What happens when you mix a social media upstart with a well-known traditional media player and then add in some advertising agency experience? The outcome, as you might have guessed, is unlike virtually anything else in the market, a status that is emphasized in its unique and funny name: Truffle Pig.

This recently announced joint marketing venture involves Snapchat, the social media source; the Daily Mail, a long-running news organization; and WPP Agency, an international advertising conglomerate. The Daily Mail will contribute content that can appeal to mass audiences. The WPP Agency will define the content needed, as requested by clients who want to market through Truffle Pig. And Snapchat will help the content reach the young target audience desired by all the players.

As a result, the product produced by Truffle Pig will be advertising that looks like content. This social content, focused on the brands that hire Truffle Pig to conduct marketing for them, will get shared across multiple channels, including the Daily Mail’s website and Snapchat, as well as any dedicated channels that a client requests.

Discussion Question:

What kinds of advantages does this collaboration achieve for Truffle Pig, compared with the advantages of each of its contributing partners?

 

Source: Sydney Ember, “Snapchat Joins Daily Mail and WPP Agency in Marketing Venture,” The New York Times, June 23, 2015