Public relations is a tried and true method of helping clients get noticed and increase name recognition in a highly competitive market. At ANDERSON we continually strive to think outside the box when it comes to achieving the best PR results for our clients. In fact, the more creative the ideas, the better, however, we’re the first to give credit where credit is due and this week our hats are off to Sonic, Dutch Bros and IHOP–or shall we say IHOb–for taking some big risks and not being afraid to go all-out with their latest PR stunts.
Check out these newsworthy PR stunts:
I’m sorry, IHOP did what?!?
The beloved International House of Pancakes recently pulled off one of the greatest PR stunts of 2018 with their temporary name change to IHOb. The “b” now stands for burgers and arrives during the launch of their newfound “Ultimate Steakburger” menu. The breakfast giant, known for its sweet variety of pancakes, wanted to expand its lunch and dinner sales and remind consumers that they offer more than just delicious breakfast options throughout the day. Social media heard the news and went crazy; in fact “IHOb” is currently trending on Twitter and a simple search of “IHOP” redirects you to their new @IHOb page. Everyone from Wendy’s to Netflix took turns tweeting witty jabs at the chain, but the real winner thus far is “IHOb” who’s gained thousands of new followers overnight and tempted patrons with mouthwatering photos and videos of their latest burgers. PR stunts such as IHOb’s help them to nab a win in the world of casual conversations and “did you hear” news.
Because nothing says “summertime” like frozen pickle juice
Not to be outdone this week, Sonic also stirred up some social media frenzy with the announcement of their Pickle Juice Slush. The salty-sweet summer treat is said to have a lime base with a tart and salty pickle finish. People across the country are tweeting comments about their experiences with the new drink with a stream of videos popping up online of customers documenting their first sips of the unique concoction in real-time, via Facebook Live and other platforms. With such a controversial flavor to turn into a slushy format, Sonic has been able to garner organic buzz around the drink and mobilize its customers to make their way over to the closest Sonic to check it out for themselves.
Dutch Bros, could you be more extra?
Finally, the drive-thru coffee giant, Dutch Bros, took a page out of Starbucks’ PR stunt book with an out-of-this-world drink. You may remember the Unicorn Frappuccino that recently took coffee fanatics by storm, well, Dutch Bros took their drink game one step farther by offering FREE edible glitter called “Shine” that can be added to all fraps and drinks in the month of June. The result has been interesting and definitely social media worthy. While we see mixed opinions through Twitter comments, the fact of the matter is that people are talking about the glittery drinks A LOT and posting pictures of their sparkly lemonades and coffees all over Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. To quote one fan’s Tweet, “Starting Friday Dutch Bros is going to have the option to add glitter to your drinks and I am so ready for them to take all of my money.” That basically sums up the success of this dazzling PR stunt.
Overall, successful PR stunts gets the public talking, creates awareness of something new and ultimately, help drive business. With the results seen from these three companies, we feel that they are definitely #winning the month of June and we are excited to see how their campaigns play out over time.
If you are looking for a dedicated public relations team to generate creative strategies to take your business to the next level, reach out to us at info@anderson-adv.com or learn more on our website at anderson-adv.com.
