\n
Contrary to the song popularized in the \u201950s, the character known for letting you know that only you<\/em> can prevent wildfires is \u201cSmokey Bear,\u201d not \u201cSmokey the<\/em> Bear.\u201d<\/p>\n\u201cThere\u2019s no \u2018the,\u2019\u201d Michael Bellavia, CEO of marketing and communications agency HelpGood, told Marketing Brew. \u201cThat will make the Forest Service go nutty.\u201d<\/p>\n
For the last 15+ years, Bellavia and his team have worked with the Ad Council, the US Forest Service, and the National Association of State Foresters to correct name misperceptions and raise awareness of how to prevent wildfires as the force behind Smokey Bear\u2019s social media accounts. Smokey can be found on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and X, but he is no longer on MySpace.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think he finally got off of it,\u201d Bellavia said. \u201cAs most people did.\u201d<\/p>\n
With years of experience across social platforms, Bellavia told us about how he has brought the iconic figure to life online and worked to keep him relevant in these ever-changing digital times.<\/p>\n
Fired up<\/h2>\n
Smokey Bear turned 80 last month, but he has remained somewhat consistent over the years. As a federally regulated character, Bellavia said there are some limits as to what Smokey can and can\u2019t do online, especially when it comes to straying from the \u201cOnly you can prevent wildfires\u201d message.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a very tight lane, but that\u2019s also what\u2019s helped him stand the test of time,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Bellavia said he often looks to other government agencies on social media for inspiration. Sometimes, he\u2019ll pitch an idea to the Forest Service as, \u201cIf NASA can do this, can we do that?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
There were previously \u201cunwritten rules around Smokey engaging in non-forest-fire-fighting activity like lifting weights or dancing, but pushing the envelope has proved to work well for Bellavia\u2019s team. In late 2016, they produced a \u201cmannequin challenge\u201d video without prior approval, which he said helped propel the social strategy forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe figured that [the Forest Service] might say no, and so we produced it on the sly, \u201d he said. \u201cIt was [Smokey\u2019s] highest-performing video out of any PSA that they’d ever launched, and it was skunk-worked and produced for like $1.50, so I think that they couldn\u2019t ignore that.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Marketing Brew informs marketing pros of the latest on brand strategy, social media, and ad tech via our weekday newsletter, virtual events, marketing conferences, and digital guides.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Smokey continues to participate in current viral trends. A recent video of Smokey dancing to Chappell Roan\u2019s hit song \u201cHOT TO GO!\u201d has become one of his top-performing videos on social, Bellavia said, and has nearly 100,000 likes on Instagram.<\/p>\n
In the last few years, Bellavia said he and his team have experimented with using more slang to give Smokey a \u201cfun uncle\u201d type vibe\u2014but with caution. \u201cI try to not make it like that Steve Buscemi \u2018How do you do, fellow kids?\u2019 type of thing,\u201d he said, referencing the 30 Rock<\/em> meme.<\/p>\nShowing up unexpectedly in the comments section when the account is tagged on social has also helped Smokey\u2019s following grow on social, Bellavia said. \u201cIf people are walking around and see somebody left an abandoned campfire, they\u2019ll tag him and he\u2019ll growl at something like that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
But that\u2019s as far as Smokey\u2019s policing goes, according to Bellavia. \u201cHe\u2019s not a cop,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019re supposed to regulate and be the governor of your own actions.\u201d<\/p>\n
Physical brand mascots continue to grow in popularity, and Bellavia said Smokey will continue to feature in videos, as well as appear in places like state fairs, the Today s<\/em>how, and the Macy\u2019s Thanksgiving Day Parade. He\u2019s also participated in Advertising Week\u2019s mascot gatherings and competitions.<\/p>\nBellavia said he expects to see more brands adopting mascots in the future, touting the benefits compared to using actual, human spokespeople. \u201cIt gives [brands] a little bit more power, and an easier way to convey a message,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
As for the next message Bellavia hopes to convey on Smokey\u2019s socials? Finally correcting the source of the \u201cthe\u201d confusion.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d love to see us do, at some point, a brand new song for [Smokey],\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s been a while since the 1950s song came out.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Read the full article here<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Contrary to the song popularized in the \u201950s, the character known for letting you know that only you can prevent wildfires is \u201cSmokey Bear,\u201d not \u201cSmokey the Bear.\u201d \u201cThere\u2019s no \u2018the,\u2019\u201d Michael Bellavia, CEO of marketing and communications agency HelpGood, told Marketing Brew. \u201cThat will make the Forest Service go nutty.\u201d For the last 15+ […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21516,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[78],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-21515","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-marketing"},"yoast_head":"\n
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