The 10 Twitter Marketing Dos and Don’ts We Learned From Oscar Night
Brands took to Twitter during Hollywood's biggest night, with varying degrees of success. What can we learn from their highs and lows?
With Twitter in the midst of a new product push that includes the introduction of a native video tool, all eyes are on the site to see whether it’s a “sustainable business.” One thing is certain: it remains the place to go to measure consumer sentiment and zeitgeist in response to major events. After Sunday’s Academy Awards, the media once again took the pulse of viewers by analyzing the tweetstorms that swept across the platform. “What’s the trick to watching the Oscars without a) falling asleep, b) napping or c) resting your eyes for a bit?” asked The Guardian. “It’s following the action, or often lack of, via Twitter.”
Brands want to be a part of that conversation, and this year we saw them employ a number of attention-seeking strategies – some more effectively than others. There’s much to learn from these Twitter marketing hits and misses.
1. Tell a Story.
Pithy tie-ins to a cultural event can drum up immediate interest, but they don’t have much longevity. Instead, Ford Motor Company used Twitter to promote its “Go Further Awards,” a YouTube series about Everyday Heroes making a difference in their communities.
The #GoFurther #Award for #BestPicture of Hope goes to Rabbi G of @Kidskickcancer. https://t.co/vCiG27ZcZo
— Ford Motor Company (@Ford) February 23, 2015
2. Use Video.
Increasingly, brands are leveraging video and animated GIFs to stand out on Twitter, as was the case on Sunday night. To celebrate the recent 25th anniversary of Photoshop, Adobe tweeted a beautiful minute-long video that showcased its product in the context of the entertainment industry. To expand its reach, the company used the same video in promoted tweets with alternate Oscar-specific messaging.
To all the artists, designers and creatives who educate, entertain, and help make the world a better place. #Oscars https://t.co/a3YvdfpGkq
— Adobe (@Adobe) February 23, 2015
3. Be Timely.
When live-tweeting events, it’s critical to offer content that’s both timely and relevant. Tablet and smartphone stylus maker Adonit used the Oscars as an opportunity to demo its products by having an artist use them to draw popular Oscar looks in real-time.
Watching #Oscars2015? Our own @ivaz is sketching our favorite looks using #JotTouch & @procreateapp. #DavidOyelowo pic.twitter.com/wyE801DYOL
— Adonit (@AdonitNews) February 23, 2015
4. Don’t Try to Create a Connection That Isn’t There.
When a link between a product and an event feels natural, tweets can provide value to both consumer and brand. Sometimes, though, a campaign just feels forced. Pizza Hut’s invitation to Oscar viewers to share photos of themselves #AllDressedUpWithPizzaToGo came off feeling like a transparent attempt to get in on the action.
5. Don’t Push a Tenuous Link Too Far.
A brand can be forgiven for hazarding a risky connection that may or may not resonate with fans – as long as it doesn’t take the messaging too far. Red Lobster was onto something with its #lobsterworthy moments concept, but a string of bad puns had most Twitter users groaning.
Leaving the cuts to us? Smart move. #OneTake #BestCinematography #AndTheLobsterGoesTo pic.twitter.com/qGVObcE1kE
— Red Lobster (@redlobster) February 23, 2015
EVERYTHING IS CLAWESOMEEEE #AndTheLobsterGoesTo
— Red Lobster (@redlobster) February 23, 2015
6. Use Twitter for Cross-Channel Marketing.
During the Academy Awards one of the TV spots that stood out came from Sonos. In it, the wireless audio system covered an entire living room in Oscar gold. To extend the commercial’s reach online, the brand ran promoted tweets using the same creative asset, targeting searches around the event.
7. Hijack Hashtags.
An event like the Academy Awards, with its custom hashtags, is an opportunity to get your message in front of thousands of potential customers. Olay Skin Care used a series of well-timed tweets and ads to present its product line in the context of the show. To generate product buzz it coupled an existing hashtag (#RedCarpet) with a custom one (#BestBeautiful), doubling its potential for discovery.
8. Offer Valuable Content.
Long before this year’s nominees walked the red carpet, Lincoln Motor Company invested in the film industry through a partnership with the Sundance Film Awards, where it sponsored the Vanguard Award for emerging filmmakers. In the days leading up to the Academy Awards, Lincoln used its Twitter account to promote content resulting from that relationship, including a profile of Whiplash director and Vanguard Award winner Damien Chazelle. The content originally appeared on the Lincoln site in October, but it found new relevance and a new audience through the social site.
Taking a similar tack, Wired posted video content related to Interstellar’s award for Best Visual Effects.
And INTERSTELLAR wins for Best Visual Effects! Here’s how Christopher Nolan and Kip Thorne conceived of the effects: http://t.co/hTn5XLQMNq
— WIRED (@WIRED) February 23, 2015
Known for its lightning-quick Twitter reflexes and impressive body of visual content, NASA took the opportunity to share a photograph that has since generated more than 20,000 total retweets and shares.
.@Interstellar won #Oscars2015 for visual effects. Here’s a visual of Earth. No effects. https://t.co/5V55bJ2e5D pic.twitter.com/ekQOsdgG26
— NASA (@NASA) February 23, 2015
9. Keep the Conversation Going.
Boyhood actress Patricia Arquette’s acceptance speech was one of the high points of the night, and the U.S. Labor Department recognized in it an opportunity to make its own missive heard. The organization was smart to follow up its tweet with additional relevant content.
FACT: Women make 78% of what their male counterparts make. Learn more: http://t.co/ZUbWdaIJPr #Oscars pic.twitter.com/YyNgF14gRk
— US Labor Department (@USDOL) February 23, 2015
RT if you agree w/ @PattyArquette: It’s 2015. t’s time for #EqualPay for women. #Oscars pic.twitter.com/TQzdAT7tpw
— US Labor Department (@USDOL) February 23, 2015
10. Be Candid.
M&M’s wins the award for most honest Twitter ad with a mock movie trailer that declares itself, “…Just a commercial, reminding people to eat M&M’s.” The promoted YouTube video went live a few days before the event, but it’s even more memorable than the brand’s fresh Oscar night tweets.
When you’re aiming for authenticity, there’s really no need to act.
We’re still waiting on our Oscar nomination for this. Must be lost in the mail. – The M&M’S Crew https://t.co/5MithLFpwu
— M&M’S® Brand (@mmschocolate) February 23, 2015
