During the first quarter of 2015, brands such as Amazon, iHeart Radio, Mountain Dew and Sephora tapped both tried-and-true and newer social media applications to engage more personally with mobile users and leveraged live events or phenomena to promote their own products in creative ways.

As social media continues to become a growing force in mobile, marketers are now fully discovering its potential for driving brand awareness in addition to sales. From sweepstakes on Snapchat to themed content cross-posted on all platforms, a slew of brands are taking top spots as social media influencers by leveraging unique manners of communicating with their target audiences.

The new additions of social networks such as Periscope and Meerkat lend credence to the suggestion that users are increasingly searching for bite-sized interactions with marketers via live-streaming and shareable photos. Additionally, large brands choosing to use promoted hashtags have also seen success when riding the coattails of other major viral moments.

Here are the top 10 mobile social engagements of the first quarter of 2015, in alphabetical order.

Amazon, JCPenney respond to ?The Dress? color debate on Twitter
Amazon and JCPenney are two of the top retailers that quickly responded to the worldwide social media buzz concerning a post about a dress that provoked a debate late in early March over the color of the garment's stripes, underscoring how mobile moments can help brands connect with today's consumers.

Twitter and Facebook were barreled by posts from users trying to convince each other that the striped dress was black-and-blue or white-and-gold, prompting an intense debate that led to many memes, GIFs and jokes. Many retailers also joined in on the fun by posting their own products in the same colors as the dress and taking a stance on its true shades, providing an optimal opportunity to drive awareness of items.

Amazon showcased a blue-patterned sleeveless dress with a black belt, labeling it ?#TeamBlue? with a hyperlink to the product page.

JCPenney fired back with a similar Tweet of a blue-and-black dress, teasing consumers by saying ?We promise, we aren't messing with you. This dress is blue and black. #TheDress #Blueandblack #WhiteandGold.?

Chevrolet rides mobile surprise-fest to engagement heights on YouTube
General Motors? Chevrolet brand leveraged video and social media to attract 3 million viewers on its YouTube channel and 1.5 million impressions with an April Fools' Day multimedia surprise-fest that dramatized the power of mobile to drive brand engagement.

The #BestDayEver campaign surprised more than 12,000 people with live events such as an impromptu Kelly Clarkson concert for pregnant women and new moms, nationwide Major League Baseball opening day tickets and gas cards from NASCAR driver Danica Patrick to boost brand awareness.

The surprises, which began with the introduction of the all-new 2016 Chevrolet Malibu, were streamed on Chevrolet?s YouTube channel.

The #BestDayEver generated a 98 percent positive sentiment rating as people viewed the live stream content on YouTube. At peak times, the broadcast received 600 comments per minute.

Fox terrifies social media users into seeing Poltergeist remake
20th Century Fox undertook a creative approach to marketing via mobile for the upcoming release of its remake of classic film Poltergeist by terrifying unsuspecting social media users.

The studio implemented a social media event, Fear Factory, that frightened users who posted about their greatest fears. Those who included the hashtag #WhatAreYouAfraidOf on Twitter unknowingly received videos or GIFs designed specifically to scare the individual.

As the key demographic for the film is the millennial audience, the main users of social media and the majority of the horror film fan base, combining these two interests was an easy decision for the film?s marketing team.

A social prank such as this is a surefire way to tempt potential fans? interest with the correct approach.

IHeartRadio sings of social success thanks to cutting-edge approach
Leveraging a relevant social strategy that included real-time conversations, Twitter Periscope broadcasts and Snapchat aided Internet radio platform iHeartRadio in driving a nearly 75 percent increase in the number of social media impressions for its music awards show in March.

The 2015 iHeartRadio Music Awards generated more than 14 billion social impressions, fuelled in part by local radio stations and personalities engaging in a live conversation with fans before, during and after the awards, both on-air and through social.

IHeartRadio also grabbed advantage of newer social integration formats, including live behind-the-scenes broadcasts on Periscope, Twitter?s live video streaming application, and a Snapchat Our Story populated by audience members, nominated artists and Ryan Seacrest, who used backstage snaps to maintain viewers.

The mobile and social strength works in tandem with the awards program?s television engagement, where it was the No. 1 rated show for the 18-to-49-year-old demographic across the Big 4 broadcast networks.

Marriott works out fitness-first incentives for travelers on mobile
Marriott hotels in San Francisco are helping customers maintain their fitness goals with a campaign that rewards participants for engaging with fellow wellness enthusiasts on mobile.

Guests who joined the #MarriottTravelWell community and hashtagged their workouts during their stays at participating hotels were entered to win one of the Fitbit devices Marriott awarded every Friday in March. The campaign underlined the increasing value of wearables as well as mobile?s value in motivating healthier habits.

As the # MarriottTravelWell campaign is centered around Instagram, travelers could get inspired from each other and stay engaged with the campaign while on-the-go.

Marriott?s program strived to initiate conversations about wellness and create an engaging travelogue where people could share destination-specific exercise routines, photos of scenic workout venues and personal achievements. 

Mountain Dew lifts veil on brand with Periscope live stream
When Twitter debuted its new video live streaming application Periscope in March, beverage brand Mountain Dew  jumped for the chance to bring its mobile social strategy to the next level.

The fast pace at which large marketers are embracing Periscope and Meerkat underscores brands? growing recognition of the ability to fuel excitement by experimenting with new technology platforms.

On March 26, Mountain Dew tweeted out a link to its Periscope live stream, encouraging Twitter users to stop by and watch. The three-minute stream showcased Mountain Dew swag such as hats and t-shirts.

Once the stream was over, the brand reached out to viewers to reward them for engaging with the brand. Mountain Dew plans to offer more live streaming opportunities on Periscope in the future.

Reese?s scores with bracket-themed social promotion tied to mobile coupon
The Hershey Company?s Reese?s brand ramped up sales and awareness of its candy by partnering with the National Collegiate Athletic Association to sponsor an annual College All-Star Game, and leveraging a bracket-themed promotion on social media to offer coupons to mobile users.

Reese?s leveraged the #REESESGameDay hashtag on social media to drive users to its Facebook page, where it posted GIFs, sports-related images such as its popular Reese?s Cups dressed in frosted jerseys and Easter-themed recipes and craft ideas including instructions on how to make ?Sunday best? hats with cookies and miniature Reese?s cups.

Users could also click the ?Reese?s Starting Lineup? tab on Facebook, or click the GOREESES.com link in many posts to be taken to the brand?s own March Madness-inspired bracket. The mobile-optimized bracket encouraged guests to fill out their top five favorite Reese?s products, such as Reese?s Pieces and Reese?s Minis.

After consumers filled out the blanks, they received a coupon for a free Reese?s item up to $2.

Sephora holds first sweepstakes on Snapchat to up social clout
Beauty marketer Sephora ran its first sweepstakes on photo-sharing app Snapchat in February to build its database of social media followers. Followers were asked to add the brand on Snapchat, take a photo of themselves and draw fake eyebrows on the image through the app?s doodle feature.

Pictures were then sent to Sephora?s account on Snapchat before being uploaded onto Instagram with the hashtag #SephoraSnapsSweeps. Consumers were also required follow the retailer on Instagram as well.

The sweepstakes winner was selected randomly to win a $500 gift card to Sephora.

Toyota showcases interactive hashtag marketing via Twitter-generated art
Toyota brought interactive hashtag marketing front and center at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, TX by allowing attendees to use their smartphones to create Twitter-generated art at a live installation featuring the 2015 Corolla.

Each guest could Tweet the #MakeYourMark hashtag to participate, which activated one of six available robotically controlled paintball machines in the glass-enclosed display featuring the Corolla.

The paintball makers shot against the white backdrop behind the vehicle, creating a colorful, constantly evolving background for the car to shine against. Four original artworks were displayed during the two-day installation.

Walmart leverages nonprofit cross-partnership for social media blitz
Walmart is asking consumers to partake in its Fight Hunger. Spark Change campaign by uploading a picture with six friends onto social media apps to prompt the retailer to donate $10 per post to Feeding America, proving that social media is an optimal communication vehicle for cross-partnerships with nonprofits.

The campaign, which runs from April 6 through May 3, asks customers to snap a photo of six friends to symbolize the one in six people potentially struggling with hunger across the nation.

They are then encouraged to upload the photo to Twitter, Instagram or Facebook via the #WeSparkChange hashtag. Walmart has pledged to donate $10 to Feeding America per each public post on the social media applications, up to a grand total donation of $3 million.

Consumers interested in generating the maximum amount of donations are encouraged to prompt their friends and family to post multiple photos, tag more people and challenge them to upload their own pictures within 48 hours.

Final Take
Alex Samuely is an editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York