StarHub promotes data plan's Nevada reach with #Area51 social post

StarHub has jumped on the hype around Area 51, with its own version of ensuring consumers are not "alienated" while taking a trip to Nevada. Pushing its data travel package, StarHub said it now covers 81 destinations globally, including Nevada. Posted on both its Facebook and Twitter platforms, the local telco captioned it "You won’t want to alienate yourself at #Area51. #DataTravel now covers you in up to 81 destinations globally, including Nevada."

StarHub's in-house social media team were the brains behind this execution. In a statement to Marketing, Mei Cheong, vice president of brand & marketing communications, StarHub said the team saw a "fun and relevant" opportunity of linking it back to the telco's data roaming product.

? You won’t want to alienate yourself at #Area51. #DataTravel now covers you in up to 81 destinations globally, including Nevada. Activate DataTravel with ease in My StarHub app: https://t.co/DFwN2mjDjQ pic.twitter.com/BbEev4krUn

— StarHub (@StarHub) July 17, 2019

Cheong added that the team has previously made use of trending topics and key events as catalysts for content and engagement. This includes leveraging interesting topics such as TV sporting events and shows to start conversations with customers.

“We believe the role of social media at StarHub is to inform, entertain and engage. To this end, we do our best to tap into what our customers are talking about. We want to be where our customers are, participating in conversations that pique their interest and nurturing a relationship with them. It is all about being a part of their everyday moments, big and small," she said.

One other brand that jumped on the buzz around Area 51 was LEGO. LEGO had its share of fun when it put up a post on Facebook that showed aliens made up of LEGO bricks in a room and are seen co-living together. Taking a lead and scouting the location beforehand, The Lego Agency’s APAC team said in the post, “Don’t storm Area 51. We’ve checked, it’s all good ?”.

The online chatter around raiding Area 51 came shortly after YouTuber and podcaster Joe Rogan discussed the topic on a Netflix documentary in June. Since the start of July, over a million of users joined a Facebook event, calling on individuals to meet and raid Area 51, eventually releasing the captive aliens.