Can you call it engagement if you buy it?

At the risk of sounding cynical – Engagement? Really? Over the last day or so I have read a number of  news posts, blogs and comments that suggest this is what engagement looks like. I think it would be more well stated to suggest this is what manufactured engagement looks like. Even then – I can’t wrap my head around this campaign as it relates to the word engagement.

I agree with @TamiMcCarthy –

“@mbrewer Check out the link I re-tweeted to the IKEA Facebook campaign. Brilliant buzz marketing.”

This is just that – brilliant buzz marketing. That being said,  introducing the notion of being the first to tag the photo of a product and win it tosses engagement out the window for me. It crosses the threshold of authentic. In terms of risk/reward – the upside was to good to pass up. I believe true engagement is when people of influence [Evangelist] share for no reason other than they really like the experience.

In the way of apartment marketing, I think I could achieve a similar result if I filled an apartment full of furniture and suggested the potential fans be the first to tag the items to win them. Moreover, I could give away free rent for a year for the first person that tagged a photo of a vacant. And, hey maybe I throw in a second set of products [furniture] to that winner. Buzz!!!! Love this idea – think it is time to propose it as a way to kick off a Mills Properties Facebook Fan Page [Fan building campaign]. But engagement?  Not so much – not in my book anyway. You can’t purchase real engagement.