Harnessing Your Brands’ Grimace Moment
Harnessing the power of the Metaverse
Picture this: the digital world is evolving faster than a Ferrari on nitro, cranking open the floodgates of possibilities for brands to mingle with their audience in fresh, exciting ways. Unfortunately, a shocking number of businesses are still clinging to the past, blissfully ignorant of these golden opportunities.
Enter the 'Grimace Moment' (you heard it here first).
I'm talking about those game-changing, brand-boosting moments that many are snoozing through like it's a Sunday afternoon nap. Our favorite purple pal from McDonald's pulled a cyber trend across the web, causing a fan-powered flood of Grimace digital content and merchandise. That should have been a home run for McDonald's, but without an official presence in the Roblox Marketplace, the opportunity is lost.
And this isn't some rare digital anomaly. Remember the Fortnite in-game concert, where Travis Scott played to a mind-boggling 12.5 million user digital mosh pit? Despite the virtual sea of fans, heavy-hitting brands missed their moment, overlooking opportunities for co-branding and marketing moves to capitalize on this “epic” trend…and Epic Games missed out on the value as well, failing to follow up a massively popular event with any meaningful post concert content.
It could have been McDonald’s Golden Arches behind the stage, or limited-edition Travis Scott kicks by Nike that are only available to concert-goers. That mega-moment could have been the launchpad for marketing activations to blow users minds...instead it’s mostly remembered as a cool one-off.
These examples make one thing clear: Gen Z and Gen Alpha are ensuring that the digital world isn't confined to your standard social media fare any longer. Sure, the usual suspects like Twitter (or is it X now?), Meta, TikTok are key players, but they're just a fraction of the greater digital universe.
Back to Grimace…
McDonald's did well to ride the TikTok wave with his viral moment, driving an explosion of earned media. We're talking billions of views, with Grimace and his signature shake weaving its way into the mainstream fabric. Now, they should be capitalizing on the Roblox moment as well…a moment that could generate 200M+ kids asking their parents to get them that dubious purple shake.
But the reality for most marketers is that they lack the technology and speed to tap into these digital gold mines. Here's the secret sauce to seizing these Grimace Moments:
Recognize they exist and know where to look for them
Start with simple activations that are high-speed and low cost
Find a good tech partner to speed up your response to your next Grimace Moment
The point is this: to win big in the digital space, you've got to be more than just a trend follower; you need to be a trendsetter. It’s not just catching up on trends; it's about anticipating them, acting on them, and potentially steering them. Don't let your Grimace Moment get away.
