What Has Moo Deng Taught Us About Short-Term Marketing Strategies? 

Introducing Moo Deng, one of the internet’s current short-term marketing strategies. 

If you’ve spent any time on the internet in the past few months, then you are bound to have heard of Moo Deng. 

With a name that translates to “bouncy pork”, and a squishy exterior to match, it is no wonder that the baby pygmy hippopotamus has quickly become the internet’s latest obsession. Search #moodeng and you will be greeted with no less than 29.1K posts on TikTok alone. Many of which are brands. 

As with any trend, it is natural for brands to quickly jump on the bandwagon, pumping out as many videos are possible to show their audiences that they are “hip” and topical. 

Yet, are these quick and dirty trend videos really that effective? Can a brand’s marketing strategy simply be to jump on each and every trend they see, with no through thread? 

Read on to find out more. 

SHORT-TERM MARKETING STRATEGIES LEAD TO A LACK OF CULTURE

Moo Deng’s rise to fame has caught no one by surprise. Her adorable nature and cheeky personality make her the perfect candidate for internet fame. Cute animals consistently perform excellently in marketing as well, inspiring a natural protective instinct in viewers that quickly sells products. 

@dailymail

Moo Deng is the latest viral sensation achieving celebrity status in Thailand. The baby hippo has become a giant online after amassing a legion of fans who make cakes, and artwork inspired by her. She’s gained such status that cosmetics retailer Sephora has jumped on the trend telling users on their socials to ‘wear your blush like a baby hippo’. 🎥X/Khamoo.andthegang #moodeng #hippo #baby #animals #zoo #cute #makeup #cosmetics #pygmyhippo #rare #thailand #zoomies #pygmy

♬ Happy Summer – Vin Music

However, brands who participate in the Moo Deng trend, and others like it, cannot simply claim that as their one and only marketing strategy. Jumping on every trend that passes us by is not a strategy; it is lazy marketing and does nothing for your brand. 

The key to effective marketing is not trends and short-term marketing strategies, it is culture. 

Getting your brand established in modern culture is the ultimate goal for any marketer. A brand that is fully accepted by society and has its own place in culture lives on for decades; not merely 5 minutes on Instagram due to a viral post. 

@cornishsealsanctuary

Jk we love moo deng and pesto #sealsanctuary #moodeng #pesto #maggot

♬ original sound – Cornish Seal Sanctuary

An excellent example of this is Guiness. 

Guinness is known as the United Kingdom’s most adored pint. It’s what everyone reaches for when they watch Rugby and now Football. The brand Guinness has an extensive identity that has been crafted over decades of strategic marketing. An identity that is so strong, that has transcended simply being a part of our culture; it makes culture of its own. 

Take the “Split the G” trend for example. Scroll through TikTok or spend any amount of time in a London pub and you will find plenty of examples of young drinkers engaging in the practice, boosting the drink’s social status and most likely sales to boot. 

@theguinnesseurs

2 G’s splittin’ 2 G’s #guinness #mrbeast #ksi #sidemen #beer #splittheg #irish #fyp #foryoupage

♬ original sound – The Guinnesseurs

Many would argue that Guinness simply got lucky with Gen-Z and younger Millennials beginning to breathe life into this old practice. Yet, it is not luck. It is the fact that Guinness has such a steadfast role in our society, such a rich history and place in our culture, that people essentially do the marketing for it. 

One will notice that Guinness’s social channels have a distinct lack of Moo Deng memes. That is because its marketers understand that joining in on the hippo-fun does not suit the drink’s brand identity, and its extensive back story. 

However, not all marketers are this intelligent it seems. 

THE PROBLEM WITH MOO DENG 

As previously mentioned, the internet is filled to the brim with brands posting their very own take on the Moo Deng trend. Many of these posts feel last-minute and poorly thought out, ultimately alienating audiences rather than appealing to them. 

A fantastic example of these Moo Deng centric short-term marketing strategies is Pizza Hut. The popular pizza brand released a Moo Deng ad just a few weeks ago, which depicted Moo Deng charging for an irresistible slice of delicious Pizza Hut pizza. 

Audiences were slightly amused, but quickly moved on. In fact, they moved on so fast that it is hard to say if the ad had any impact at all. This paragraph is likely the longest anyone has spoken about it. 

The Pizza Hut Moo Deng ad comes off as sloppy. It does not tie in to Pizza Hut’s broader brand identity, nor communicate some essential message to its target audience. It is merely a brand trying to be on trend, engaging with short-term marketing strategies that do nothing for its overall marketing. 

Ads such as these lack strategy and alienate viewers. It leaves them confused about what a brand stands for, what they are trying to achieve, and what culture they are trying to cultivate. 

This is not to say that every brand should steer clear of Moo Deng, however. Multiple brands have successfully played into the trend, finding a way to do so whilst still upholding their brand identity. 

For example, The Bakeking, a popular baking influencer who creates ultra realistic cakes, released a video of himself making a Moo Deng cake. Whilst a simple concept, the video is in keeping with his brand identity. It touches upon a style and theme that his audience has already proven to love; it does not feel like a random grasp at views, but rather a natural joining in on topical conversation. 

WHAT CAN MOO DENG TEACH US ABOUT SHORT-TERM MARKETING STRATEGIES?

Ultimately, the key to modern marketing is not trendy short-term marketing strategies.

Yes, staying on up to date with pop-culture is essential to appealing to modern audiences, but this should never be done at the expense of one’s brand identity. Research has shown that merely focusing on short-term marketing strategies hinders a brand. Instead, “what grows brands is the long-term commitment to creative strategy and consistent execution”. 

As such, brands should be thinking about the long-term, not merely the short-term marketing strategies. A viral video about Moo Deng may boost your views for a few days, but this audience will quickly drop off when the rest of your content has a different feel. It is far more important to have a solid brand identity that stands the test of time, that weaves itself into the fabric of our society – eg, Guinness – than it is to get 5 million views on a Moo Deng video. 

At the end of the day, think long term about your brand. Your brand is here to stand the test of time, to go down in history. It will only do this by being a part of culture, by existing as itself, as a stand alone entity.

So, avoid the Moo Deng siren call. You will thank yourself in the long run.

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@sociallypowerful