We all know the golden rule of marketing- know your audience, but what comes after that? In order to incorporate this to a successful campaign, we must also be able to answer the following questions:

How do I reach the customer?  Remember that social media preferences change from age group to age group.

What is relevant and in the news?  Know your audience’s interests. Incorporate pop culture or breaking stories.

How can I get a reaction?  Call your audience to take action. Know when to be clever, sincere, funny, or compelling in your tone to gain the right response.

Taco Bell answered the above and came up with a great promotion. By reaching customers via its website/social media and tying in the current NBA Championship, they elicited a reaction with the “Steal a Game, Steal a Taco” promotion. Everyone loves a memorable tagline, but they especially love free things.

According to NBC Chicago:

Taco Bell teamed up with the NBA for a promotion called Steal a Taco, which gives fans free tacos if a team “steals” a win on the road. The Warriors won against Cleveland in Game 4, so fans across the country got a free Doritos Locos Taco from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at participating Taco Bell restaurants.

So all you taco lovers out there, enjoy your free taco; as for the rest of us- take this lesson from the master marketers at Taco Bell. By being able to answer those three questions, you have a better chance of being noticed by your target audience and seeing a return on your investment. As much as I like tacos, that ROI sounds much more satisfying.