Learning new techniques for how to engage customers on Twitter and other social media platforms is an important goal of many organisations. One approach used by many brands during this year’s Oscars ceremony was to Tweet during the event itself. Reviewing the best of the approaches that were used can be helpful in identifying new ways of working.
Reporting for Mashable, Tessa Wegert (2015) suggests that some strategies were more effective than others and it is possible to learn both from the “Twitter marketing hits and misses”, so not just the success stories.
Tell a Story
One approach that was taken by the company Ford was to tell a story. Ford has linked its Go Further Awards to the Oscars. This is an undertaking that highlights daily heroes that help to improve their communities. Ford made an award to Rabbi G who was providing what they called the “Best Picture of Hope” for empowering children with cancer through martial arts, and so Ford was offering an award to this person. This type of alternative awards going on at the same time as the Oscars, grabbed the attention of many.
Use video
Another approach that was seen repeatedly during the Oscars was the use of video to try and differentiate posts on Twitter. It is argued that brands were using both animated GIFs and video to help demonstrate their points. An example provided is that of Adobe which presented a one minute long video tying its product to the entertainment industry. The company did this to celebrate the anniversary of Photoshop which has now been in use for 25 years. The company used messaging to promote the video that was linked to the Oscars. Examples include: “To all the artists, designers and creatives who educate, entertain and make the world a better place. #Oscars.”
Think about Time
The importance of timing can also be taken as a message from a number of inspired posts that were made during the Oscars. One excellent example that is presented is that of Adonit which has created styluses for Tablets and smartphones. What Adonit did to stand out was to present a demo of its products by getting an artist to illustrate Oscar looks as the event was happening. The artist was drawing different individuals and using this to promote the product at the same time by showing what was possible using the stylus.
Don´t create connections that are a mistake
However, it is also explained that creating a connection that simply does not exist is a mistake. Pizza Hut is described as being a company that tried to do this on Twitter during the Oscars. Pizza Hut asked those viewing the Oscars to post photographs of themselves using the hash tag #AllDressedUpWithPizzaToGo. Because there was no real link it is explained that this approach unfortunately resulted in looking quite transparent. This is despite the fact that the company was offering the chance of a Tweeter to win free pizza for a whole year. Similarly it is explained that links that are “tenuous” should not be pushed beyond the point where they work. It is argued that limited or risky connections can be made and this is forgivable in most cases if that is not then pushed too far. One problem that Red Lobster faced was doing exactly that. The organisation reportedly used a lot of bad puns and this did not really win people over.
Offer good content
Always good advice is offering content that is worthwhile and this was demonstrated during the Oscars by Lincoln Motor Company focusing on a partnership that the organisation had with the Sundance Film Awards and creating links between that and the Oscars event. Wired also took a similar approach in this regard. An excellent use of Twitter was made by the US Labor Department which used a statement by Patricia Arquette, an Oscar winner to promote its own content on the subject matter of equality at work. Finally, honesty was also found to be successful with M&Ms doing the best in this regard, simply presenting a video reminding people to eat M&Ms. This authentic approach grabbed the attention of Twitter users, making it a success.
A number of other recommendations can be made based on Twitter use during the Oscars. It is highlighted how Sonos created a stunning TV advertisement and that this was also tweeted online, and this led to various searches worldwide. Meanwhile Olay Skin Care used existing hashtags such as #RedCarpet with ones of its own #BestBeautiful to help its tweets to get discovered.
Paula Newton is a business writer, editor and management consultant with extensive experience writing and consulting for both start-ups and long established companies. She has ten years management and leadership experience gained at BSkyB in London and Viva Travel Guides in Quito, Ecuador, giving her a depth of insight into innovation in international business. With an MBA from the University of Hull and many years of experience running her own business consultancy, Paula’s background allows her to connect with a diverse range of clients, including cutting edge technology and web-based start-ups but also multinationals in need of assistance. Paula has played a defining role in shaping organizational strategy for a wide range of different organizations, including for-profit, NGOs and charities. Paula has also served on the Board of Directors for the South American Explorers Club in Quito, Ecuador.
