Brands use big cat on the loose to enhance connectivity with culture

The existence of an apparent cougar roaming the streets of Rochester and captured by a doorbell camera created instant content for news outlets and talk show hosts on Thursday, July 10.

By the end of the weekend, social media memes showed the big cat had been on quite the I Love the ROC tour.

He/she had bowled at Radio Social, sipped on a draft beer at TC Hooligan’s Bar & Grill, peered over the counter at Parkleigh, bought a John Cougar Mellencamp album at Record Archive, slurped its tongue across a monster ice cream cone at Hedonist Artisan Ice Cream, enjoyed an iced coffee from Gloria Jean’s Coffees, strolled past the Zweigle’s plant on South Plymouth Avenue, tried on a wedding ring at The Source Fine Jewelers and lounged across a Beautyrest mattress at Charlotte Furniture and Appliance.

This cat gets around.

Scores, if not hundreds, of Rochester-area businesses took advantage of the viral moment to create big-cat memes to share on their social media accounts. They capitalized on a trending happening to gain brand awareness.

Even first responders joined in the party. The LeRoy Police Department posted on Facebook an image of a cougar standing near one of its police cars with the words, “RPD, come get your cat.” The Hilton Fire Department superimposed a cougar riding a Ferris Wheel to promote its weekend carnival.

“It’s a fun lesson in moving fast in this viral world,” said Mike McDougall, founder and president of public relations agency McDougall Communications. “It’s a great opportunity, but it’s a fleeting opportunity.”

That’s because the shelf life is short. In mere days, the memes may no longer be cute, they may become overused and underwhelming. Such was the case a few years back with the image of Bernie Sanders in a lawn chair.

So when such viral moments strike, it’s wise to move quickly, and then move on, brand marketing experts say.

“Early actors will get more exposure,” said McDougall, whose firm specializes in brand enhancement and protection. “But how often do you see it as your thumb goes down your screen? The more people get on board, the less effective it will be and people will just scroll past.”

For those who did jump in right away, there was definitely value.

“Real-time relevance in culture is helpful to a brand,” said Bob Bailey, founder and managing partner of Truth Collective, an agency specializing in brand strategy. “The trick is being agile enough when the opportunity presents itself.

“And you don’t need to explain why you’re doing what you’re doing. You’re just looking for more association than promotion.”

Indeed, posts on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or X that correlate to events of the day can boost a company’s image.

“I truly believe brands need to be part of culture to resonate with customers,” said Arica Marfoglia, senior strategist at Dixon Schwabl + Co. “You want to become part of the culture that’s around you.”

But in order to resonate, the actions must be authentic. Consumers can easily identify phony.

“You can’t be faking it to make it,” Marfoglia said.

Said Bailey: “It’s important not to be exploitative. You need to evaluate the context of it.”

The animal-on-the-loose memes are quite common. Last month, Ed the Zebra, a pet, became the most famous zebra since Marty of the Madagascar movie series when he escaped in suburban Nashville.

Such viral moments are purely happenstance. How businesses react in the hours that follow can impact their bottom line.

“You have to constantly be paying attention,” Marfoglia said. “It’s real time, all the time.”

And that’s especially true when funny turns tragic. Had harm come to the zebra in Tennessee or the apparent cougar in Rochester, the social media posts could trigger a backlash.

“When things go horribly wrong, then you have to be ready to take that content down quickly,” McDougall said.

[email protected]/(585) 653-4020