Can YouTube really give you a whiter smile?

The days of wondering if social media can have a more significant impact than traditional media are over. In a recent article I learned how Colgate, a 209 year old company, shunned its traditional methods of marketing to better engage with its intended demographic.

After deliberating the best way to introduce a new Colgate Optic White Express White toothpaste, Philip Durocher, vice-president & general manager of Colgate Palmolive NA Oral Care said,  "In the past, we've tried to hit millennials over the head in TV and print. When we looked at reaching and connecting with them where they really are, YouTube was the logical place to go."  

That's right, instead of hiring a well-known celebrity to star in a series of TV and print ads, Colgate reached out to YouTube stars Andrea Brooks  and Blair Fowler. Are you asking yourself who they are? I certainly did. Andrea and Blair each host their own beauty and makeup show, and have over 5 million YouTube subscribers between them. Using the pair co-stars, Colgate created a reoccurring series on YouTube called "The Smile Show". With a trusting and captive audience, the duo acted not only as spokespersons, but also as actual users of the product. This gave them the ability to speak to their experience and progress over time. The show has been viewed over 24 million times and racked up an astonishing 84 years worth of viewing time.

The results weren't too shabby either. In fact, Colgate was able to increase brand awareness by 13%, purchase considerations by 10.8% and brand interest by 1116%. Colgate could not have imagined this type of success with traditional marketing campaign and will continue to shift dollars to digital. Durocher finished by saying, "I cannot imagine the company ever stepping back from where we got to this year; we will definitely be more and more into digital and especially digital video."

I think this is a brilliant idea and will become increasingly popular. These YouTube starts have something that is hard to come by. They have the attention and more importantly the trust of their millions of viewers. Study after study shows that people are more likely to act on recommendations from someone they trust. Additionally, consumers are finding ways to bypass advertisements regardless of the format. Traditional methods fail to get their message to the intended audience. Kudos to Colgate for being willing to try something new, and showing that old dogs can learn new tricks. Can watching YouTube really give you a whiter smile? I am going to have to say yes.