Continue with some other brands doing unique things in social media…
IKEA attracts web visitors to its share-worthy TV living rooms
Question: What do Friends, Stranger Things, and The Simpsons have in common?
Answer: All of them have well-known living rooms.
So if IKEA and the advert agency Publicis Spain recreated each room with its furniture, it rapidly became one of the Swedish home retailer’s most shared campaigns in its history.
What made the “IKEA Real Life Series” so shareable is that it tapped immediately recognizable and well-loved popular culture classics. Although initially launched as a print and poster campaign for its UAE market, the idea was strong enough to drive a 50 percent increase in web traffic in its first week.
Once online, easy-to-find social icons and share-worthy photos helped the campaign spread worldwide. And since Friends, Stranger Things, and The Simpsons memes are simple to come by, IKEA was capable of curry more favor with fans by responding with funny GIFS.
Takeaway: Find a method for your services or products to interact with prevalent culture—then use GIFs to communicate with your fans.
New York Public Library turns classic works into Insta novels
When “build it and they’ll come” no longer works you must go to where your audience is, and these days that is on social media. That is the thinking behind the New York Public Library’s Insta Novel series.
To “hack Instagram Stories in the name of classic literature,” the library adapted public domain works for the social medium. The Instagram stories featured readable backgrounds, customized soundtracks, vibrant illustrations, and dynamic animations that give the classic stories to life.
The campaign got lots of press exposure and positive feedback from followers.
“You could read a story on the train!” says one follower.
“This made my commute a lot faster,” says another.
Others applaud the library for adapting to the digital age.
Takeaway: Know your fans, and go to them—dont not make them come to you.
Crooked Media live chats the Dem debate
This progressive media firm founded by former Obama staffers is known for the political punditry found on its podcasts, particularly its flagship show Pod Save America.
And with presidential scandals unfolding at a breakneck pace, the company has discovered creative methods to offer its followers live commentary.
For the fourth Democratic Debate this October, Crooked Media launched “Live Group Thread” on YouTube. The thread featured the podcast hosts and Crooked employees commenting on the debate in real-time. Viewers can also take part in live chat as they watched.
Over 100K people tuned in the thread—making it the second or third screen of their choice for the debate.
With the presidential race just heating up, social initiatives like these give Crooked Media closer to its followers and shore up its position in the crowded political media arena.
Takeaway: Sometimes all you want is to create a place for your fans to work together with one another. It doesn’t at all times must be you vs. them.
Wendy’s ventures into gaming with Giphy Arcade
In case you missed it, fast food chains have been waging a social war to attract players.
Arby’s started dropping video game references in its social posts back in 2016. This September, Kentucky Fried Chicken launched “I Love You, Colonel Sanders!” dating sim game supported by its multiple KFC Gaming social accounts.
Now, Wendy’s is the exclusive launch partner of Giphy Arcade games.
The concept behind Giphy Arcade, made by the company known for its GIF database, is to let folks create, play, and share bite-sized games on social.
The Wendy’s games assist two firm initiatives: Its fight against frozen beef and the return of Spicy Nuggets to its menu.
The “Don’t Drop It” game riffs on the classic arcade game Breakout by difficult players to keep a spicy chicken nugget from dropping. In another game, players must shoot down frozen patties with fresh Wendy’s burgers.
Games utilizing Wendy’s-branded elements are also super simple to make and share on social media. And the caption potential here (e.g., five-second rule, playing with food) is powerful.
More seriously, Wendy’s game assets provide followers with the tools to have to interact with its brand, while also permitting the company to manage its picture.
It’s too early to know whether or not this initiative will be a social hit, however, Wendy’s will at least earn kudos from some followers for getting creative.
Takeaway: Games are a strong method to get followers to interact along with your model. The better the game, the longer they will spend with you.
Nothing ventured nothing gained, they say. And in the novelty-hungry social realm, just a little creativity could go a long way.