Target hits bullseye on SnapChat with Imagine Dragons promotion
After joining SnapChat, Target is using its first interactions on the platform to direct users towards a music campaign with Imagine Dragons through the hashtag #MoreMusic.
The retailer recently joined SnapChat and has been positing Stories to continue to make social a significant part of its engagement strategy. Many brands are now present on the platform, by posting Stories or participating on the new Discover channel, pointing to the apparent success of its marketing capabilities.
?For the last several years Target has been running four minutes of ad time during the Grammys,? said Shuli Lowy, marketing director of mobile at Ping Mobile, New York. ?This year the brand took a consumer centric approach in building its ad creative and broader campaign for the Grammys.
Viewers watch the Grammys in large part to hear music they love,? she said. ?Instead of featuring a traditional ad, Target filmed a four-minute Imagine Dragons concert that they aired as 4 30-second ad spots.
?The campaign was coupled with a hashtag #MoreMusic. Several days before the concert aired live, the brand activated its Snapchat account, and Target released sneak peeks of behind-the-scene views of the elaborate production process. At the time, it was not yet publicly known that Imagine Dragons would be performing live for the Target commercial spot.?
Socially inclined
In a recent post on the retailer?s blog, Target announced that it had joined SnapChat. Target then posted its first story on SnapChat later that day on Feb. 5.
The blog post also included the below picture, serving as a hint to Target's expected first post.
Snapchat users can add Target on the photo-messaging platform by searching the username: target.
Snapchat Stories consist of video content that expire after 24 hours. By leveraging them, Target can gain the attention of its customers natively and further direct them to its Web site or app.
This is the latest example of how Target?s prowess in the social space continues to focus on innovation and the most popular social platforms.
For its #MoreMusic campaign, Target also partnered with Imagine Dragons to create a TV commercial that aired during the Grammy Awards Sunday night. The commercial was a live concert performance.
The goal of the commercial for Target was to give customers more of what they want, which is music.
?The campaign has garnered a tremendous amount of enthusiastic visibility for the brand,? Ms. Lowy said. ?Many hail it as the most memorable Grammys commercial ever.
?The execution was strategic because it focused on consumer interest above all and it leveraged the campaign to gain a social following,? she said. ?It is easy for marketers to turn commercials as their stage to give a repetitive pitch instead of focusing on what consumers want from the brand.
?Target?s approach of turning all four ad spots into a live Imagine Dragons concert demonstrated that the brand takes a serious customer centric approach.?
Brands hopping on
A multitude of brands are using SnapChat.
Mountain Dew recently jumpstarted excitement for two new flavors of Mtn Dew Kickstart by leveraging a real-time, consumer-driven Snapchat story, proving that the social messaging application continues to gain traction as a bridge to build personal connections between brands and customers.
The Pepsico beverage brand introduced consumers to the Pineapple Orange Mango and Strawberry Kiwi flavors of its Kickstart energy drinks by launching the ?It All Starts with a Kick? campaign on social media via the #Kickstart hashtag. Additional content is also being rolled out on Vine, Twitter and YouTube in the current weeks (see story).
Also, Victoria?s Secret's ran ads for its Pink Date bra within Cosmopolitan magazine's content on the Snapchat Discover platform, reflecting its potential to help brands narrow in on a targeted group of consumers.
Snapchat Discover, which was just introduced a few weeks ago, quickly had top brands such as T-Mobile and Macy's signing on to advertise within content offered by media companies such as ESPN and CNN. While Victoria?s Secret?s participation suggests brands see potential, rich metrics will be necessary for brands to continue to invest (see story).
?Target's ad campaign also strategically released exclusive and exciting content on Snapchat to build up its following,? Ms. Lowy said. ?Any company can open up a Snapchat account or any social media page.
?The key is to drive consumers to connect and then re-engage,? she said. ?That requires a powerful initial push as well as great re-engagement content to keep the consumer there.
?Target?s introduction to Snapchat certainly came with a big bang. With time we will see how the brand re-engages with consumers on the social platform.?
Final Take
Caitlyn Bohannon is an editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York