THE NANA ADDO KALYPPO PHOTO CRAZE: HOW TO CULT TWITTER

 The #Kalyppo Campaign

Nana Addo Sipping Kalyppo

On the day most people thought Imani Ghana and its exercise on the autopsy of the 2012 NDC manifesto was going to trend more, especially when they gave the ruling government a 52.9%, someway or somehow, it was Nana Addo who got a lot of people talking and indeed was trending on twitter in Ghana with the hashtag Kalyppo (#Kalyppo)

A photo of the opposition leader drinking Kalyppo, one of many juice box in the country got twitter going nut. 

Call it a blessing, but, it was clear the intended purpose of the photo was to ridicule the man but from the look of things it has rather kicked off a marketing campaign for the drink and the NPP party in general. 

Many people took to twitter to comment on the photo and some started sending photos of themselves sipping Kalyppo and called on friends to join in.  So what did we learn from the Nana Addo Kalyppo craze. 

    1. TWITTER FOLLOWERSHIP IS KEY

When the photo was published, many analyzed it as ridicule stunt but the NPP camp and Nana Addo fans or followers saw it differently. They saw him as a ‘common’ man. Often Nana Addo has been portrayed as a man who was born with a silver spoon in the mouth so when people saw the photo they were moved.

In the 2008 elections in the US, President Obama smart use of the internet and social media was heralded as one of the tactics that got him the seat. Your social media and online communities are sure to play a role if you manage it well. Your followers can defend you even when you are not in the mood for a twitter fight, online poll among others. What is a leader, if he got no followership? So build you followership. 

President Mahama, (@JDMahama) has 271k followers while Nana Addo (@NaKufoAddo) 109k followers, however, the Nana Addo camp has more engagement with it followers than the president on twitter.

  

2.  JOIN A CAMPAIGN

Kalyppo is a household name when it comes to juice box in Ghana. Aquafresh, manufactures of the drink has its segment focused on school going kids.

Its therefore very interesting the NPP supporters are taking the craze on, to start an online campaign, probably, to counter NDC Bolt thunder signature move out doored by the President.

The managers and marketers of the drink have gotten an open window to increase sales and image of the drink as supporters clash on social media

They have a unique opportunity to cult new segments and targets markets so far as the banter on twitter and social media at large continue. In the days ahead Photoshop pictures of the two campaigns will flood social media as the two battle to catch attention.

It will be interesting to know the reaction of Aquafresh on the developing story and its plans for the drink as the drink image take a new dimension.

3. TURN THREAT TO OPPORTUNITY

On social media, opportunities are like tides, they come in various forms and sometimes through strange doors. On social media you can be heard and you can stick it in if you want to on any issue and subject.

When the photo started trending the NDC camp poached it and started running to town with it to heckle and tease their opponents.

It took the NPP some few hours to counter that and they did it massively well. The hashtag Kalyppo caught fire without people knowing it was a political campaign being staged. This was smoothly done because they bypassed the name Nana Addo which usually fronts their campaign.

If the campaign is managed well, it will take the NDC some work to water it down. The NPP took a threat posed by the NDC supporters in to an opportunity and can now shoot their campaign message of industrialization, private sector growth and the long and stretched made in Ghana campaign.

This weekend the NPP will outdoor its manifesto and with the Kalyppo campaign getting that overwhelming support, don’t be surprise when you see Kalyppo been served on the grounds and more photos of Nana Addo sipping his Kalyppo.

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