The Dawn of Post-Pandemic Partnerships
Jordan Kelley, Content Director, BrandStorytelling.tv
The ever-popular streaming service Netflix just released their latest in a string of brand-new films that land on the service weekly. "Yes Day", a family film about two parents who decide to indulge their children for one whole day by saying yes to whatever they propose, is available for you and your children's viewing pleasure. The film certainly fits the mold for the kind of family fun escapist romp that parents have turned to for the last year to keep their children entertained during various waves of lockdowns and social distancing. But what sets the release of this streamer apart from Trolls or the Croods? Yes Day arrives at a critical juncture in our collective pandemic experience. With the number of vaccinated individuals growing and the Spring/Summer seasons approaching, the Netflix film arrives just in time to be emulated - an experience that has been unfathomable for the last 365 days.
With this in mind, vacation rental booking service VRBO jumped on the opportunity to partner with the film, offering "Yes Day" style rental opportunities for families, including but not limited to: staying in a former firehouse, renting a place with a private movie theater, taking over a river resort, and more. It's worth noting that the partnered promotion here is an excellent value, with places on the "Yes Day Stay" approved list starting at a mere twenty dollars a night (beginning Friday, 3/19).
Yes, hotels and vacation rental sites have been working hard to fill rooms and retain customers over the last year. Offering discounted experiences in difficult times is nothing new. But the nature of this promotion and partnership does something else - it points forward at the future. It represents the idea that we've entered (or are at least entering) a new marketing and advertising cycle, one where brands can point to the promise of opportunities and experiences to come, unfettered by the need to focus so heavily on things we've seen over and over for a year (think performative cleanliness, dithering promises to be there for you "whenever you're ready", etc.).
Yes Day + VRBO can be seen as a signal to brand marketers that it's time to usher in new ideas, opportunities, and messaging for the consumer. As the ice of the pandemic thaws, people will undoubtedly be chomping at the bit to revel in the kinds of experiences denied them by a year's worth of global pandemic. And much the way that brands caught on to each other's messaging style when nobody knew how to initially respond to Covid, it's all too likely that the same will happen now.
About Jordan Kelley
Jordan Kelley is the Content Director at BrandStorytelling.tv. He's an essayist, editor, and observer intent on mapping new media trends and disseminating the most relevant information in the world of branded content. Jordan is a lover of stories and an avid consumer of new media.
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