Charlie Sheen And The Power Of Social Media In The Digital Marketing Arena

The use of social media is becoming ever more popular, as evidenced by Experian Hitwise’s latest report, which shows that social networking sites are now more popular than entertainment sites.  The figures reveal that 12.4 per cent of all UK internet traffic in January 2011 was accounted for by social media sites, collectively amassing 2.4 billion visits.  The figures show just how much scope for exposure there is for businesses that follow the social media route as part of their digital media campaign.  Perhaps the most obvious example of the power of sites such as Facebook and Twitter comes in the form of actor Charlie Sheen’s battle with his former employers at Warner Bros.

Removing the Sheen

Following a disagreement with his bosses over their refusal to meet his $3m per episode wage demands for Two and a Half Men, Sheen has been axed from the popular sitcom.  The relationship between Warner Bros and the actor seems to have been strained beyond repair, with the entertainment giant alluding to the fact that Sheen has been regularly abusing substances in a strongly worded letter to his lawyer.  As a result they claim that he has been forgetting his lines, turning up late for work and even missing rehearsals.  Sheen has point blank refused all accusations levelled against him and gone on the offensive, using social media as his weapon in an equally striking and unusual form of attack.

An unstoppable Ma-Sheen

Sheen’s first step on the social media route was to set up a Twitter account at the start of March and begin tweeting about his ongoing battle with Warner Bros and Two and a Half Men creator Chuck Lorre.  The impact of this approach has been quite staggering; with over 1 million twitter users following him within the first 24 hours, a feat that has been recorded in the Guinness Book of world Records.  The number of followers has continued to increase in the two weeks since Sheen’s account was created and he now has over 3 million people waiting on his every tweet.  In addition, channels have been set up on both YouTube and Ustream, called Sheen’s Korner, which have been used by the man in question to broadcast his opinions on the saga.

The WOW factor

The clash has taken on a bizarre twist, with Sheen referring to its main characters in terms that would not be out of place in the Dungeons and Dragons role playing game.  Sheen has proclaimed himself the High-Priest Warlock, leader of the Vatican Assassins; a gang of warriors who win by embarrassing their enemies.   Whilst many seem to think that Sheen framing the disagreement in a fantasy game like setting is evidence that he is losing the plot, there is an argument that it is in fact a clever tactic of ensuring maximum exposure.  Not only does the odd language used make great reading, watching and listening in the mainstream media, it also uses phrases that are commonly used in the biggest massively multiplayer online role-playing game in the world; World of Warcraft (WOW).  This has helped attract the attention of many of the 12 million or so people that regularly play WOW and Sheen’s antics have become a hot topic of conversation on the numerous social forums related to the game.

A powerful marketing channel

The level of coverage and the ensuing publicity that this story has garnered is unprecedented in terms of social media and serves to highlight the marketing potential that this relatively untapped channel has for the right brands.  This is a point that did not go unnoticed by Internships.com, who paid Sheen just short of $100,000 for two tweets that promoted their site.  The move came after Sheen advertised for an intern to undertake an 8 week role concentrating on leveraging his social network.  As a result the website received over 1 million unique visits, with over 84,000 people applying for the intern position.  In addition, Sheen has used Twitter to advertise his upcoming tour; Charlie Sheen LIVE: My Violent Torpedo of Truth/Defeat  Is Not An Option, which looks set to focus in the fight between Sheen and his former employers.  The result was that both nights sold out in 18 minutes, prompting organisers to add numerous additional dates to deal with the demand for tickets.

Crazy as a loon or a Tweeting genius?

Charlie Sheen Twit Or Tweet?

Perhaps the most intriguing question regarding the whole Charlie Sheen social media phenomena is whether or not it is in fact just an elaborate publicity stunt.  There is no doubting that the actor appears to be on the brink in some of his internet broadcasts – but he is an actor and should be capable of portraying a disturbed person.  Then there is the fact that radio host, Alex Jones claims to have spent a lot of time with Sheen in recent weeks, attesting that he is; clean of drugs and alcohol, exercising regularly and more focussed than ever.  Claims that are further backed up by the fact that Sheen has recently passed a drugs test provided to Radaronline.com, which was undertaken in a court-certified laboratory in California.  So are we really witnessing the meltdown of one Hollywood’s confirmed bachelors?  Or are we in fact in the midst of the most cleverly planned and executed social media publicity stunt ever, concocted by a man who after only a handful of cameo film appearances in the last 6 years is looking to make the move back to the big screen?

Bang per buck

In all likelihood we will never know whether Sheen has purposely instigated what is essentially a viral marketing campaign of his self.  However, those businesses that are serious about digital marketing can learn from Sheen’s dramatic increase of exposure and must take notice of just how quickly his story has spread across the social media channel.  Where used appropriately, nearly all businesses can benefit from having a social media presence to help steadily build their awareness in the online community and assist in directing traffic to their sites.  But the real Holy Grail is to successfully plan and execute a social media marketing campaign that catches the imagination of the online community and goes viral in the way that Sheen has.  If planned correctly the expense of such a marketing ploy could prove to be relatively cheap and see exposure of the particular company go through the roof.