Don’t Overlook Unusual And Powerful Branding Opportunities

It’s not often that a small business gets in the press for hiring a corporate star. But Florida Paints took full advantage of Sherwin-Williams’ decision to fire TikTok star Tony Piloseno to bring Piloseno onto the company’s team.

In an article for PR Daily, Proven Media Solutions founder Dustin Siggins said that Sherwin-Williams failed to recognize and incorporate the new marketing opportunity that Tony’s online following offered. After all, teenagers and young adults like the ones who follow Tony are the next generation of renters and homeowners. But the Sherwin-Williams marketing department wasn’t thinking ahead, so they shot down Tony’s proposal for them. Then the company fired him for supposedly taking advantage of company time – not realizing that he was bringing the Sherwin-Williams brand to millions of new potential customers.

Tony ended up getting a job with Florida Paints, a smaller paint company that recognized his talent – and the branding possibilities his social media presence offered. Dustin showed how Florida Paints gained a new employee, new customers, and good publicity, while Sherwin-Williams ended up with a missed opportunity and lots of bad press.

Read the original article here.