The Iowa State Fair is a BIG deal in the state, and there is nothing more iconic from the fair than the Butter Cow. The life size cow, made entirely from 600# of butter, has been a tradition since 1911. Each year the sculpture rotates breeds of cow and is crafted into a thematic display, ranging from Harry Potter, John Wayne, Green Eggs and Ham and, most recently, the Lincoln Highway.
It seems not everyone loves the Butter Cow as this year vandals hit on the fairgrounds after closing, broke into the Agriculture Building. An animal rights group sprayed "Freedom for All" on the window of the display and doused the cow in red paint. The Fair staff was able to clean up the mess and return the cow to its original condition before the exhibit opened the next day.
Fair officials had a choice on how to respond: they could make a big deal out of the vandalism or they could capitalize on it. They chose the latter. Instead of loud rebuttals of what the criminals did or getting embroiled in an animal rights debate, the Fair staff took a more light-hearted route. Almost immediately after the event, the Fair began selling t-shirts that read: Butter Cow Security/Serve and Protect. Proceeds will go to the Blue Ribbon Foundation to support future fairs.
Selling Butter Cow Security t-shirts next week, month or year would not make sense at all. It is the timeliness of this product that is its genius. Just as with the Oreo Tweet of "you can still dunk in the dark" during the Super Bowl blackout, timing is often everything.
You can't prepare for situations like this, but if life does deal your organization a misfortune, capitalize on the opportunity to turn fortunes in your favor by a quick and apropos response.
-- beth triplett
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