Monday, March 3, 2014

The Oscar for best marketing goes to...

The TV broadcast of the 86th Academy Awards was a great opportunity for brands. Beyond advertising, many brands took the opportunity to build buzz, generate exposure and connect with consumers through social media and experiential events.

Host Ellen DeGeneres’ selfie with the Samsung Galaxy Note (which included stars Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Meryl Steep and Bradley Cooper) won "Best Picture” among marketers. Samsung was mentioned 40,000 times across social media outlets. Even though DeGeneres did not mention the brand in her tweet (which was retweeted 1.3 million times), Samsung scored a peak rate of 900 online mentions per minute, which crashed Twitter's server. The tweet broke a record for retweets previously set by President Obama on the night of his reelection in 2012. The stunt chimed well with Samsung's "You Need to See This" commercial that aired during the Awards.

There was lot of live action around the Oscars. Several brands leveraged experiential events to connect with influencers and consumers in tangible ways.

Vanity Fair (part of Condé Nast) invited more than 120 influential bloggers and online reporters to use branded work spaces on Hollywood Boulevard outfitted with amenities; merchandise was given away in exchange for sponsored posts. The Vanity Fair Social Club’s Campaign Hollywood also involved an Oscar night party and special magazine issues.

People Magazine V.I.P. subscribers sweepstakes promotion brought 300 readers and their 300 guests to take part in an Oscar Fan Experience that included seats in the bleachers on the red carpet and a viewing party on Hollywood Boulevard.

And what about the advertisers that shelled out @ $1.8 million and $1.9 million for a thirty-second spot? According to a BrandAds study, American Express was the most effective of all brands advertising during the Awards show, based on a 61.74% increase in the likelihood that consumers would purchase one of its products after seeing the ad. Sprint, Lunesta and Cadillac followed closely behind with 50.67% and 48.35% 47.22%; increases respectively. As for Samsung, the increase in likelihood to purchase after seeing the Oscars rose only 12.35%.

How do you measure success? Likelihood to purchase? Or the buzz meter?

Brand awareness and buzz often generate greater results and greater impact over time.

Share your thoughts!

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