KFC, Tide, Nike among brands that 'won' Twitter in 2018

Brief:

KFC had the best brand voice on Twitter in 2018, according to a year-end review selected by the platform's U.S. Head of Brand Strategy Ryan Oliver that was shared with Mobile Marketer.
Tide won Best 6-second video for its "Tide Ad" campaign, Nike won for Best Brand Purpose by tapping into the controversy over former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and Heinz won for Best Launch Moment with the launch of Mayochup.
Budweiser won for Best Event Activation, HBO's "Silicon Valley" won Best Digital to Physical Activation and Wendy's and Little Debbie won for Best Banter, among other categories.

Insight:

Twitter's Oliver provides many interesting insights into how brands are creating memorable moments on the platform while generating publicity and reinforcing their marketing in other channels. His comments are worthwhile for any brand manager or agency creative who’s considering how to engage Twitter users with meaningful interactions.

KFC was recognized as having the best brand voice on Twitter because of content like its live-tweets of soap opera "General Hospital." In addition, the brand's account complemented its TV campaigns that have featured different actors, singers and personalities playing founder Colonel Sanders. The brand mirrors the quirky, off-kilter voice of its marketing on Twitter, where authenticity is key to consumer engagement.

With its "Tide Ad" campaign, Procter & Gamble laundry detergent brand Tide masted the burgeoning 6-second ad format, turning a Super Bowl ad into a new platform that it used during the NFL season. The short-form ads have been found to command more attention per second than traditional spots and get high marks for mobile viewership even though they pack little emotional punch.

Echoing many other analysts — including our sister site Marketing Dive — Oliver highlighted Nike's partnership with Colin Kaepernick as an excellent execution of brand purpose in a campaign. The brand saw a 1,400% surge in social buzz after its Kaepernick ad, which launched on Twitter.