When Jonny Heneghan tweeted that he was prepared to swap his car for a new bike, he did not expect any response from Wiggle – the online sports retailer.
But the Portsmouth-based company called his bluff by replying ‘Sounds like a fair trade’ and this weekend Heneghan picked up his new Mekk bike as well as a Kask helmet.
We have no idea how much the car is worth, but we can recognise great PR and great use of social media.
Simply by monitoring their Twitter feed, spotting an opportunity and being prepared (and empowered) to follow it up, Wiggle have gained a large amount of valuable, brand-building, touch-feely publicity.
Let’s face it, do you feel more or less positive towards Wiggle after reading this article?
Case closed.
By Iain Martin