“Orange is the New Black” is back.
The third season of the hit Netflix original series was released surprisingly early, and fans across the world are currently rearranging their schedules to squeeze in as much binge watching time as possible.
For a show exclusively available to Netflix subscribers, it’s remarkable how much recognition and widespread popularity OITNB has received after just two seasons. While there is no way to know actual viewership (as Netflix doesn’t release those numbers), we can probably gauge its popularity from the over 8 million views the season three trailer has received on YouTube.
What makes OITNB so irresistibly memorable, entertaining and admired? What sets it apart from the noise from the other 8 p.m. cable shows? Is it possible to take what we know and love about OITNB and translate that knowledge into a killer public relations campaign?
I think we can.
My favorite professor during my undergraduate time at the University of Florida (shout out to K.T.) had my PR strategy class read a book called “Made to Stick” by Chip and Dan Heath.
The book discusses the six key elements of a winning communications campaign: Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional and Stories.
Over the next week we’ll explore how those six key elements relate to the hype around OITNB, and how you can apply the concepts to create a successful public relations campaign for your product or service.