One can hardly find brands experimenting with new networks on social. The quick answer would be very less traction on other networks since Indians are spending most of their time on Facebook. Fair enough but social media is about experimentation as there is no success formula for the medium.
So I got really excited when I came across the news that electronics goods maker LG had used the social medium of Vine videos as an online campaign for the launch of the LG Optimus G Pro in India. The campaign, which ran during July and August, was conceptualized by SkyHub, the digital creative and technology firm, that launched a series of interesting Vine videos made around the features of the G Pro smartphone, incorporating animations, social issues and traditional Indian art forms.
“We were asked to make 40 Vines & 10 Instagram videos with a variety of themes ranging from social issues (voting responsibly, save the tiger, civic sense – not peeing in public), fun stuff (woman flying, man falling off a roof, man walking through glass), Art related (incorporating Warli art, paper craft, hand drawn crayon art),” Jay Chauhan, CEO, SkyHub, shared over an email conversation with us while discussing the company briefing.
Further talking about the objective Jay added that, “As a content marketing strategy most of them needed to subtly incorporate the G Pro, specifically the objective being to firmly establish the top of mind specs for customers like the Full HD display, HD camera and Q Apps via a visual looping and repetitive medium like Vine thus augmenting the norm i.e. Twitter and FB contests, etc.”
But why use Vine only for its stop motion technology?
However, what is very interesting is that LG India is using platforms like Vine only for the technology – that is the stop motion feature – but not adopting its network capabilities since it is still not active in the country. In other words, the brand has no presence on Vine, the agency just shot the videos, uploaded on its agency account on Vine, shared them tagging LG India and uploaded them on LG India’s YouTube brand channel too. Confused?
“Vine is new in our country, LG used Vines more as an origination medium i.e. to generate 6 sec looping content and from then onwards, got their Twitter account to start sharing them,” Jay shared, while explaining the reasoning behind why they stayed away from using Vine as a network.
I am really not convinced with the explanation. Vine, a six second stop motion app from Twitter and Instagram that allows the same video shooting feature for 15 second, have been popular for the network capabilities along with the technology. And I am worried that the brand/agency is killing interesting mediums like Vine and Instagram.
I am yet to hear from the agency on why it didn’t upload the Vine videos first by creating a Vine account for LG India and thereafter share on different social networks. This would have not only pulled the associated brand when you are searching for #ImaginationBegins on Vine but also increased the chances of people following the brand on the network. Subsequently sharing the videos would have not only created the buzz on Twitter but also drive new Vine enthusiasts to follow the brand too.
Right now if you search for #ImaginationBegins, you find videos from tech bloggers tagging the Twitter account of LG India but I don’t think it really helps the brand.
It would be interesting if the brand follows the path of MTV India on Vine. MTV India has a verified Vine account and has already created 13 interesting six seconds video for its show ‘Pick Me Up’ featuring VJ José Covaco. By now the brand has more than 252 followers on the platform and is slowly building presence on a network that is yet to click in the country. Some brands love to tag themselves as early adopters.
Why Instagram Video feature was used?
According to Jay, the agency also developed 10 Instagram videos but again there is no presence of LG India on Instagram. I again searched for #ImaginationBegins and landed up on bunch of videos that were uploaded by the agency on their account.
After watching a few videos, I am not convinced about the technology the agency is using for the Instagram videos since they are simple product feature updates. I really don’t find any rational sense – why use Instagram Video feature, upload videos on the agency account and share on social media while the brand chooses to distance itself from the network? What is stopping LG India from opening up on new networks? The below video is one of the videos done by the agency on Instagram for LG.
Not to take away any credit from the creative part of the Vine videos that are really brilliant, specially the “No More Memos” video. According to Unmetric, the video also happens to be the top video in the last two months with more than 36K views along with another video ‘LG Optimus G Pro Attraction’ which has got more than 34K views in the same period.
It is nice to see the Vine videos make some buzz on YouTube but it would have been great had the brand adopted the network rather than just the technology and set a benchmark.
While the most reputed publishers of the country have covered the story without even checking what the campaign is really about, I think the entire campaign had the creative essence at the right place but failed in executing and reaping the benefits from a video social network like Vine (I prefer it over Instagram just for its sheer ease of use.)
Image courtesy: Facebook
Disclosure: Unmetric is an advertiser on LHI