How Oreo Refreshes Its Brand With Snack Hackaton Webisode?

Oreo refreshes its brand with the Snack Hackaton webisode. Learn how one viral picture can start a branded movement with mileage.

Most CMOs have embraced the POE media ecosystem. Great tactics in brand entertainment and content marketing is shown here by Oreo.

They have turned social and viral videos into on ongoing program that keeps earning attention and fans.

Oreo Snack Hackaton Webisode is Earning Attention

To honor its cookie monsters (fan base) and all ‘re-mixers’ of cookies, Oreo launched a web series called Snack Hacks.

The videos are showcasing top chefs Roy Choi, Michael Voltaggio and Nguyen Tran hacking the sweet treat into popular food entrées.

The videos are all part of Oreo’s Snack Hacks program, but the idea of tweaking the Oreo experience didn’t originate with the company.

The whole idea was inspired by a viral picture of a person dunking the cookie in a glass of milk using a fork as a way to keep their hands clean.

The company realized mixing up the Oreo experience—and eating food in general—was a popular trend online, so it decided to jump on it.

Soon after, the company was encouraging fans to post their own twists on the Oreo eating experience and label their inventions with the Twitter hashtag #OreoSnackHack.

New ideas popped up, including putting the cookie in a pepper grinder to create sprinkles or mixing bits it in with popcorn for additional flavor.

Vine video series were spawned, but Oreo wanted to take it to the next level with this new Web series.

Fans will see Choi making chicken tenders with golden Oreos, Voltaggio concocting alcoholic Oreo Shandys (not as gross as it sounds!), and Tran creating an Oreo bread pudding dish sans an oven.

All the treats only involve a few steps so the average person can watch the video, head to the kitchen and try it herself.

Enjoy the Oreo YouTube Channel here.

My Opinion

Oreo shows that it understands the POE media ecosystem. See an example of a POE model I developed in 2009 and tweaked with Mindshare for Nestle in 2012:

Oreo smartly embraced a viral picture to start a movement. Naming the concept Snack Hacks is witty and clever. It refers to the infamous tech Hackatons we see more often.

The movement offers branded entertainment to die hard Oreo fans who are next amplifying the videos for Oreo. Now that is smart and cheap distribution, right?

Oreo will definitely gain likeability and Snack Hacks will certainly push its Social NPS, in the right way. Next Oreo is gaining new followers on its YouTube channel. Why is this so important?

By doing so, Oreo will increase its initial seed at every new video. People will share it and more fans will subscribe to the Oreo YouTube channel.

If Oreo continues to do so, its fan base will grow, their paid seeding budget will go down and the organic reach will be massive.

Snack Hacks is closing the loop in marketing, where most brands launch dead-end marketing loops in their ad campaigns.

So spot on tactics Oreo! On both brand marketing, ideation, content marketing and use of media.

What About You?
How do you rate Oreo Snack Hacks? We all get smarter from peer discussions, so share your opinion.

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About the Author
Igor Beuker is an acclaimed trendwatcher & pro speaker, serial entrepreneur, marketing consultant and board member at several disruptive media, technology and entertainment firms. Book Igor as keynote speaker, follow Igor on Twitter or contact him via LinkedIn.