newsjacking

Definition

The practice of inserting your brand into breaking news or trending topics to hijack attention for marketing purposes. Opportunism disguised as timely relevance.

Example Usage

We tried newsjacking the eclipse by tweeting 'Our deals are too bright to ignore'—it got ratio'd immediately.

Origin

Coined by marketing strategist David Meerman Scott in 2011

Fun Fact

The most successful newsjacking campaign is arguably Oreo's 'You can still dunk in the dark' tweet during the 2013 Super Bowl blackout, which cost nothing and generated millions in earned media.

Source: Social media marketing and PR terminology

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