A while back, my kids wanted to watch NBC’s The Sound of Music Live. For me, the most interesting part of the production was the live Twitter conversation. Thousands of people chimed in to share their feedback about the musical in real time, and it added a fun dimension to a very courageous yet somewhat flat remake (one man’s opinion). Now, I know tweet-watching isn’t a new thing, but 1. I rely pretty heavily on my DVR, and 2. Not many people live tweet reruns of Duck Dynasty, so getting to participate was new for me.
So what are the implications here for brands? Well, here are a few things to consider:
- Nielsen now reports out Twitter TV ratings.
- As of last February, episodes of ABC’s Scandal generated 2,200 tweets per minute. The cast also joins in by interacting live with fans.
- Marketers are getting in on the live tweeting game. DiGiorno Pizza stole the show from The Sound of Music Live with goofy, irreverent content that was sticky enough to get retweeted thousands of times. Outside of The Sound of Music Live, when was the last time you retweeted a pizza company?
You can easily get in on this trend by identifying a show (or event—thousands of people live tweeted Prince George’s arrival last summer) with a demographic that matches up with your target audience. Figure out what #hashtag the show or event seems to be using, then tweet away.
That said, many companies prefer to put a bit more planning behind their social media efforts, and rightly so. If you’re looking for some guidance here, shoot me an email. I’d be happy to chat about what might help you advance your company’s priorities.
Btw, NBC recently announced Peter Pan as their next live musical. I wonder what the hashtag will be? Dare I say I’m already looking forward to it…
– BML
