| Lucie Curtis 
Election season is now in full swing, and the momentum will only increase from here. Inserting your brand into trending topics such as this can be a smart move, because as Alexa Hoffman writes in Targeting Niche Audiences with Timely Content, “when people are already searching for a specific topic, sharing content related to that topic drives more attention to your organization.” In the press release “Chester Cheetah Sinks His Teeth Into Politics, Campaigns For Mayor Of Chester, Montana,” Frito-Lay North America’s brand Cheetos decided it’s not enough to jump on the election bandwagon. They’re going to drive their own (election) party bus! At first glance, politics is a topic that seems far removed from the Cheetos product. However, having their “spokes-cheetah” bring some levity to the trail is in line with the stories of the playful prankster that Cheetos weaves across advertisements, social media, and other communications channels. “As the official spokes-cheetah for the Cheetos brand, part of Chester’s job is to look for unexpected places to spread his special brand of mischief, and he’s certainly found one with this mayoral race,” said Jeff Klein, vice president of marketing at Frito-Lay brands. “He’s working to bring a cheesier tomorrow and the Orange Party will help us get there, bringing more pranks (and fun) to politics.” And that’s one of the biggest rules when tying your brand to a high profile trending topic: Stay true to your brand identity. 
Your voice needs to be authentic and consistent across all channels. Thanks to Chester’s antics, Cheetos’ brand voice is playful, witty, and a tad devilish, which is reflected in the light-hearted tone of Chester’s mayoral announcement. Authenticity like this sets the stage for building familiarity, trust and ongoing relationships in the marketplace. And if you’re crafting a brand strategy for growth, you need to go big or go home. Cheetos’ out-of-the-box approach works because they fully commit to their content’s story and cross-channel promotion. Many aspects of an actual political campaign are incorporated: There’s a “Chester for Chester” campaign poster, election video, and photos of a tour bus — all of it executed with Cheetos’ cheesy charm and included or mentioned within the press release. Chester even has his own political party … The Orange Party, of course. 
Cheetos also uses multiple channels to continue developing Chester’s campaign story. In addition to distributing a press release, they created the ChesterforChester.com website and #ChesterforChester Twitter hashtag so that Chester’s constituents can follow every step of the campaign trail. By "spicing up" a generally serious topic with some well-timed humor, Cheetos’ content stands out and sparks interest not just around its brand but also the importance of elections and voting. The more multidimensional your content strategy is, the more chances you have to reach your audience. And continually reinforcing your brand’s message across channels over time will help you remain top of mind in your market. Download our e-guide Reach Your Communications Objectives with an Intelligent Mix of Tactics to read more use cases of content we love in action. Author Lucie Vietti-Curtis is the program manager for channel and advocacy marketing at PR Newswire. | 
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