Rhonda, Ketut, and the need for foreplay
I’m not entirely sure anyone really saw Rhonda’s Balinese romance entrenching itself so heavily into Australian popular culture, or for that matter becoming one of the crown jewels of Australian advertising last year. It lured us into a false sense of security, and perhaps that was the point.
Rhonda’s romance has since entered its steamy second chapter and it’s within this next layer that there is a valuable lesson to be learned on the cultivation of stakeholder relationships, the use of engagement cycles and when exactly the former is appropriate within the latter.
Let me ask this: how much can we realistically ask of a friend we’ve just made?
Many agencies take an incredibly shallow minded ‘if we build it, they will come’ approach to social media, and indeed much of advertising. The harsh truth is that unless you’re willing to be exceptional, nobody is going to eat what you bake.
When it comes to developing valuable stakeholder relationships however, it’s not enough anymore to just be remarkable. You need to be prepared to go the distance.
The initial Rhonda goes to Bali commercials for AAMI were far from exceptional. In fact they were well rooted in advertising narrative normality. The characters were sufficiently shallow and, whilst there was your standard dose of advertising ‘quirk’, there was nothing particularly remarkable about the content.
The exceptional ingredient came as these characters were actually explored. This was the component that nobody was really expecting. It got people’s attention. Romance is frequently insinuated within advertising, but rarely, if ever, developed. The glazed eyes that are automatically employed during ad breaks began to become little more attentive.
Content quality was only the first component. The second was consistency. In short episodic segments, we learnt more about these characters. Interest began to grow, as did stakeholders’ levels of attachment to the characters and the narrative that was the campaign.
Of course, these are television commercials and I work in social media. So what am I doing talking about them?
My point is this: regardless of the medium, it takes both time and intelligence to build a consumer’s relationship with a brand. You can throw your money into an amazing piece of branded content but you need to be aware, when you set out to develop a stakeholder relationship, or even a community around your brand, you’re settling in for a marathon and not a rapid, cash-guzzling sprint to the finish line.
The initial videos of Rhonda and Ketut may have made you chuckle, but would you have engaged with the brand if they’d snuck a call to action into the subject matter? I’d wager not.
So why do so many social media campaigns assume the exact opposite?
Only now, a full year down the track and sandwiched into the second chapter of the Rhonda and Ketut story is AAMI actually seeking to capture some of that audience engagement.
On the back of the relationships’ new conflict, they’ve launched a ‘Who’s right for Rhonda?’ microsite with a view of getting people to vote on which of the two relationships they want to see blossom and presumably by extension, determine the direction of the narrative. If you vote, you are invited to enter a prize-fuelled competition that requires the input of valuable details such as name, email and postcode.
All this is a year on from the very first commercials when the seeds were planted. And whether or not they were planted with the intention of growing into an audience engagement campaign, such engagement is now a viable option.
Had the campaign been social from the get-go, naturally, there would have been differences. But the principles remain the same:
1. Find a way to break through the noise
2. Work to establish a relationship with the stakeholders
3. Only when the relationship has been established can you ask for favours.
Regardless of the medium, establishing a consumer relationship takes time. Don’t just roll with the punches, take a leaf out of AAMI’s book and play your cards accordingly. If you bank on your audience taking time to warm to you, you’ll be able to produce content that better suits the context of your relationship’s status at any given stage.
Better contextual understanding means better tailored content. Better tailored content means better engagement.
Finally, just because the initial campaign existed outside of social media, don’t think for a second that AAMI wasn’t aware of the conversations occurring therein. Listening to its audience would have been a vital ingredient in determining what stage of the consumer relationship it was at and where and how to move in relation to it.
In short: slow down, be attentive and don’t underestimate the importance of quality foreplay.
Matthew Cox is the lead strategic consultant at Dialogue Consulting.
Please login with linkedin to comment
Latest News
The Unapproved Climate Certification Allegedly Causing Mass Greenwashing
Are you left flummoxed in the canned tuna & free range eggs aisle? Just wait till this green certification gets up.
TV Ratings (22/04/2024): Fans Mock “Over The Top” Reaction To New MasterChef Judges
MasterChef returns for its 2024 season. B&T stands by putting peppercorns in Gravox & no one will be any the wiser.
Dentsu Restructure: Muddle, Harvey & Johnston Take Leadership Baton As Bass & Yurisich Exit
A large broom has swept through Dentsu's local ops this morning, taking with it some big names & the air con's cobwebs.
Industry Shares Trends Shaping The Industry This International Creators Day
B&T's asking adland creators to reveal their top trends. And it's not good news for your Jenny Kee cardigan collection.
Mable Extends HOYTS Sensory Screenings Partnership
Mable has extended its HOYTS sensory screening partnership. Vigorously defends its two-star Oppenheimer review.
Orphan Launches ‘They Need Our Help. We Need Yours’ For Children’s Cancer Institute
Anything to do with childhood cancers has B&T's 110% support. That said, we do ignore the red meat & alcohol warnings.
Smile Team Orthodontics & Keep Left Collaborate On Smile-Inducing Campaign
As parents would attest, given the cost of orthodontics you'd expect this campaign to be a lavish production indeed.
Opinion: How Video Calls Neglect Learning Diversity
Need an excuse to duck out of a video call this arvo? Show this to your boss.
DoubleVerify Achieves First-Of-Its-Kind Responsible AI Certification From TrustArc
DoubleVerify receives responsible AI certification. However, not its robotic vacuum that's been seen menacing the cat.
Smile For A Good Cause: The Social Media Campaign Giving Back To The Community
Are you known as the office Austin Powers? More for you teeth than shagability? Get snappy new fangs with this news.
Elon Musk Mocks Albo After ESafety Wins Court Injunction Against X
Albo's 2024 from hell continues - Rabbitohs in crisis, down in the polls and now feuding with world's richest man.
Real Estate Developer In Hot Water Over “Sexually Exploitative” OOH Campaign
Real estate agents again tops in the 'least trusted profession' polls, nudging used car salesmen & ad creatives.
Epsilon’s Shane Hanby: Post-Cookie Era Relies On “Teamwork” Between Brands, Marketers & Tech
This pro predicts more "teamwork" in a post-cookie era. Which spells bad news for the uncooperative or plain stubborn.
Entries For Five Decades Of Advertising Graduates Awards Close On Monday
Entries for the Five Decades of Advertising awards close Monday. And no extensions! Any bribery is open til Wednesday.
Cadbury Extends Commitment To Women’s Sport With Sweet New Wallaroos Deal
Rot your teeth, get fat and support women's sport all at the same time with this sweet new sponsorship arrangement.
Campfire X & Nando’s Partner To Acknowledge Traditional Land Owners Across Australia
Chicken chain unveils important First Nations initiative. The actual chickens more concerned with the Adani coal mine.
Lisa Ronson, Naysla Edwards & Ben Hill Join MFA Awards Signature Judging Panel
MFA Awards adds some serious clout to its judging panel. Still no confirmation Paulini will be performing on the night.
Connect Hearing ‘Sounds Good’ Platform Via Bread Agency
Every office has that one hard of hearing person that's oblivious to the fact. Ramp up their insecurities with this.
Ipsos Iris Data: Australians Prioritise Entertainment & Sports Over Serious News In March
Data shows Aussies prioritising light entertainment over hard news. And who can blame them if you've seen the hard news!
Fur Media Partners With Mad Paws To Support Advertisers
It's never good if your office smells like faeces & brine chunks in aspic. Not if you're pet-friendly agency Fur Media.
MAXIBON Drops Epic Flavour Collaboration Via SICKDOGWOLFMAN
There are few pluses to be had with global warming, except the extension of ice-cream eating season.
Sling & Stone Scrubs Up With Lush Account
Got friends at Sling & Stone? Expect the dreaded loofah and bath bomb for birthdays/Christmas this year.
SBS’s The Cook Up With Adam Liaw Produces ‘Fewer CO2 Emissions Than Industry Average’
SBS could go full vegan for Adam Liaw's seventh season and reduce its TV audience and emissions by 99 per cent.
GumGum & Playground xyz To Merge Media Portfolio, Creating “Powerhouse” Ad Suite
GumGum & Playground xyz tap into consumer mindset. B&T prefers tapping a keg, but whatever works.
All The Winners & Grinners From The TikTok Young Lions Awards Night!
Last week saw every part of the human experience: Exalted, devastated, exhausted & stuffing sausage rolls in the corner.
TV Ratings (21/4/24): Farmer Wants A Wife Wins Sunday Prime Time
Farmer Wants A Wife does make the country life seductive. Apart from the manure stench & the bleating roosters at 5am.
Australia’s Automotive Industry Shifts Gears With CTV
How much was CTV responsible for Australia's record car sales in 2023? Or those horrible oversized American utes?
Australia’s C7EVEN Communications Launches Services In Japan With New Tokyo Office
Aussie comms agency unveils its Tokyo plans. Confirms it's still getting the hang of the toilets over there.
Daniel Goldstein Promoted To Head Of PR At Example
Try as he may to surreptitiously blend in with the wall in his photo, this PR fellow still relatively easy to spot.
Marie Claire & Volvo Partner For The Planet: Nominees For The Inaugural Marie Claire Sustainability Awards Announced
Fashion bible Marie Claire unveils its Sustainability Awards. Yet still refusing to recycle 2023's maxi skirts trend.
Sefiani Unveils A Wave Of Promotions & Appointments
Life's good in PR/comms as Sefiani unveils new hires. Well, bad news for media sites obsessed with redundancy stories.
Yahoo Launches Identity Solutions For CTV
Connected TV just got a whole lot more exciting with this innovation. Bar the incessant Friends re-runs.
Infosum Launches Data Clean Room Solution With Samsung Ads Australia
Infosum & Samsung Ads launch a data clean room solution that's a lot more than a Wettex & squirt of Ajax.
Fast 10: Bread Agency’s Amaury Treguer On Its “Unrivalled” Social Commerce Focus
Bread Agency's Amaury Treguer takes B&T's Fast 10, as he reveals why he won't be sandwiched up against the opposition.
X And Elon Musk To Sue Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Over Sydney Stabbing Takedown Order
If this all wasn't traumatic enough, Elon weighs in to prove he's the world's richest man & world's biggest dickhead.
CRA Siren Award To Be Presented At B&T Awards 2024!
Often attend award nights & think "I wish this night would never end"? Well, B&T's just got that tiny bit longer.