Surreal’s Out-of-the-Bowl Social Media Marketing Winning Organic Reach
If you haven’t heard of Surreal yet – you’re in for a treat. This UK-based breakfast cereal brand has skyrocketed to one of the most engaged profiles on LinkedIn. How? With witty, self-deprecating, and downright unpredictable campaigns that have left everyone talking.
Even though we have yet to taste their cereals since they are not available in our locations, their extraordinary social media brilliance has us all paying attention. Surreal has cracked the code for making social media marketing.
People crave fresh content that is not preachy, provocative, harmful, controversial, and skimpy. While it’s hard to predict how all this fame and these impressions will translate to revenue, one thing’s for sure—the numbers don’t hurt anyone.
To make a long story short? Surreal has nothing to lose and everything to win. The digital space has given them a playground where audience desires run wild, far from the same-old, run-of-the-mill trends. So that’s what they did.
Stirring the social playground
Imagine billboards boldly proclaiming an unknown cereal brand– I mean literally unknown- as Ronaldo, Serena Williams, and Dwayne Johnson’s favorite cereal. That stopped attention. That’s not all. They didn’t just say, “Ronaldo loves us”—they followed up with a twist. Their Ronaldo wasn’t the one you were thinking of. The same goes for Serena Williams and The Rock.
By the time you finished your mental gymnastics, the ad had already done its job perfectly. It grabbed your attention and evoked a reaction, whether it was laughter or annoyance.
When Surreal shared these hilarious billboards on LinkedIn, they didn’t just get views—they went viral.
Surreal has found the right way to market itself by striking the perfect balance between disruption and delight. Their marketing game is so on point it’s practically commanding attention.
Serving the right audience
Why would a cereal brand choose a highly sophisticated, professional, and serious social media platform like LinkedIn for its marketing antics?
LinkedIn is the go-to social networking platform for professionals and brands. Just like every other social media platform, it’s all about engagement, likes, and clicks. But let’s be honest—it can get a bit boring. Among the sea of three-piece suits, there’s a special crowd of professionals and aspiring creatives who love to gush over the latest and greatest ads, whether they’re real, fake, controversial, or just plain nonsensical.
Enter Surreal. This brand is ambitious and adventurous with its content, capturing the attention of the creative crowd—people like you, me, and many others who long for surprising, bold, and better marketing strategies and ads than the plain, basic, corporate-proof slideshows.
Surreal’s unusual and unpredictable tone hits the sweet spot for this community, keeping them hooked and craving more. People from all walks of life invest their time of the day with the brand, and its hilarious content has creative juices that leave everyone wanting more.
Even if the buzz doesn’t immediately translate into sales, the geniuses behind Surreal’s page seem to be playing the long game. Their enigmatic presence could be setting the stage for a brilliant strategy to cash in on all this attention.
Distinctive and dominating, this brand isn’t afraid to take shots at everyone—bosses, their relatives, employees, and even other brands. Surreal’s strategy? Tagging everyone along and initiating a reaction is what this brand has been promoting for a long time, and it will not stop anytime soon.
The secret of Surreal is nothing but the oldest trick in the book
The trick is to make your brand humane. Give it all the attributes of a living entity. Whether you turn your brand into an older man, a hot dancer, a Gen Alpha nerd, or even a cheeky monkey, your brand must have a character and a personality.
Surreal brand personality reeks from its posts’ color, content, and message. It’s incredible, unserious, funny, witty, and commanding. It’s genuine. People love honesty over pretentious crap. It makes you (in this case, the brand) more relatable to the audience.
Surreal is running its social media page not just with SEO insights and Gantt charts but by breaking a few glass ceilings on the typically serious, blue-toned LinkedIn. They inject daily humor, silly puns, and harmlessly provocative content, making the platform both insightful and interesting for all.
Cut to the chase
Surreal is riding this wave with boldness and humor, making it a standout in the crowded digital landscape. The brand’s fearless approach has won over audiences, proving that sometimes, taking risks and breaking the mold can lead to extraordinary results.
