I haven't had the pleasure of drinking Ocean Spray juice for quite a few years now. I had heard about a recent video posted on the social video sharing app TikTok, in which a man wearing a grey hoodie was riding his skateboard on a road in what looks like a rural area, with Ocean Spray in hand while lip synching "Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac. Where did I hear about this mini-phenomenon from? Well, of all the places I could have seen, read or heard about it first, it was actually my own 50 year old mother that showed it to me...
The value proposition on offer for Ocean Spray has always been, as represented in its ads, it being the cooperative choice for cranberry juice. Usually represented in the advertisements as interviews with, or commentaries from, some of the company's own cranberry growers while standing in their cranberry fields during a wet harvest. They advertise that 100% of the profits go to the farmers, and that they try to pay their farmers as much as they can for their cranberries.
Ocean Spray's Cran-Raspberry Juice as seen in the video...
Ocean spray (and Fleetwood Mac, for that matter...) have experienced quite a bit of earned media by way of just being this certain someone's choice of drink at a moment that he happened to record and post a video that would go viral. I thought it was interesting that I was hearing about such an odd sequence of events to begin with, but given how I first heard about it, I decided to dig a little deeper. I wanted to better understand what people on social media are now saying about Ocean Spray, what it means for the company and what it means to the people witnessing or taking part in the discussion.
The majority of the discussion related to the video and ultimately what perpetuated it into a viral phenomenon, seemed to be centered around the care-free feeling that Nathan Apodaca, the man in the video, exuded while recording it. This appealed to people in a way in which they felt compelled to replicate it. What followed was a slew of videos in the original's honor from people all over the country, and indeed, the world. As in the above pictured tweet, this man recorded a similar video on what appears to be his commute to work, with Ocean Spray in hand. Written above is what I feel represents some of the reasons why this has appealed to so many: "Good morning World! Have an exceptional day! #GOODVIBESONLY..." the idea of being positive in your interactions and thinking, in the process also transferring positivity to those around you.
Although some are feeling that it's worth mentioning and pointing out, that although Ocean Spray happened to be the drink that has been linked to this mostly positive viral sensation of sorts, it's important to remember that the drink is not exactly healthy. I think this is missing the point, however, it is something one should keep in mind before going out and purchasing loads of Ocean Spray now that it's been somewhat rediscovered.
Finally, some of the publicity that is being talked about regarding some of the on-going results that have occurred following the viral spread of the video, and how Ocean Spray handled the situation. Nathan Apodaca had apparently ended up in the situation where he recorded that video due to his truck breaking down as he was going to work. Ocean Spray figured this out and decided to buy him a new truck, and filled the back of it full of Ocean Spray juice! Ocean Spray was getting this earned media for free, and given finding out the circumstances surrounding the man and the video, they were able to use the opportunity to make a (relatively) small investment, in the form of a replacement truck. This ensured that the conversation continued a little longer, and that it retained that positive light on the company. They used the opportunity generated by the video to tell a story, supplementing Nathan's story, by giving him a sort of happy ending in the form of a new vehicle so he doesn't have to worry about repairing or replacing it himself.
The challenge now, for Ocean Spray, is to keep themselves in the conversation, and in the consumers minds. Keep that positivity and that care-free feeling that was associated with the original TikTok video. From what I recall, it has been several years since I've seen an Ocean Spray ad on the internet, social media or television for that matter. I feel if I were a brand manager for Ocean Spray I would take the renewed brand recognition that's been given, and continue it by either engaging the customers, perhaps by starting some contest for the best tribute video, or by starting a partnership or sponsorship with Nathan to have him to continue making similar videos.
This story was another one that couldn't have come at a better time. With autumn going into full swing, the pandemic still being all over the news, furthermore, we now have the elections and politics saturating the rest of the news... I don't know about you, but I needed another reprieve from all of the negativity in the press, and the world in general, as of late. This was an interesting opportunity to dig into when a brand gets a viral opportunity such as this, including how they handle it. In addition, it gave me a chance to speculate and theorize what it means for the company and where they should take it from here. In addition to that, it seems this has the potential of changing the life of Nathan Apodaca, possibly more than it already has.
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