When the internet throws a spotlight on your brand, you'd better grab that bull by the horns and ride it hard!

Case in point: AMC Theatres and their "Dune: Part Two" promotional popcorn bucket fiasco. They made a collectible tin shaped like the movie's sandworm, but let's just say it ended up resembling something you'd find in a very different kind of store. (not that I have ever been to nor seen nor purchased from said different store)

The buzz this thing generated is what every marketer dreams of, yet it's as unpredictable as a lottery ticket. But not everyone at AMC was throwing a party. Their chief content officer, Elizabeth Frank, was quoted in Variety saying, "We would have never created it knowing it would be celebrated or mocked."

Well, that’s tough cookies because that bizarre bucket of popcorn ended up scoring:

• Viral memes across Reddit, TikTok, and Instagram.

• Headlines in The New York Times and NPR.

• A full-blown "SNL" sketch that racked up over 2 million views.

Let's be real here: AMC lost a whopping $397 million in 2023. So, there's no shame in any victory, even if it means riding the wave of what some might call Satan’s favorite snack container.

Now, not many would sit through a three-hour cosmic saga just for a kinky collectible, but becoming a real-world meme? That just might do the trick to pull folks into AMC’s seats.

Remember "The Dress" that broke the internet's back in 2015? The company behind it wasn't even the one that went viral, but they played their cards right and saw 1.2 million site visits because of it.

Then there's the cautionary tale of McDonald’s Mulan Szechuan Sauce. After a shout-out by "Rick and Morty," McDonald's fumbled the pass with a limited release, leaving droves of fans more fired up than a ticked-off dragon.

The bottom line?

Fear is the profit killer.

In today's digital age, marketing is a wild beast intertwined with internet culture. Viral moments strike like the mighty sandworms of Arrakis—they're powerful, fleeting, and if you're smart, you'll latch on and enjoy the wild ride to profits. Grab on tight, because he who controls the memes, controls the universe.

Remember, you won't profit unless you implement,

Vance "I'll stick with my Mickey popcorn bucket, thank you very much" Morris

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