A popular social bookmarking tool has been giving out free beer! Reddit, the popular news site that lets users submit top stories, has hosted some major parties and is sponsoring the Drankkit World Tour 2007.
The recently kicked off tour has held Reddit parties at bars and nightclubs in major metropolitan cities, the most recent was this past Saturday at New York's East Village. The tour has already been to San Francisco and Boston, and future venues include Chicago, Detroit, Washington and Los Angeles, with others yet to be announced. Tonight's party is in Toronto, Canada.
"Most of the people in the crowd were avid Reddit members who'd put their usernames on their name tags; they seemed to be a quirky and sociable bunch, and a few people remarked that they'd be interested in seeing what the demographic differences would be if a similar party were thrown by Reddit rival Digg. (Who knows?) Reddit founders Steve Huffman and Alexis Ohanian were actively talking to their guests and keeping the scene at the bar under control (Ohanian wanted to give the bartenders a hand, but the establishment's rules banned him from getting behind the tap)," Extra Technology News reported.
Reddit supplied beer for all attendees, all night. They can afford to do this because the site is now part of the Conde Nast corporation; on October 31, they were bought by Wired Digital.
New Reddit.com members can register for free, after which they can read stories submitted by other users or upload their own links.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Social-media Sponsored Parties
- Companies can create more brand awareness by sponsoring parties through popular social media platforms such as Reddit, allowing them to connect with potential customers and foster relationships in real-life settings.
- Online Community Building
- Companies can build their own online communities through platforms such as Reddit, creating a sense of connection and loyalty among customers who share similar interests and values.
- Freebies as Marketing Strategy
- Companies can use the strategy of giving away freebies such as beer as a way to generate brand recognition, attract customers, and encourage them to share their experiences with others on social media.
Where This Applies
- Beverage Industry
- Beverage companies can use the strategy employed by Reddit in the article to promote their products through sponsoring sales events particularly in bars and nightclubs
- Media and Entertainment Industry
- Companies within the media and entertainment spheres can benefit by sponsoring Reddit-based parties that align with their audiences' interests and foster customer engagement
- Marketing and Advertising Industry
- Marketing and advertising agencies can learn from Reddit's strategy of using freebies as a way of creating brand recognition and increasing customer loyalty within targeted demographics
