Spirits brands frequently use celebrity fanfare to bolster their brand with sponsorships. Malibu took a similar approach with Maroon 5, but encouraged fans to express their support by giving them the opportunity to bring the band to their city. Malibu placed ads on Spotify targeting Maroon 5 listeners, inviting them to vote on and nominate cities where Maroon 5 should perform next. Votes could be submitted on a mobile-optimized Facebook app or microsite MalibuIsland.com. Once New York City was selected as the winner, the brand invited those who had voted to attend the concert for free.
Malibu extended the campaign to Twitter by offering individual (for example a Maroon 5 signed Fender guitar) for tweeting with the hashtag #MalibuMaroon5.
A glitch prevented easy switching between platforms, and led to a stream of negative reviews. However, overall results were stellar. Malibu’s Facebook community size grew by 56% or 700k fans over a five-month span. The brand is extending its payoff from the campaign by using participant data and sending regular emails. Malibu’s campaign was featured as a Flash of Genius in our Digital IQ Index®: Spirits report.