The use of live video by brands is on the rise, connecting with worldwide audiences in unique, interactive ways. In celebration of National Fried Chicken Day, Popeyes took to Facebook Live on Wednesday with a virtual drive-thru window and jazz musician. Fans were encouraged to interact with the stream through trivia, music and games. Participants in the US who commented also had the chance to win a delivery of Popeyes’ limited-time offer of their $5 Boneless Wing Bash.
“This is something unique, innovative, something that we don’t think has ever been done before,” Hector A. Muñoz, chief marketing officer for Popeyes, said in a statement. “Not only will we engage with current consumers but we also have an opportunity to reach new consumers that maybe never tried us.” The campaign was expected to exceed 3.7 million people thanks to live tweets, text message outreach and paid advertising.
McDonald’s held a similarly effective event on on Facebook Live for National Hamburger Day, during which a Boss Ross-esque actor unveiled a number of hamburger-themed paintings to be auctioned for charity.
Meanwhile, Twitter hosted its first live cast of a sporting event Wednesday, offering commentary and replays for Wimbledon. Twitter recently purchased the rights to broadcast for the NFL, so today’s example gives viewers an idea of what’s to come.
Callaway Golf has been utilizing live video for some time, debuting a live show in 2015 hosted by Harry Arnett, their senior vice president of marketing and brand management. This marketing strategy made transitioning to Facebook Live a natural one. The brand recently hosted an exclusive tour of Arnold Palmer’s office, which is the kind of experience that Callaway wanted to bring to fans since the beginning.
“We felt like if we could figure out a way to be unique in it, provide utility to it, and be a contributing citizen in the community of golfers, we could become sort of the people’s brand, which was very closely connected to the DNA of the company when it got started 20 years ago,” Arnett told Golf Digest last year.
Although sports naturally lends itself to live viewership, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has used Facebook Live effectively, as well. From a tour of the museum from Fifth Avenue to live openings and previews of future exhibitions, The Met utilizes live video to engage and excite art enthusiasts, while attracting new fans. One such video broadcast previewed “Pergamon and the Hellenistic Kingdoms of the Ancient World” four days before the exhibition opening.
On Thursday, the marketing team for Mr. Robot promoted the USA network show’s second season premiere with a mysterious broadcast on Facebook Live. Using familiar “fsociety” imagery and hacker themes, over 98 thousand viewers tuned in for a special message and what appeared to be a preview of season two. Over seven thousand comments praised the marketing efforts and fans shared their excitement for the program’s return. Each comment was given a cryptic reply from fsociety about the “revolution” and what’s to come, staying true to the fictional world of Mr. Robot.
From sports to art and making you hungry for lunch, live video is proving an effective tool for brand outreach and audience interaction. These live stream examples prove that any brand can take to live media, offering entertainment value to its existing fan base while attracting new fans to help spread the word.
