Newsjacking: What It Means & How to Use It

What Is Newsjacking?

Newsjacking is a marketing and PR strategy where brands use breaking news stories or trending events to promote their own message, gaining media coverage and audience attention.

The term was popularized by marketer David Meerman Scott, who defined it as "the art and science of injecting your ideas into a breaking news story to generate tons of media coverage, get sales leads, and grow business."

In simple terms: When something is trending, brands find a clever way to join the conversation and get noticed.

How Newsjacking Works

The Newsjacking Lifecycle

The key is speed. You have a narrow window—often just hours—to create and publish relevant content before the moment passes.

Types of Newsjacking

Proactive Newsjacking

Anticipating news events and preparing content in advance.

Examples of predictable events:

• Award shows (Oscars, Grammys)
• Sports events (Super Bowl, World Cup)
• Product launches (Apple keynotes)
• Elections and political events
• Holidays and anniversaries
• Seasonal trends

Advantage: More time to prepare polished content.

Reactive Newsjacking

Responding in real-time to unexpected breaking news.

Examples:

• Celebrity announcements
• Viral moments
• Unexpected events (blackouts, mishaps)
• Social media trends
• Breaking scandals or crises

Advantage: Higher authenticity if done well. Higher risk if done poorly.

Famous Newsjacking Examples

Oreo's Super Bowl Blackout (2013)

When the lights went out during Super Bowl XLVII, Oreo tweeted within minutes:

"Power out? No problem. You can still dunk in the dark."

Results:

• 15,000+ retweets
• 20,000+ Facebook likes
• Became a textbook marketing case study

Why it worked: A 15-person team was ready to react to anything during the game, responding within 10 minutes.

KFC's "FCK" Apology (2018)

When KFC UK ran out of chicken (the ultimate crisis for a chicken restaurant), they responded with a full-page newspaper ad rearranging their logo to spell "FCK."

Why it worked:

• Acknowledged the problem with humor
• Self-deprecating and authentic
• Turned a PR disaster into brand love

Wendy's Election Commentary (2024)

During the US presidential election, Wendy's joined political conversations on X (Twitter) with humorous, brand-appropriate commentary.

Why it worked:

• Stayed true to their sassy brand voice
• Didn't take political sides
• Entertained without offending

6S Marketing's iPhone Moment

When rumors spread that Apple's new phone would be called "iPhone 6S," the marketing agency 6S Marketing jumped on the trend with #WeAre6S.

Results:

• 1,200+ articles published
• Massive brand awareness from a coincidence

How to Newsjack Effectively

Step 1: Monitor News Constantly

Tools to use:

• Google Alerts for industry keywords
• Twitter/X trending topics
• News aggregators (Google News, Apple News)
• Social listening tools
• Reddit and community forums

Tip: Set up alerts for topics related to your industry so you're ready when opportunities arise.

Step 2: Act Fast

The newsjacking window is short:

Speed matters more than perfection. A quick, relevant response beats a polished but late one.

Step 3: Find a Genuine Connection

Your newsjack must connect your brand to the story naturally.

Good connection:

• A fitness brand commenting on an athlete's viral moment
• A tech company reacting to a major product launch
• A food brand engaging with a cooking trend

Forced connection:

• Exploiting tragedies to sell products
• Inserting your brand where it doesn't belong
• Making everything about your product

Step 4: Match Your Brand Voice

Stay authentic to your existing brand personality:

• If you're usually serious, don't suddenly become comedic
• If you're playful, don't become preachy
• Maintain your values and positioning

Step 5: Execute Quickly

Content formats that work:

• Social media posts (fastest)
• Quick blog posts or articles
• Memes and graphics
• Video responses
• Press releases for bigger opportunities

Newsjacking Risks and Mistakes

What NOT to Newsjack

Tragedies and disasters Never use deaths, natural disasters, or human suffering for marketing.

Sensitive political issues Unless your brand is explicitly political, avoid taking sides.

Ongoing crises Don't newsjack stories where people are still being harmed.

Controversial figures Association with scandal can backfire.

Famous Newsjacking Fails

Kenneth Cole's Egypt Tweet (2011)

During the Egyptian revolution, Kenneth Cole tweeted about their spring collection with "Millions are in uproar in #Cairo. Rumor is they heard our new spring collection is now available online."

Why it failed: Exploited a serious political uprising for product promotion. Massive backlash followed.

Many Brands During Hurricane Sandy

Multiple brands tried to use Hurricane Sandy hashtags to sell products while people were losing homes and lives.

The lesson: Tragic events are never newsjacking opportunities.

When to Newsjack

Good Opportunities

• Entertainment events (awards, premieres)
• Sports moments (wins, viral plays)
• Positive viral trends
• Industry news and product launches
• Pop culture moments
• Lighthearted viral content
• Predictable annual events

Avoid These

• Deaths and tragedies
• Political conflicts
• Natural disasters
• Health crises
• Crimes and trials
• Religious controversies
• Anything causing harm

Newsjacking Best Practices

Do's

• Be fast — Speed is everything
• Be relevant — Find genuine connections
• Be witty — Clever content gets shared
• Be prepared — Have a team ready to react
• Be authentic — Stay true to your brand
• Be respectful — Read the room

Don'ts

• Don't force it — If there's no natural connection, skip it
• Don't be insensitive — Never exploit tragedy
• Don't be late — Yesterday's news is worthless
• Don't over-promote — Subtle brand integration works better
• Don't offend — Know your audience's boundaries
• Don't plagiarize — Create original content

Setting Up a Newsjacking System

1. Build a Rapid Response Team

Identify who can:

• Monitor news and trends
• Make quick decisions
• Create content fast
• Approve and publish immediately

2. Prepare Templates and Assets

Have ready-to-use:

• Brand graphics and logos
• Content templates
• Approval workflows
• Publishing tools

3. Establish Guidelines

Define in advance:

• Topics you will/won't touch
• Approval requirements
• Brand voice guidelines
• Legal considerations

4. Practice Speed

Run internal drills:

• "How fast can we post a response?"
• "Who needs to approve what?"
• "What's our minimum viable content?"

Measuring Newsjacking Success

Metrics to Track

Immediate:

• Social media engagement (likes, shares, comments)
• Reach and impressions
• Follower growth
• Website traffic spike

Short-term:

• Media mentions and coverage
• Backlinks generated
• Brand sentiment
• Search visibility

Long-term:

• Brand awareness lift
• New audience acquisition
• Sales impact (if trackable)

Newsjacking for Small Brands

You don't need a big team to newsjack:

Tips for small businesses:

• Focus on industry-specific news (less competition)
• Use social media as your primary channel
• Prepare templates in advance
• Set up news alerts for your niche
• React authentically, not perfectly

Example: A local bakery commenting on a baking show trend can work just as well as a big brand moment—if done authentically.

Summary

Newsjacking is a powerful marketing tactic when done right. The formula is simple:

1. Monitor — Stay aware of trending news
2. Evaluate — Is there a genuine, appropriate connection?
3. Create — Make relevant content fast
4. Publish — Speed matters more than perfection
5. Measure — Track results and learn

Remember: The best newsjacks feel natural, add value to the conversation, and respect the original story. When in doubt, skip it—forced newsjacking does more harm than good.

Related Terms: Learn about viral marketing, trending topics, and real-time marketing to expand your marketing vocabulary.

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