The Oswald’s Experience :Five Themes I am picking out as a Marketing Communications Student /Professional

Background 

In his quest to get his mother to make his Our Day ceremony a lively one, Oswald, a nine-year-old basic school pupil, wrote a letter to the mother, stating, in clearest vivacity what he needed the mother to get for his teacher, mates and himself, on that day. The letter, by the stroke of faith and events found itself on Twitter, went viral, prompting a deluge of responses from individuals and companies, from different industries. It has generated thousands of organic visibility and engagements for companies that otherwise, will ordinarily struggle to garner much user engagements for their social media and digital activities.

Indeed, the boy’s viral letter is not only relevant for the buzz, visibility and countless user-generated conversations same generated, but most importantly, the hullabaloo that characterized the whole episode has since pitted brands/marketing and communications professionals against each other. Whereas some professionals feel some companies had no business trying to jump unto the frenzy, others think otherwise, arguing that the gesture bears testimony to how companies, however their industry, can demonstrate their humanity and build a sense of belonging with their customers.

Although putting this piece together runs me the risk of appearing to take a side on a matter which is pitching professionals against each other, I equally feel obliged, as a communications person, to share an opinion on what I think the Oswald experience should mean to every brands/communications person.I also touched on, although tacit and implicit, matters that goes to the core of corporate culture and structure and how same can either facilitate or inhibit the ability of companies to act more responsive and spontaneous. (I swear, with a bit of levity; some companies may still be going through approval processes. lol). In this piece, I have developed key themes around various arguments that have been shared on whether or not some companies had any business partaking in what I have repeatedly referred to as the Oswald experience.

1. Social Listening

The Oswald experience demonstrates that companies are socially alive. This Oswald experience, however skeptical one may be about the intentions of these companies, lends credence to the need for companies to not just listen but most importantly be responsive. If there is one thing I will like us to appreciate all the donating companies for, then it should certainly be the fact that they listened and acted. For me, there cannot be a better way by which brands can assume human attribute than through social listening and responsiveness. If there is any lesson that we can pick here, then it should be the need for companies to invest in tools and opportunities that helps them to listen and respond to genuine social needs. In fact, social listening, which provides a bottom-top and inbound marketing approach should be at the center of Corporate Social Responsibility activities, if those interventions are to achieve true sustainable social-impact.

2. Balancing the need to Plan with the urgency to be spontaneous.

I am not least opposed to the idea that marketing communications must be ‘’planned’’. In fact, all extant literature and definitions I have ever read on integrated marketing communications have never lost sight of the need to emphasize the word, planned, in their definitions. The age old adage that he who fails to plan, invariably plans to fail is still relevant and won’t lose its relevance however fast and spontaneous, the business environment and the world becomes. This is even more relevant in the context of marketing Communications, where there is continuous emphasis on Metrix, Bottom-line and Return on Investment. Any professional who fails to demonstrate that they are following a strategic plan may be found wanting, when proving their worth. 

This notwithstanding, I am tempted to think that the spontaneity and timeliness of user-generated scenario such as Oswald’s demands that companies are a bit more flexible about their marketing plans or laid down strategies. I am not sure anybody planning for the financial year, had the clairvoyance to envisage that there will be an Oswald experience. What happens, then? Do we sacrifice all the potential mileage and talkability on the altar of staying true to a plan? May be Yes: May be No, but if you worked in a very conservative environment, a single question of, ‘’is this in our plan,’’ will just be enough to burry a brand professional’s plan of leading his company into the Oswald’s experience. I will be more inclined to balancing the need to be spontaneous, at least with digital, and the need to stay true to a marketing communications plan. Finding this balance means being PROACTIVE enough to make contingencies, in budgeting, for an Oswald experience. In a digital age, companies cannot afford to be methodically irresponsive and insensitive to conversations around them. It is to this extent that I have no qualms about any of the companies that joined the Oswald’s experience, however what their intentions were.

3. Strategic Fit:

Some arguments have sought to question how some companies in certain industries, like Financial sector, Petroleum and Farming, will benefit or in a more realistic terms find a strategic fit for deciding to jump unto the Oswald’s experience. Indeed, some of these commentators have struggled to find a strategic fit or how an Our Day event of a nine-year old boy will meaningfully impact companies in certain industries. At a cursory view, this line of argument may make some sense, but upon deeper reflection, I am tempted to think otherwise. Following keenly, it is obvious that most of the companies which made donations found a way to strategically fit Oswald’s scenario into their offering and brand position. Even for companies, which may seem more far-fetched, the occasion presented them an opportunity to express their humanity and to cast themselves in a more positive social citizen light. I don’t want to believe that those arguing about not seeing a strategic fit or any quantifiable benefit, cannot equally see how strategic it is for a company, to want to be part of a social conversation, which has been impactful enough to lead social media trends in a day, Sarkodie, one of the most decorated Ghanaian musician, launched is much anticipated Nopressure Album.

4. Digital is the new normal: 

Even if you cannot predict what the next big innovation will be, you can be sure that technology will still shape and shake how things work. This Oswald experience speaks volumes of the need for companies to be deliberate about digital marketing and the many opportunities that same can engender for their businesses. The internet of things is fast demystifying what mainstream media is. Today, it is more likely for digital content to make impact on the editorial directions and content of mainstream or what others call traditional media. If there is a lesson in all this buzz, then it is certainly the fact that social media will continue to blaze the trail for many of these spontaneously impactful conversations and the earlier companies positioned themselves to leverage the opportunities, the better.

5. Brands Need to humanize/Personalize:

Sitting back and following the conversations on the various donations that greeted the young boy’s letter, I became prouder as a professional in the marketing communications business. The thoughtfulness and the humanity undergirding the donations, were not lost on me. Because people are at the center of brands, be it tangible or otherwise, finding a way to make brands more human gives companies some good footing, brands equity and loyal. It is a matter of fact that the more humanized brands are, the more recognizable they become. From content development, to spontaneous events such as Oswald’s, companies must design their brands in a way that make them assume more human attributes.Whilst people are right to question the bombardments of donations by these companies and how same could have frustrated the boy's Our Day experience, I feel the companies only gave the boy an experience he could never have anticipated or even imagine. This is what lively brands do:inspiring, properling and amplifying dreams.The Oswald experience is a dream amplified. The ability of brands to inspire makes them even more humanized and recognizable. I am minded, as both a student and professional in Marketing Communications, that no matter which indutry a company operate, they can still act as humans. Infact, for me companies that can hardly find strategic congruence with everyday human activities , such as those in mining, oil and gas, logistics and many of such hard core sectors, have more obligations to act human even than our every day brands.

Conclusions:

Yes, some of the companies went overboard. Of course, it is true that some companies could have been more strategic. At a point, I felt, the boy was being overused and engaged and could not truly enjoy the day with his mate and teacher, as he wanted to. Furthermore, I am not insensitive to the many other criticisms that seeks to suggest that other less endowed kids could have been helped by these companies.

However, all these downsides, it is gladdening that corporate Ghana is finally beginning to understand the need not to discount the social and commercial mobilization power and viability of social media. I am happy that companies are becoming aware that social media and digital marketing still has a place of pride, however much some people want to discredit it. Again, much as I believe companies must be kind enough, I don’t think, they can be compelled to reach out to people just because they have needs. At the heart of all I have learnt is the need for companies to have what I term as an Oswald experience, a contingency fund or initiative that can leverage some of these spontaneous opportunities, in their budget lines. Every line in this piece betrays my attitude towards these donating companies; it is my underlying argument that we need to encourage these companies, through social media activism, to listen more and be more responsive to society.

Samuel Osarfo Boateng (Skoba)

Writer/Content Strategist