Why Billion-dollar Brands are Posing as Interns for Social Listening

There’s an influx of interns supposedly running the world’s biggest accounts. This is their story.

You’re scrolling like it’s nobody’s business. And then you stumble upon a billion-dollar one, impersonating an imaginary intern. That’s straight out of the social listening playbook. 

Dropping into relevant discussions, responding to feedback, and jumping onto direct mentions using keywords, topics and competitor activity – social listening capitalises on the never-ending flow of information that is social media. 

As for ‘interns’? They’re just imaginary runner boys doing a bot’s dirty work for brands seeking high-exposure anonymity at low risk. 

If McDonald’s drops into a low-profile comment thread, they’re desperate. And if their delivery is lacking? It’s social media suicide. But should their ‘junior social media marketer’ be responsible? They’d be forgiven for little-league faux pas and celebrated as the authentic voice of an unapproachable institution.

A tactic proven to improve outreach, product development and customer segmentation, social listening monitors and analyses content related to a product or brand – making for perfect, finger-on-the-pulse marketing. 

The nerve centre for shifting customer preferences, trending attitudes and industry developments, social media is an active livewire for market repositioning. Leveraging it, those listening with a keen ear (or software) strategically place themselves in the right place at the right time. 

Informed by pop culture and authentic in execution, social listening is best encapsulated by the following examples.

“Did your lights go out, too?” – The Finger-happy Rogue Intern.

An 18-month Tweet in-the-making, Oreo’s "Power out? No problem. You can still dunk in the dark" was a year and a half in planning, according to Mondelēz SVP Lisa Mann.

Designed to engage the brand’s 32 million Facebook followers and some 80k on Twitter during act-of-god moments, Oreo’s radioactive Tweet was the product of a strategic war room with reactive delivery. Weaponised as the lights went out during the New Orleans Super Dome Ravens v. 49ers game, the post lay dormant until a high-profile power outage (or its convenient counterpart) occurred. Retweeted over 16,000 times, it became one of the more memorable ad moments of the game.

Though no intern was blamed, the post will unlikely be credited to boardroom members awaiting coffees and meeting transcripts. 

Don’t just say it, meme It.

“We think about memes as a way to both relate to our customers and tap into specific insights, sometimes even trolling ourselves.” - Candice Beck, Chipotle’s Senior Manager of Social and Digital.

A low-cost, high-reward social listening tool, meme marketing leverages trending content for shareable and engaging brand collateral. Designed to capture a wider audience with minimal investment, it involves reappropriating existing content in minutes. The result? A brand’s next big meme advertisement. And who better to execute such a feat than the ‘intern’ scrolling between menial errands?

“I hate my job” – The Relatable Intern, who Hates his Job.

Messaging addressed to ‘whom it may concern’ certainly does not concern those online. Nor does it reflect the demographic differences defining audience segments. Social listening requires agility and a certain je ne sais quoi. Separate from out-of-touch conglomerates, it needs to be conducted by someone in the know. It needs the voice of a social media native to whom Gen Zers can relate – like the scapegoat ‘intern’. 

If reading this makes you feel a little soft on the ‘send’ button, our social media marketers at Painting Towns are quick on the keyboard and considered where content counts. 

To explore your appetite for social listening, schedule a complimentary strategy session with one of our specialists today.