WestJet and the Secret to Epic Content Marketing: Start with the Smile [Video]

What’s the secret to epic content marketing?  Start with the smile.

Start with the smile of your audience and work back from there. It sounds so simple, but so many brands get it wrong when they use an ‘interruption marketing’ mindset and begin with their own agenda, and not the happiness of the audience.

One brand getting it right though is WestJet, the Canadian low cost carrier that has just created some wondrous seasonal heartwarming YouTube content (below) – that just makes you, and 6 million other people, smile.

The WestJet Christmas Miracle video shot in Toronto and Hamilton airports features a couple of innovative digital installations at the departure gates where passengers tell a virtual Santa what they want for Christmas (note to self- there’s a digital POS opportunity here).  Cue teams of WestJet staff at destination airports running around to buy and wrap the presents.  Hey presto, on arrival the presents arrive on the luggage carousel.  Post on YouTube, generate 6 million smiles, good will and brand affinity.

I could go on about the psychology of smiling – that smiling actually makes you happy, triggers positive thoughts, reduces blood pressure, makes you appear more attractive and competent, and is associated with well-being and even longer life expectancy – but just watch the short TED talk – and just remember that the secret to great content marketing is to start with the smile.