A celebrity says something unexpected. A cricket match produces an unlikely hero. A new internet trend takes over social media. Or a global event suddenly becomes the only thing anyone is talking about.
For brands, these moments can be more valuable than a carefully planned campaign, if they know how to enter the conversation.
That is where newsjacking comes in.
From Amul’s legendary topical ads to Zomato’s quick responses to internet trends, Indian brands have increasingly found ways to take something already dominating public attention and give it a distinctly branded twist.
The idea is simple: don’t create the conversation from scratch. Join one that people are already having.
But newsjacking is more than simply posting about a trending topic. The timing, relevance, brand voice and cultural understanding behind the response determine whether a brand becomes part of the conversation or simply looks like it is trying too hard.
So, what exactly is newsjacking, and why has it become such an important part of modern marketing?
What Is Newsjacking?
Newsjacking is the practice of inserting a brand, opinion or marketing message into a breaking news story or trending conversation to gain attention.
The term was coined by marketing strategist David Meerman Scott, who describes it as the process of injecting ideas into breaking news so that a brand or individual can become part of the story.
Unlike a traditional campaign, the brand does not necessarily own the original story. It simply finds a natural connection between the story and its own personality, product or audience. And timing is everything. As a news story gains momentum, searches, social conversations and media coverage around it increase. Brands that enter early can potentially benefit from the attention already surrounding the topic.
That makes newsjacking one of the few marketing strategies where being fast can be as important as being creative.
How Does Newsjacking Work?
Newsjacking usually follows a fairly simple process.
Trending event → brand relevance → creative angle → rapid response → conversation
Imagine a major sporting event is trending. A sportswear brand could simply post:
“Congratulations to the champions.” That is topical, but it is not necessarily newsjacking.
Now imagine the brand finds a clever connection between the winning moment and its own product or brand philosophy. Suddenly, the brand isn’t just reporting the event. It has added something to the conversation. This distinction matters because newsjacking isn’t about repeating what everyone already knows. Sprout Social recommends that brands bring their own angle to a trending story rather than simply covering the same news as everyone else.
If there is one Indian brand that almost feels synonymous with newsjacking, it is Amul.
Long before brands had social media teams refreshing X or tracking trending hashtags, Amul was already turning current affairs into advertising. The Amul Girl, introduced in the 1960s, became the face of topical advertising by commenting on everything from politics and sport to films and pop culture. Indian PR industry coverage has repeatedly identified Amul as one of the country’s pioneering examples of newsjacking.
The genius of the format is its consistency. The visual identity stays recognisable. The Amul Girl stays at the centre. But the subject keeps changing.
That means audiences don’t have to be introduced to a new campaign every time. They already understand the format. The brand simply finds a new cultural moment to plug into.
And that has turned topical advertising into something much bigger than a series of clever ads.
It has become part of Amul’s brand identity. From sporting victories to political developments and entertainment moments, Amul has spent decades proving that brands don’t always need to manufacture relevance. Sometimes, they just need to recognise it.
The digital-first brands have taken newsjacking into a much faster environment. One example came during the Dolo 650 trend in 2022. As Dolo 650 became a widely discussed part of the online conversation during the rise in COVID-19 cases, brands joined the trend with their own takes.
Zomato’s response was particularly suited to its social-first personality. The brand posted a reminder telling people not to treat Dolo 650 like a snack, using the absurdity of the internet conversation to create a humorous but relevant response. The Week reported that Zomato, along with brands such as Dabur and Myntra, newsjacked the Dolo 650 conversation.
The important part wasn’t simply that Zomato mentioned Dolo 650. It was that the brand understood how people were talking about it online. That is the difference between traditional advertising and modern newsjacking. The brand wasn’t trying to explain the news. It was speaking in the language of the internet conversation surrounding it.
Why Do Brands Newsjack?
The biggest attraction is simple, the audience is already there.
Brands don’t have to spend weeks building awareness around a topic because people are already searching for it, discussing it and sharing content about it. According to Sprout Social, effective newsjacking can help brands enter larger social and industry conversations, reach new audiences, increase engagement and demonstrate that they understand what matters to their communities.
But Newsjacking Can Go Wrong
The speed that makes newsjacking powerful is also what makes it risky. A brand may have only a few hours to decide whether a trend is relevant, write the copy, approve the creative and publish it.
That leaves very little room for mistakes. And not every trending topic deserves a brand response.
A tragic event, sensitive political development or serious social issue can quickly turn a clever attempt at relevance into something that feels insensitive or opportunistic. Brands consider whether the story is genuinely relevant, verify facts before publishing and assess how audiences may respond before jumping into a conversation.
There is another danger too, If consumers have to spend more time figuring out why a brand posted something than enjoying the creative itself, the newsjacking has probably missed the mark. The best examples feel obvious in hindsight.Almost as if the brand was always meant to say it.
Social media has fundamentally changed the relationship between news and advertising. Brands no longer have to wait for a campaign to be produced, scheduled and released weeks later. A relevant conversation can emerge in the morning, peak by afternoon and disappear by evening. That has created an entirely new advantage for brands that can combine social listening, cultural awareness and creative speed.
