Twitter was buzzing today with tweets about a rather unusual offer at Morrisons. Eagle-eyed shoppers had spotted that the supermarket chain is running a ‘Buy One Get One Free’ offer on its Valentines Day cards. And featuring the ‘unique’ offer in some of its print advertising.
As you’d expect, most people were poking fun at Morrisons for making such a silly mistake, and suggesting that the promotion is perfect for bargain-hunting adulterers. But was it really a mistake? Or had Morrisons planned the stunt very carefully to draw attention away from its competitors, who will no doubt be spending a fortune on promoting their Valentines Day cards and gifts at the moment.
Considering the amount of approvals that most press releases and adverts go through, I have to think it’s probably the latter. It’s a clever tactic and one that will help Morrisons to raise its brand awareness further and drive home the message that it offers really good value for money. Whilst also making people think of Morrisons when they go out to get a card for that special someone.
However, this kind of stunt is not without its risks. It could also make the supermarket look down-market, which could put some consumers off. That said, it’s a strategy that has proven to be particularly successful for Ryanair. The company’s CEO, Michael O’Learly, regularly makes outrageous claims to the press that serve to remind the public that the airline is one of the cheapest. Yet at the same time, it can impact how much people trust the brand, which is particularly important if your customers are putting their lives in your hands when they pay you to fly them across the world.
It’ll be interesting to see how and if Morrisons reacts to this online chatter. At the moment the company’s Twitter account hasn’t posted anything related to the offer and neither has its Facebook page. But as more and more people join in the conversation, perhaps this will change.
