Customer engagement – spicing things up

I recently stumbled on the www.whensheshot.com website. A new site launched by Proctor & Gamble for their Old Spice brand. The site basically allows customers to create their own advertisement. Visitors have the ability to pick their own video clips, choose their soundtracks and mix and match scratches and beats to build a custom commercial. I have one word…Spicy!

As far back as I can remember I have always associated Old Spice with the smell of my grandfather. Not anymore. I now associate Old Spice with other things. Better things. Things you could only understand if you visited the site or have seen the directors cut of this commercial on television (which you can watch on the site).

This kind of customer engagement is in my opinion very powerful. The site was fun and engaging (in fact I spent more time than I should have creating my masterpiece). Not only did P&G manage to place themselves on my brand radar screen, but they have managed to completely transform my association of their product. The site allows visitors to get creative, yet Old Spice naturally controls the content of the commercials, by only allowing you to choose from the video clips they provide – which are naturally the elements they want customers associating to the Old Spice brand…excellent product marketing. Not to mention the fact that I sent out the link to my poker buddies, the guys on my hockey team and a handful of others I thought might enjoy being director for a few moments.

Get your customer involved. Engage them. Allow them to interact with your brand. They are your best marketers.

What surprised me was that P&G was not collecting any feedback from visitors. Here I was, completely engaged, at their data mercy, and I was not asked any questions about myself, or the impact this interactive campaign was having on my perception of the brand or my purchase intent down the road. I would have certainly been willing to provide some information. I have no doubt that the viral marketing this campaign will achieve will be great, but I cant help but think there may be a missed opportunity here for collecting some real good information from users.

I will be calling Procter and Gamble today.

You can see my commercial by clicking here.

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