, praying, hoping that they would be granted the opportunity to experience an “Oreo Moment”. Instead of waiting on the sidelines, JC Penny took matters into their own hands. It started with a series of misspelled tweets around the time of kick-off. Immediate speculation of a account hacking began to circulate until the U.S. company tweeted the reasoning behind the erratic tweets: mittens.

JC Penny has recieved mixed reviews from this social media stunt. Yes, the brand’s name is out in the news and all over social media but is it true that any publicity is good publicity? With the influx of tweeting during major sporting events and the increased importance of tweeting in real-time, we have to wonder if the risk always outweighs the benefit. We think that Oreo nailed it with their originality during this once in a life-time event last year, however we don’t know if attempting to create your own moment has the same impact. We would like to hear from our readers: Do you think live-tweeting and taking the risk that JC Penny did worked? Here at EDPR the debate is still up in the air but they definitely got us talking. Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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