A couple of days before the start of the season, the Philadelphia Eagles pulled off a Big Idea by partnering with a flushable wipe brand, DUDE Wipes.
A football team? A wipe brand? Really.
Yes, it all makes sense – especially if you already knew that the Eagles’ signature offensive play is the Tush Push, a short-yardage, full-contact scrum that the team relies on to convert touchdowns and first downs.
On this day, the Eagles and DUDE Wipes created news – not just made it. The essence of the Big Idea is when an organization creates something that, in the words of Bonnie Raitt, gives people somethin’ to talk about.
For public relations practitioners, a Big Idea is inventing new rules and boundaries and taking action that is memorable.
Think of some of the Big Ideas that have stuck in your mind, including:
- Handing out free Italian Ice on the first day of spring
- Lighting buildings pink for Breast Cancer Awareness
- Living in an RV for a week to raise donations to an organization dedicated to ending food insecurity.
At AKCG, we have employed more than our own share of Big Ideas – including a wish-granting program for residents of a senior living provider and an industry film premiere event of a movie that focuses on the retirement community experience.
Big ideas can be clever and a bit silly. But, mostly, they are strategic ways to put a fresh twist on communicating key messages.
It’s a Big World and You Need to Stand Out
As DUDE Wipes may have learned, Big Ideas are more important now than ever. The media landscape is changing radically – outlets are shrinking. Competition for airtime and story space is fiercer than ever.
A Big Idea may be the thing to help you break through. How else is a flushable wipe brand going to get ink?
It may seem like the rule when it comes to Big Ideas is that you should not play by any rules, but nothing could be further from the truth. To us at AKCG, the rule of thumb, when it comes to Big Ideas, is to connect dots in unexpected ways. Think of what can surprise targets and engage them with your message.
The very best Big Ideas maintain sight of the overarching goals and objectives of a public relations program, because as splashy as Big Ideas can be, we don’t recommend PR for PR’s sake.
Add Energy to Your Public Relations Plans
Big Ideas can be fun – both for the agency and the client. Our media relations specialists flex their creative muscles in new and expected ways, giving the client a new opportunity to stand out in crowded marketplaces, engage stakeholders and accelerate their reputation.
For many organizations, Big Ideas is the cherry on top of an already-strong public relations program. The day-to-day work continues, but once or twice a year, a Big Idea gives that existing program a jolt – a special package of plays that helps the brand show up in a new, memorable way.
Big Ideas don’t just make news; they give people content to talk about. One memorable program, aligned to a client’s larger strategy, can earn ink and airtime that stands out in a crowded, shrinking media field – and makes the rest of the PR plan perform more effectively. Big Ideas aren’t about stunts for stunt’s sake; they are about finding that unexpected, talkable angle that still ladders back to strategy.
DUDE Wipes sponsored the Philadelphia Eagles as a way to have some fun, but mostly to separate its brand from every other single flushable wipe that exists. And – much like the first-place football team they support – DUDE Wipes seems to have a knack for the big play.
The Big Idea play, that is.
For organizations that are willing to add a few of those Big Idea plays to their own PR playbook, the field is wide open.
