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 Mars Agency Announces Latest Findings Of Retail Media Report Card
The Mars Agency has developed a scorecard that assesses the capabilities of leading platforms across key criteria required to optimally plan, execute, and measure effective retail media programs. The scorecard aims To help brands efficiently evaluate their spending options across retail media networks in Australia (and New Zealand). With spending on retail media advertising in […]
‘It’s The Lesser Of Two Evils’ – NRL Eyes US Betting Market As Aussie Regulators Circle
US betting firms will be delighted by the circa 50,000 Americans who could soon watch the NRL on their favourite app.
A-League In Deep Discussions With New Partner To Keep Games On TV After Production Company Enters Administration
The A-League's insatiable appetite for scoring own goals continues.
TV Ratings (27/03/2024): Jungle Members At War Over Concealed Lipstick
A heated argument between two jungle members did the numbers for Ten last night, with I’m A Celeb obtaining a total national reach of 1,282,000. Fans were delighted as Candice Warner and influencer Skye Wheatley got into it over a stick of lipstick, leading Warner to dub the Instagram star “selfish.” Wheatley, best known for […]
Is The Australian Music Industry In Trouble? Inquiry Launched Following Splendour Cancellation
Earlier this week, an inquiry was launched into the challenges and opportunities currently facing the Australian live music industry in the wake of multiple festival cancellations. On 25 March 2024, the Minister for the Arts, the Hon. Tony Burke MP, asked the Committee on Communications and the Arts to inquire into and report on the […]
Liana Dubois, Leandro Perez, Aimee Buchanan & More Gather For Inaugural Compadres Leadership Event
Didn't get the invite? Perhaps you're not as important as you thought.
Cathay Captures The Unforgettable Thrill Of Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Rugby Sevens, Via Publicis
Nobody does rugby like Hong Kong, apparently. Certainly nobody does it as badly as Australia.
Cocogun Nabs Christine Watts, Kirsty Reynolds & Shev Tan Bolstering Management & Creative Teams
Cocogun bolsters its team with new hires. Committed to purchasing a bigger sofa, too.
The Media Store’s Jacquie Alley & Sam Cousins Take The Plunge With Pro-Bono Work For Cure Cancer
B&T chats with The Media Store bosses about their great pro-bono work and sponsored swim.
Hawke’s Brewing Co. Taps Rocket Comms For PR Agency Following Competitive Pitch
We're expecting Rocket Comms productivity to crash in spectacular fashion following this win.
Spotlight On Sponsors: Patties Serves Up A Taste Of Home For Olympians & South Sydney Rabbitohs Recommit To Gambling Reform
While the Rabbitohs commits to gambling reform, B&T reckons the team should commit to a decent auto sponsor.
Google: “Inevitable” That Bad Actors Will Abuse Ads Platform As Advertiser Account Suspensions Double
Google maintains it's simply impossible for it to entirely stop bad people placing & paying for ads using its service.
Quantcast Expands APAC Sales Team With Appointment Of News Corp Account Manager
No pressure at all when you are appointed as a client success manager.
Publicis Sapient Tests Microsoft-Powered Gen AI Search Tool With Homes & Villas By Marriott Bonvoy
Given Gen AI's record for mangling stuff, B&T cannot see the problem with letting it decide your next holiday digs.
Volkswagen & DDB Group’s “Roo Badge” To Reduce Kangaroo Related Road Collisions
Watch out for RooBadge as Cannes Lions' most debated campaign this year.
Twilio Launches Unified Profiles & Agent Copilot Features To Boost Productivity & Engagement
Agent Copilot sounds like James Bond's less interesting cousin.
Reebok & Honda Among New Clients For onetwo agency
OneTwo finally lives up to its name with this double billing.
Ogilvy Report: Throw Out The Social Strategy Rule Book, The Rules Of The Past No Longer Apply
B&T was puzzled that all 'influencers' aren't, effectively, 'virtual', but here we are.
WhiteGREY & AKQA Merge In Australia, Lee Simpson Departs
Fortunately, the combined agencies aren't opting for a trite portmanteau for the new name.
Splendour In The Grass 2024 Music Festival Cancelled!
Music fans all over the country reportedly relieved they can pack away their rain coats and gumboots for another year.
TV Ratings (26/03/2024): “Fairy Bread, F***ing Disgusting”: Gordon Ramsay Slams Aussie Food In Food Stars Launch
Ramsay not one for mincing his words, even when it comes to minced meat pies.
Paramount+ International Boss Doubles Down On Aussie Content, Says Ad-Tier will Grow Audiences And Revenue
Good news as Paramount will not be binning I’m A Celebrity for re-runs of Frasier.
Brent Smart: Telstra Pushing For 50-50 Brand-Performance Split But Warns Numbers ‘Won’t Look Great’ Initially
The old brand vs performance debate continues. But here, Brent is firmly sitting on the fence.
Crowded House, Tones And I & Dom Dolla Win Big At The Shure Rolling Stone Music Awards
B&T staffer reports back with humdinger of a hangover & feeling seriously uncool after mixing with music types.
Opinion: Dyslexia “A Hidden Gem” For Brands & Agencies
Dyslexics offer underappreciated benefits in the corporate field, according to this op-ed.
David Jones Taps Criteo To Power Online Retail Media Arm
Want to see ads for things you probably can't afford? David Jones has got you covered with new retail media play.
oOh!media Sets Up Team To Target Business Audiences Across Airports & Offices
oOh! wants brands to harass you every minute of your next business trip.
QMS Launches Australian First DOOH & TV Partnership With Samba TV
Samba TV, of course, is not a channel dedicated to dancing. Much to our dismany.
Slew Of New Hires At Amplify
Four new faces join the Amplify offices. Team say desk scarcity becoming "acute".
Adobe Announces Content Authenticity Initiative Expansions To Counter Deep Fakes
Try as they might to enlighten them, we suspect Trump supporters will continue to watch and believe Fox News.
The PR Group Appoints TechCrunch Senior Reporter Catherine Shu As Director Of Content & Media
Catherine Shu makes the bold leap from journalism to PR. Says inevitable pay bump was "unrelated".
HERO Nabs Ebony Santin From AMPR
Rumours Santin cleared out the stationery cupboard before departing are as yet unconfirmed.
Karena Noble Checks Out Of EVT Hotels & Resorts To Launch Comms Consultancy
Noble still managed to squeezed in a continental breakfast before departing.
Canva Acquires Design Platform Affinity To Bring Professional Design Tools To Every Organisation
Canva & Adobe face off continues. We're not picking sides but keenly aware that Canva's office is next door to ours.
“Lean On Our Team To Help You Find An Audience”: Why Understanding Audience Engagement Is Essential In Journalism
Engaging the audience is critical to journos, apparently. We'd thought self-loathing & alcoholism were key.
Adobe Summit: Major Gen AI Developments, Data Concessions & Partnerships
What happens in Vegas stays there. Unless it's the Adobe Summit and then you get to read about in B&T.