Covergirl reinforces connection to style icons via Twitter during VMAs
Procter and Gamble's Covergirl and Unilever's Tresemmé took advantage of the focus on glamour during MTV?s Video Music Awards by promoting tweets of celebrities? looks and use of the brands? products.
As viewers of the awards show are known to follow along in their Twitter feeds while watching and tend to admire the fashion and beauty aspects of the famous attendees, beauty brands put themselves in the center of the action to promote business and awareness. By using the edge of certain entertainers, images, embedded links and the hashtag #VMAs, beauty brands were able to stay present in the conversation and hopefully attract attention.
?Social channels are an ideal place for beauty brands to market during big live events where much of the chatter is taking place,? said Jay Hawkinson, senior vice president of emerging products at SIM Partners, Chicago. ?People are more involved with second screen behavior and want to tweet and post their reactions as they occur.
?It's all about the desire to be a part of discussion and live in the moment. It makes sense for these brands to join that conversation, especially if their spokes models participate in the live event.?
Mr. Hawkinson is not affiliated with the mentioned brands but agreed to comment as an industry expert.
Trending tweets
Covergirl promoted a tweet sent by singer Becky G, whose look was apparently created partly by the beauty brand. She posted a full body shot of her outfit and beauty style and included hashtags #IAmACoverGirl and #VMA.
The tweet garnered more than 4,000 retweets and 11,000 favorites.
Tresemmé also partook in the opportunity with several tweets attributing to trending hairstyles seen on the VMA red carpet event.
One of Tresemmé?s tweets read ?Get the look? and included hashtag #VMAs and the brand?s trending hashtag #AmpUpYourStyle, which is part of its ongoing social campaign, and included four blocks of images with visual instructions to achieve the hairstyle.
?In the case of the VMAs, Becky G. was actively promoting the #IAmACovergirl hashtag during the event,? Mr. Hawkinson said. ?Covergirl pushed ad dollars to promote these tweets to gain additional reach and engage a target audience live tweeting the event that may not have been following Covergirl or Becky G.
?Tresemmé also tagged the VMAs and posted relevant images of hairstyles seen during the event, which is a smart strategy to ride the current of social activity surrounding the event, though they could have been more tactical by tagging the VMA performers and hosts sporting the style they were promoting to give the images additional context in relation to the event.?
Viewers of the awards show undoubtedly admire their favorite stars and often attempt to recreate their fashion and beauty looks, creating a perfect opportunity for beauty brands to step in and provide guidance.
Furthermore, Pepsi joined the fun by sponsoring behind-the-scenes videos. MTV tweeted an embedded link that enticed viewers to see ?what went down with Usher in his VMA rehearsal, thanks to Pepsi.? Pepsi promoted this tweet.
Social entertainment
Entertainment brands are well aware that their fans are active on social, prepping them to mimic the behavior and using targeted advertising to reach them.
Earlier this month, the Country Music Association Festival partnered with music-recognition service Shazam to offer second-screen ads encouraging users to take a more in-depth look at the featured stars.
Offering behind-the-scene footage, additional performances, giveaways and more, the Shazam experience gave viewers a way to step further into the experience. Since those tuning in are there simply to enjoy the entertainment, and music fans are known to go the lengths for a closer look at their favorite singers, this lends a convenient opportunity for an app such as Shazam to engage viewers (see story).
Broadway musical ?Holler If Ya Hear Me? promoted strategically through social to target urban, hip-hop enthusiasts, particularly a younger generation.
The musical was inspired by the life of the late rapper Tupac Shakur, with the marketing strategy designed to connect the world of hip-hop to another area of entertainment: Broadway. These initiatives showcased how entertainment properties can leverage mobile to reach a targeted audience (see story).
Brands are learning more about their fans? social activities and are finding better ways to respond to them in ways to get noticed.
?It's smart for beauty brands to participate socially in live events, especially when they can tie the products to the performers and celebrities attending,? Mr. Hawkinson said. ?Brands like Covergirl can amplify the message by tagging Becky G. and then promoting tweets.
?Whether it's the VMAs, the Emmys or other red carpet entertainment events, it's a great opportunity for beauty brands to engage socially because their products correlate with fashion and style. These brands just need to get more tactical to cut through the noise, which is becoming more and more challenging.?
Final Take
Caitlyn Bohannon, editorial assistant for Mobile Marketer, New York
