New Year’s Eve is perhaps the most universally celebrated moment on the planet. Parties across the globe hinge on midnight countdowns, on the anticipation of seeing one year vanish and a new one appear—all in an instant.
We’re suckers for moments like New Year’s Eve here at Caffeine. In fact, most of our strategies hinge on creating moments like this for our clients.
Our love for moments is rooted in our worship of drama. No matter what anybody tells you, if a story doesn’t have drama—even a funny story—nobody will share it. In fact, if a story doesn’t have drama, it’s not a story at all; it’s just a fragment, an incomplete part.
When we ask new clients, “What kind of drama is there in your brand?” and they respond, “None,” we have to break the bad news to them: “Then you don’t have any stories to tell.” And then we go to work and help them make drama so we can tell stories and make people care about their brand again, their employees included.
Good drama begs for moments. Aristotle recognized that way back in 335 BC when he identified “the climax” as Thee Moment in every story; all the action pivots on the climax. Once the climax occurs, nothing will be the same again.
Unlike many PR companies, we think in campaigns because, just like stories, campaigns beg for moments too. Every good campaign should have a moment when all the storytelling efforts—earned media, social buzz, events, ad placements—come to a head.
At this moment, your audience should feel under siege from your story, like they can’t escape it. If they do, they’ll feel compelled to talk about it as effortlessly as they would the weather.
Moments don’t make our lives at Caffeine any easier. They are hell to pull off, like surprise birthday parties.
Moments create a lot of stress for our clients too. It’s like putting their brand on stage with a new act, and inviting everyone they care about to watch and critique. CMO’s and brand managers hold their breath knowing that the CEO is watching and waiting.
If you’re looking for easy, we recommend working with our competitors. They will ensure that you avoid moments when their failures or successes are unmistakably revealed.
