Can SaveTheFireworks save the fireworks?

A few weeks ago, people in Vancouver found out that we wouldn’t be given our annual Celebration of Light festival – a four-night fireworks festival put forth over 2 weeks. I wasn’t surprised at all when I saw the Facebook groups popping up, encouraging people to save the fireworks if x thousand people join, or this site – SaveTheFireworks.ca. The thing is, whether or not they’re successful in raising the $100,000 that they’re trying to, the company behind this will still come out on top.

Let’s look at this a little more closely.

Problem Solvers love Opportunities

I don’t doubt that the company behind this website, FCV Technologies, sincerely cares about bringing the Celebration of Light back to Vancouver. This is classic case of win/win – FCV gets some extremely positive, low-cost publicity, and in a best case scenario, they’re known as the guys who brought the highlight of the Summer back to Van city.

I admit to being overly critical in the following section, but let me make myself perfectly clear. I think that what these guys are doing is great. Hell, I’m giving them free publicity just by mentioning them. I think it’s fantastic that they’re trying to solicit private donations to support an event that’s so beloved by the city. I don’t outline the reasons of why I don’t believe their project will be successful out of spite, but rather, to help inform and clear the air as to why certain things can work in a certain space, and why they don’t in others.

Fireworks don’t equal Obama

I know that a lot of bloggers, marketers, and even mainstream media outlets were all over how “Social media tools lead Obama to the Presidency.” I think that’s definitely part of the equation, but it’s defintely not the whole thing. I totally give credit where credit is due, and Obama’s team having the Facebook and Twitter on full throttle, in addition to having an incredible community-based website that let users donate with incredible ease, I mean that’s how you get it done. The thing is though, these were just catalysts to an already powerful platform for communication. The fireworks guys are using Web 2.0 alone, not in conjunction to a plethora of offline marketing initatives.

Three external factors as to why this campaign will not pick up the way Obama’s did:

• Fireworks nights are an “impromptu decision.” You might wake up, realize you’re free that night, and go out with a bunch of friends. Few people actually coordinate their feelings to the event months in advance. Political candidates running for the most powerful position in the free world is an important decision that is followed extremely close-up for over a year prior. That demands attention, and that springs people into donating to support their cause. Good luck getting that attention with some bright lights in the sky.
• No Media Exposure. Yeah, there were a few articles written up about the closure, and subsequently SaveTheFireworks.ca when it was originally announced. There was some radio exposure, and even some television exposure, but then what? The fact is, it’s not a political election that generates national (and international) exposure. This is really the exposure that people were paying attention to when they decided that they’d pay attention to the candidates. It wasn’t Twitter, and it wasn’t Facebook. It was a rollercoaster train of hype and excitement that simply cannot be synthesized.
• Where’s the YouTube? It’s pretty simply really, and it breaks down into an easy to understand math equation. No Reverand Dwight + No SNL/Tina Fey skits = No one caring. The fact is, these videos got millions upon millions of viewers on both television and especially online. That’s exposure that you can’t even dream of, and that’s the stuff that gets people excited and motivated to action. When you hear Obama’s convcing statements, you’re pushed to donate. You could probably throw up a few videos of fireworks and whatnot, but honestly, you just can’t replicate the live experience.

FCV scores Big Time!

Based on everything I outlined, and looking at how much money that these guys have raised far, I don’t think that these guys will achieve their goals. Call it pessimistic, but I think that they’re missing too  many parts of the big equation in order for this to work out in everyone’s favour. I think that at the very least, there will be a substantial donation for the 2010 fireworks special.

I mentioned above that it’s a win/win situation. The fact is, FCV  has already won. If they’re successful, they’re known as the company that did the impossible. If they’re not successful, then they’re known as the company that tried for it, but it was beyond their scope. The bottom line is that they’ve generated tremendous amonts of positive WOM about these guys, and that is executed extremely well.

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