A few years ago when ‘flash mobs’ really broke out onto the scene it seemed like everyone was jumping on the bandwagon to join the craze that saw organised groups of seemingly random people suddenly perform simultaneous actions in public and then disperse; usually it involved dancing or freezing without any purpose but to attract attention and entertain. It wasn’t long after this that the media and public started to lack interest in these endeavours though, after all you can only see the same thing so many times.
But after a lull in the use of flash mobs is it time that we can again see these entertainers without being uninterested? I think that’s a fine line that only organisers with a real purpose can cross (hopefully without any use of the Harlem Shake).
Let’s look at media basics first – unless you’ve got something news-relevant, original or controversial to say, don’t expect the media to pay any attention to you. You could have the most elaborately organised flash mob, that has a conga line stretching through New York City – but unless it has a purpose (protecting endangered Congo snakes perhaps?) I think the media has a ‘been there-seen that’ attitude towards flash mobs, particularly dancing or freezing ones.
The attraction and effect of flash mobs may very well come down to how we define them. ‘Flash mobs’ is a term coined in 2003 when the first flash mob performed in Macy’s, Manhattan; but after subsequent copy cats and even a TV show (thank YOU America), it really stretched past it’s use-by date.
‘Smart mobs’ however might be the key to a ‘mobbing’ rebirth. Unlike flash mobs, smart mobs are usually organised by PR companies (hint, hint) or organisations that have a key message they want to get out. DON’T BE CONFUSED this form of ‘free’ media attention is not suitable for every business or cause; it does come down to what your purpose is and how you utilise the ‘mob’ to depict it. I might as well say it here and now – dancing troupes are not effective for media attention, no matter what your message (Oh ok, they’re good for local dance studios in attracting new members!).
Smart mobs can become ‘dud mobs’ very quickly, it all comes down to organisers paying attention to the infinite details. The best smart mobs have been the ones that have done something totally different and surprising, in many cases smart mobs have been utilised by protesters who are able to organise them over the internet via social media and text messages with people who share a passion for the cause. Animal charities have used smart mobs to shock the public by using people and drama to re-enact cruel animal practises on public streets. Mobs like this have a clear, sometimes shocking, message that attracts attention because the intention is received and understood.
If you are considering using smart mobs as part of a marketing strategy, there are 8 key rules you should stick by:
- Time it not to coincide or be performed too close to other smart mobs. Mobbing is all about originality, surprise and shock value – if another mob has performed recently and attracted attention, the media will have less interest in reporting on your mob.
- Dancing troupes are overrated and lazy, they come more under ‘flash mobs’ which are purely for entertainment and will not serve your business well in the media eye.
- Use a smart mob to clearly display your message and invoke excitement and involvement in your audience. For example: If I owned an outback bed and breakfast and wanted to attract people from the city through using a smart mob, I would hire a team of gymnasts to act out waking up at the B&B and pretending to participate in activities like horseback riding etc. without using any props – only physical theatre. Onlookers would be confused, but engaged and eager to find out the intention behind the mob.
- Make sure everyone involved knows exactly what they’re doing, (practise, practise, practise); there is nothing worse than watching a sloppy performance, it will only hinder your business/organisations image.
- If you’re not performing in a place the media can easily access and you want professional coverage (not just iPhone videos circling the internet), you will need to send out a media release right before your performance that allows enough time for the media to make it there. Of course it is important that the release doesn’t give away what will happen, but says enough to intrigue the right channels.
- Hire professionals. This is the ultimate key – you cannot perform a meaningful smart mob using a call out on social media, it will make your job a lot more stressful and the likeliness of a stuff up is greater (plus if you’ve planned something extravagant, you risk the plan getting out by hiring ‘random’ people you may not be able to trust).
- Make sure you have your marketing materials handy. It is useless to have a smart mob perform then depart with no inclination of who they’re representing. At the conclusion of the performance hand out flyers and business cards or have banners with your logo and branding.
- So you’ve spent all this time and effort planning it –share it with the world! Jump on social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Build up an atmosphere of excitement, then after it’s all over keep the hype going. Share photos and videos, use hash tags and your network to make what you’ve done get out there. The best smart mobs (and flash mobs) have being picked up by the media purely because of their soaring internet circulation; they may just be the fluff piece at the end of the news – but any coverage is good coverage.