07, 17
Nothing tells you more about American consumerism than an annual holiday designated specifically for online shopping deals. Last week was Amazon Prime Day: the company’s yearly one-day sales event that offers deals and discounts on hundreds of products available for Amazon Prime delivery. And for the first time ever, Prime Day surpassed Black Friday and Cyber Monday in number of online sales. This was quite a surprise to everyone as Prime Day hasn’t always been a success. The first ever Prime Day in 2015 was a flop as the company saw itself down hundreds of millions of dollars from the anticipated value of sales. In 2016 the hashtag #PrimeDayFail began trending as customers took to social media to complain about website interruptions, checkout issues and more. But to everyone’s surprise, Prime Day 2017 was Amazon’s biggest sales day to date as sales grew by more than 60% from 2016. Take a lesson out of Amazon’s book on how to leverage Prime Day for brands, how to make the most of the deals and how to prepare for next year:
04, 16
April Fools' Day is a worldwide celebration of practical jokes. Whether you’re playing a joke on your office mate, or taking it more mainstream, here is a list of our personal favorites from the corporate world.
09, 14
Soon after Apple’s new iPhones went on sale last Friday, rumors began to surface that the iPhone 6 plus literally bends under pressure. When brand-damaging videos emerged, the company’s stock quickly plummeted and Twitter exploded with #Bendgate tweets. Eager to get in on the social media conversation, brands like Heineken, Coca Cola, Pringles and Papa Johns offered their spin on #Bendgate.
08, 14
I’ll admit that I was skeptical of Snapchat when I first heard about it. It’s just another social media fad that will disappear as quickly as its photo messages, I thought. But eventually, reluctantly, I gave in and downloaded the app. Fast forward a year or two and Snapchat is not only still on my iPhone, but it’s one of my most-used social apps - and I’m not alone in my addiction to appreciation for these self-destructing messages.
08, 13
In a previous blog post we discussed how brands are effectively using Vine as a unique and creative way to connect with audiences. More and more companies, including BIGfish client Iceland Naturally, are finding that image-centric content on social media is a fantastic way to connect with fans.
As more companies continue to engage with consumers through visual content, it’s important to create likeable and visual campaigns on new platforms. Many companies have taken to Instagram and Vine videos as they’re inexpensive to produce and can be created in a matter of seconds. Yet sometimes even big brands make mistakes that are easy to avoid. We’ve outlined a few mistakes that you should be sure to avoid.
Too Much Content, Too Little Time
Six seconds can go a long way with a little creativity, but simply cramming a ton of content into a small time frame can result in an uncomfortable viewing experience. For example, this American Apparel Vine starts off promising, but by the end, it can leave viewers with a headache.
Unless a fast pace is essential to your message, give viewers time to see and take in each clip - especially if you’re trying to show off product. Lack of Creativity and Sensory Appeal Not everything needs to be in a video format. Wheat Thins makes no use of sound in this video and the moving text is difficult to read. Videos offer incredible opportunities for brands to express their unique voice, but this requires some thought and imagination. This video would be more effective as an image.When creating a video, make sure the platform you are using is appropriate for the content you want to share.
Poor Quality
It can be difficult to make a video that’s perfectly smooth and stable. Although all Instagram and Vine videos are taken using a smartphone, companies should make the best quality films they can. In this Instagram video by Anthropologie, the camera shakes, making each image unstable and difficult to watch.
Always view the video prior to uploading it and if the video appears wobbly, try it again.
Conclusion
Considering the average adult’s non-task oriented attention span is only eight seconds, Instagram and Vine videos are the perfect way to engage a mass audience at little to no cost. While these videos are meant to be fun, it’s crucial that brands take the time to produce high-quality videos, not just ones that are easy to make.
Liz Blumenthal, Summer Intern & Brigid Gorham
