Why a Surprise Drop Can Be a Great Marketing Ploy for Brands

Hulu and Beyoncé pioneer a new way to generate hype

Want to get people talking? It’s all about that surprise drop. Beyoncé sent the Beyhive into a frenzy with her surprise release of Homecoming: The Live Album; Hulu kept fans in front of their TVs when it released its own Fyre Festival documentary just days before Netflix dropped its own; and, most recently, Hulu posted the first season of its Veronica Mars revival a week before fans (self-proclaimed Marshmallows) were expecting it.

The last-minute surprise drop can be a marketing ploy for brands, artists and companies to stand out from an otherwise crowded content market.

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