I can’t claim that headline. I read it somewhere on Facebook or Twitter or some other abyss on the internet. It’s a good headline though, as those of you in Iowa know exactly what this is all about. And thanks to some solid PR efforts on behalf of the Iowa State Fair, the whole world can know about it now.
If I told you that the choice of a butter sculpture would be picked up in the NY Times you’d think I was nuts. But that’s what happened.
When the Iowa State Fair announced a Michael Jackson tribute made out of butter they were met with serious criticism from fair goers and Iowans in general.
Did the Fair run and hide? Did they move forward with their plan anyway? Nope.
The Fair did exactly what they should have done. They put together a vote allowing the people to decide whether or not the King of Pop should be given the butter treatment. The voting took on a life of its own. Places like Facebook and Twitter were overwhelmed with people stating their opposition or favor of MJ in butter. All of the links drove people to the voting poll on the Iowa State Fair’s Web site.
Was this staged? Don’t know. Did the fair realize that announcing something like this might have given them all kinds of publicity? Again, don’t know. But you have to hand it to them for generating interest in the fair just three weeks before the gates open.
Want to take a potential negative and turn it into something great? Just ask the fair for a social media testimonial. The Iowa State Fair drew more than 100,000 people to its Web site to vote on its Michael Jackson question. And that’s how it should be, the Iowa State Fair belongs to the people of Iowa, and the leaders at the Fair realized that. Good show.
Author: Josh Fleming
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