For those of you who have not read Ryan Reynolds’ out-of-office emails, you definitely should. I cannot recall a time I genuinely laughed reading an OOO email, and my first thought was “this is so Ryan Reynolds.” He is known for simply being straight out funny, whether it’s his tweets about his daughter or his Green Lantern commercials, he is always making us laugh. These OOO office emails are exactly what I would expect from him given his personality.
While reading the away messages written by Reynolds, I thought of my colleague Matt’s OOO email from the week leading up to our client LIFEcycle’s annual ‘Ride Round Rhody cycling event. He was out marking routes practically all week for the riders, because he expected torrential downpours would likely wash out any early markings.
To fit the theme of the wet weather, Matt included the link to the song “Who’ll Stop the Rain” by Creedence Clearwater Revival at the end of his OOO email response. Thanks to him, that song was stuck in my head during his entire time out of the office. When I saw the message, I also could not help but laugh and think “this is so Matt.”
This week while on vacation in Vancouver, Matt wrote an OOO entitled, “I’m Probably at Tim Horton’s Right Now,” and attached a video of the Boston Bruins winning the Cup over Vancouver in 2011.
I may be a marketing intern with no previous marketing experience, but one of the biggest lessons I have learned up until this point is marketing is way more than just strategies you learn in a textbook. I have learned how important it is to simply be real.
These OOO emails are the perfect move for Aviation American Gin, because they are so genuine and on-brand. In every email Reynolds talks about how it is “the best damn gin,” and now everyone is talking about it. Laughter resonates with people, and it’s simply Ryan Reynolds being Ryan Reynolds.
Being personal with your clients and other individuals you interact with is what makes marketing great. It is what solidifies relationships and makes people likable. Yes, there is the important aspect of marketing plans and execution, but being a good and genuine person is just as important and such an easy tool to use to your advantage. Everyone is unique, and owning who you are and what makes your ideas unique will make you stand out.
The best part about this is the simplicity. They did nothing more than write and set an OOO email with the right wording for the right person, and now everyone wants their gin.
I have learned it’s not all about being professional. After I have emailed the same woman 20 times about rental information for an event I can be casual and myself because that’s who I am and she is working with me. Being authentic attracts attention and makes me memorable, and that is the greatest marketing tool there is.
I will eventually have to take marketing classes and learn the strategies in the textbooks, but I think I have learned one of the most important marketing lessons of all. I will never forget the song in Matt’s email, or reading Ryan Reynolds’ emails, because they stuck with me for the sole reason they were exactly what I would have expected from them.