NERD REPORT #92

Seize the
Bropportunity

Like it or not, your brand is in a constant battle with (checks notes) every other brand in the known world  for the attention of advertising savvy consumers who have spent a lifetime spotting (and trying to ignore) ads.

One very powerful, and often overlooked, method of circumventing those fine-tuned “no ads in my eyes” shields: Bropportunities. (Yeah, we took “opportunity” and put “Bro” in front. It’s called being a Brofessional.)

These are found or created opportunities to make an unexpected impact with something out of the ordinary (yet strategic and relevant) that will get attention, press, earned media, and accolades for your brand.

And here’s the thing: bropportunities work. Like, really well. Here’s why:

1.

Bropportunities are of the moment.

Meaning they’re timely. Getting in on a trending topic, cultural moment, or event in a meaningful, entertaining, and informative way.

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To help promote their partnership with the Winter Olympics, vitaminwater turned a bus shelter into a photo-op ski lift that raised intent to buy, awareness, and preference numbers—along with earned media buzz hits.

When Cleveland roadways were shut down during the production of a Captain America film, Captain RTA quickly came to the rescue—offering gridlocked drivers free transit passes that garnered earned media buzz and increased ridership by 9%.

2.

Bropportunities reward their audience.

By making people feel smart, funny, or “in the know” for sharing them. Not only do they add a little unexpected joy to the everyman’s everyday grind, they’re like a hit of dopamine when people feel like they’re “in on the inside joke.”

When Fazoli’s seized the bropportunity to insert their famous breadsticks into awards season, the brand got sharable buzz with quick, carb-y, IYKYK remakes of blockbuster films.

3.

Bropportunities are a li’l lawless.

Brands that embrace bropportunistic thinking get buzz by inserting themselves into conversations that run counter to common sense.

Enhanced beverage maker neuro wanted to drive trial for their drink named for an uncommon benefit: Sleep. Which, it just so happens, is Neil Patrick Harris’s favorite thing to drink, then do, and also sing about—in bed.

Hotels.com wanted to increase rewards program sign-ups with zero paid media dollars. What do people do in hotels? They sleep (and dream), of course. So, we launched an interactive campaign to turn people’s real dreams into dream vacations. The most liked dreams submitted were reenacted by professional improv actors and upgraded to Welcome Rewards Gold Memberships. All of which brought 50k people to the site during the week of launch and increased Welcome Rewards sign-ups by 154% y-o-y.

Basically, bropportunities build better brands.

By breaking through the noise to spark genuine consumer engagement, bropportunities can rise above the every-brand-in-existence blah blah, position your brand as clever, relevant, and culturally tuned-in, and make genuine connections with your audience.

So, when you’re ready to get unexpected, reach out. Heck, we’re not just a bropportunity agency, we’re also a client. (Cue our 33rd anniversary digital billboards.)

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