Twitter Amplify: an opportunity for brands, broadcasters and consumers alike

A month or so ago we posted about the consumer-generated phenomenon that is social TV and the opportunities it creates for brands and broadcasters to engage their customers. Fast forward a few weeks to Advertising Week, and we were fortunate enough to listen to Matt Derella talk about Twitter Amplify, a new advertising platform which marries brands and broadcasters over great exclusive content.

Amplify allows brands to sponsor exclusive content, complete with a 5-second ident and customised skin, which can then be posted by the broadcaster to complement a live broadcast in real-time. Here’s an example of Twitter Amplify in action:

Roy Hibbert’s BIG block. One of the nicest you’ll see – aAJmjhQugM

— NBA (@NBA)

In a time where 95% of real-time, social conversation around TV is taking place on Twitter; the 2012 Olympics alone generated over 150 million tweets, this is exciting news. So what does this mean for brands?

• Multi-screen advertising: The remote control brought with it channel surfing; TV on-demand allowed us to fast-forward adverts, but the rise of the second-screen means that consumers, for the first time since your TV had wooden panels and twisty knobs, are paying attention to TV advertising. They’re just not watching it, rather they’re listening to it. The Internet Advertising Bureau recently published a study that suggested that second-screen viewers were more likely to recall TV advertising than those not multi-tasking, presumably because those without second-screens were fast-forwarding adverts or channel surfing instead. If 30-40% of TV ad viewing is occurring concurrently with second-screen usage, and if 30-40% of people aren’t changing the channel during the ad breaks, then there is a very interesting opportunity for brands to deliver integrated, synchronised social and TV advertising: exclusive branded content, delivered through Amplify, which complements your TV campaign, and vice versa

• Brand / broadcast affinity: Some of the most creative work is conceived in the face of limitation, which is why the 140 character limit on Twitter is such an inspiring concept. Whether it’s Oreo’s famous ‘Dunk in the Dark’ or Nokia’s infamous ‘Thanks #Apple ;)’: brands have to find creative ways to make the most of the restriction. The 5-second ident at the beginning of Amplify content is no different. One might argue that fans want exclusive content and they don’t care who brings it to them, so the ident is just another YouTube ad or similarly inconvenient intrusion. But the brands who get it right will be those that find a way to seamlessly transition from ident to content such that the two media are mutually complementary

Power out? No problem. pic.twitter.com/dnQ7pOgC

— Oreo Cookie (@Oreo)

 

Thanks, ;) pic.twitter.com/x4w3r8Ghcy

— Nokia UK (@nokia_uk)

• Inherently social: Taking to Twitter to advertise is a smart move because the opportunity for your brand-endorsed content to organically ‘go viral’ is far greater than across any other platform. Sure, all kinds of media are shared on social platforms all of the time, but one must assume that delivering exclusive sponsored content which complements first screen viewing on an inherently social platform is a pretty good way to guarantee amplification of your message

It’s an exciting time, then, for consumers, brands and broadcasters alike. For consumers, ad breaks will be a welcome interlude where the second screen will unlock secondary plots and action replays. For brands there’s a bigger opportunity than ever to become synonymous with our favourite TV shows and to amplify their message. And for broadcasters there’s an entirely new revenue-generating advertising medium. Win win win.