Mall of America’s newsjacking generates huge response
When passengers were stuck in a nearby airport, Mall of America invited them over. It’s part of a strategy that emphasizes newsjacking, celebrity sightings and storytelling about big events.
Last summer, two days of computer woes forced Delta Airlines to cancel hundreds of flights nationwide—dozens of them at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport—and many more were delayed.
As passengers prepared to bunk in on sleeping mats and airport restaurants extended their hours, Mall of America newsjacked the event by offering an alternative.
The 5.6 million-square-foot shopping megalopolis is a 13-minute light-rail ride away from the airport, and the mail cranked out a blog post titled, “Flight delayed? 11 things to do at MOA.” (Among other attractions, the site boasts a 27-ride amusement park and a 1.3 million-gallon aquarium.) Then MOA pushed the message.
“We targeted social ads to people at Minneapolis airport,” says Timothy Pate, blog and digital project manager. “It was a huge success, where we not only saw readership [increase], but through social listening were able to see those people stuck at the airport enjoying their layovers at Mall of America.”
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