Mattel has announced a quest for a Chief Uno player in the US that pays over $4000 per week.
In Search of Chief Uno Player
The toy manufacturing firm is looking for someone to help them spread the word about their upcoming release of the Uno Quatro game, as reported by CNN. The selected candidate will get $4444 each week for four weeks in exchange for playing Uno Quatro with complete strangers in New York City and producing social media content centered on the new game.
Matching numbers and colors are an integral part of the original Uno game, and this new variant, Uno Quatro, combines that with joining four tiles in a row, as in Connect 4.
In a statement, Ray Adler, Mattel's global president of games, expressed his excitement at the prospect of hiring the best Uno player in the world to promote the company's newest game, Uno Quatro.
In a series of live streams and interviews beginning on September 13, the Chief Uno player will instruct viewers on how to play the game. Applicants must be at least 18 years old, legal residents of the US, and able to sit for lengthy periods of time and lift at least 50 pounds to put up tents for games.
Usage of Social Media for Advertising
According to Tim Calkins, a professor at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management and an expert on the use of social media to promote products, Mattel's new stance is part of a rising trend in which corporations utilize tricks on social media to get people engaged with their new product.
"This really reflects the state of marketing today ... the question is how do you get people engaged and interested in a brand [like Uno] that has been around for 50 years. For many brands, TikTok is the key."
Mattel is highlighting Uno applications on TikTok to draw attention to the unusual position. The toymaker is urging Uno fans to apply by stitching their video and sharing it on the social media platform by August 10.
"I suspect many people have not thought about Uno in a very long time ... then suddenly you see this on TikTok, and now you are interested in it again," Calkins stated.
Last week, Skittles' new mustard flavor, developed in collaboration with French's, caused a stir on TikTok. In June, the McDonald's shake mascot, Grimace, seized control of the company's Twitter feed when they released the purple beverage. Sales at the food chain company increased by 11% the following month.
Meanwhile, businesses throughout the world have gone pink on social media to cash in on the Barbie craze.
However, promoting a company on TikTok requires more than merely sharing content.
Calkins said that marketing alone would not be enough to boost a small brand like Uno. Instead, they need to offer their audience something worth talking about to create a buzz.
