Electronics retailer Best Buy has declared October 30, 2008 Vampire Awareness Day. That's right, you read correctly. The eve of All Hallow's Eve is the culmination of Best Buy's campaign to defend and empower consumers against the evil "vampire power," which they describe as "the electricity that consumer electronics and appliances use while they are switched off or in a standby mode".
Not only will reducing such vampire power save consumers money that is needlessly wasted (an estimated $4 billion every year in the United States), but in addition, as David Suzuki explains, "a more energy-efficient home will... reduce the emissions that cause climate change". It sounds like a win-win situation.
So here's a shout-out to Best Buy for creating a tongue-in-cheek campaign that not only educates its consumers and promotes environmentalism, but also for taking advantage of some smart Web 2.0 strategies. They have used the Internet as a medium with which to build relationships with their customers in a clever and engaging way.
This venture not only positions Best Buy as an expert and opinion leader in the industry, but also demonstrates the company's eagerness to share their knowledge with the public. I think it's pretty neat.
This venture not only positions Best Buy as an expert and opinion leader in the industry, but also demonstrates the company's eagerness to share their knowledge with the public. I think it's pretty neat.
