Mobile Live Streaming

While on a Chazen trip to Israel, we met with a venture capital firm who spoke to us for an hour about his experience working in Tel Aviv. He told us that he was holding his cell phone up (recording us) because he wanted to live stream his talk using Meerkat. 

Meerkat is a mobile app that enables users to do live video streaming through their mobile device. Once signed up, Meerkat users have the option of connecting their Facebook and Twitter accounts, and stream directly to their followers as soon as they go live. The app had launched a mere week before our trip so the excitement was still new and the concept was even newer to me. 

Since my return from Israel, I have seen Meerkat and Periscope change the way we use social media but also noticed the way marketers have started to look at these channels along with channels like snap chat to connect with their customers on a more personal level. One of the first few companies to use Periscope was Nestle. Purina ONE Cat (a Nestle brand) tried its hand at Periscope with “ONE Cat Camp,” where the marketing team live-streamed lessons on pet wellness and pet care. http://www.dmnews.com/mobile-marketing/purina-one-makes-out-like-a-fat-cat-with-live-streaming/article/433400/

The Next Big Thing: Live-Streaming Social Content

Last week I asked a friend at a top agency in Minneapolis what she thinks is the "next big thing" in digital marketing. Her answer: live-streaming social content. As you may know, Meerkat was introduced at SxSW this year and it was the talk of the social world. Since the launch of Meerkat, Twitter has purchased Periscope, which has emerged as the live-stream leader. The apps do virtually the same things.

Right now, all socially innovative brands are trying to figure out how they can leverage live-streaming content. There are several outstanding questions for marketers/ad agencies regarding these live-streaming platforms: In what ways can marketers use these platforms to effectively promote their brands? If and how these platforms can become tools that advertisers are willing to pay for? 

Below is a quick snapshot of the Meerkat app.

WHAT IS IT?

A social app that launched in late February 2015 – and has around 2 million users already.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Think of it as Twitter meets Snapchat meets a live blog — a live stream video that broadcasts in real-time, and is connected to your Twitter account. Users start a video stream from Meerkat and the app automatically tweets a link to it, allowing anyone to click and watch from their device. A viewer can see which users are currently watching, and view real-time commentary. Users can also “schedule” a time when they will be live streaming, so people know when to check back in to see your videos. Cleverly, groups of people viewing are called “colonies.”

HOW IS IT DIFFERENT?

It is actually live. If you miss it on Twitter as it is happening, you miss out. 

HOW IS IT BEING USED?

In it’s short existence, the app has already been used as a platform for real-time news (tracking the protests in Ferguson to New York Fashion Week), a political tool (swearing in key politicians), and an entertainment vehicle (live streaming the red carpet launch of Game of Thrones Season 5 Premier last night). Jimmy Fallon has recently been using it to stream his rehearsal monologues.

WHY SHOULD YOU CARE?

If this live-stream model continues to evolve, gone will be the days of edited and polished online content. Censored and prescriptive social strategies from brands could risk being considered feeble against the in-the-moment/live POV. It is still up in the air if this app will survive the adoption period, but right now it is growing rapidly. Twitter has already started regulating how it interacts with their platform. It is expected that many copycats will follow. (note: Periscope followed March 2015)

https://meerkatapp.co

"Explore the world through someone else's eyes"... and no I'm not referring to a warg.

Last month I wrote a post about a few of Twitter's aggressive growth initiatives. Today, I share with you their newest one, Periscope.

Launched just two days ago, Periscope is Twitter's response to Meerkat, a live-streaming video app.  Although it is only available on iOS devices, the product has attracted the attention of many users and brands.

What is Periscope?  It is a platform for streaming live video from your iPhone from anywhere in the world (that has a connection). Just download the app from the Apple store, log in, enable the camera and become a broadcaster.  Not in the mood to be famous yet?  Well, you can always watch other peoples' videos instead.  The popularity of live-streaming videos is the idea of discovering the world through someone else's eyes.  As described by the creators of Periscope, " a picture may be worth a thousand words, but live video can take you someplace and show you around." As with Twitter, this app allows you to follow people and be alerted of their new broadcasts.  You also have the option to browse around for something that catches your eyes.  And if you don't have enough time to watch the entire video, you can always save it and watch it later.

And the most loved feature of Periscope... the hearts that you can give to the videos you like or love.  Similar to a "like" button, this feature lets you send a heart or even many hearts to the broadcaster of your choice and with enough hearts, this person can be featured as a "most loved".

The product has already gained some early adopters.  Adweek, shared information on how 4 brands are already using the Periscope app.

Spotify, a music-streaming service posted a behind-the-scenes video with Conor O'Brien from the band Villagers.

"During the live stream, 382 viewers tuned into the live stream, racking up 1,534 hearts—the equivalent of "liking" something on Facebook.  As of 6 p.m. last night, the video had been replayed 99 times and received 255 hearts."

 

The brand used the app to create a short video titled "Stop by to say what's up."

"The short clip showed a girl spelling out the word "Swag" on a chalkboard with a table full of branded T-shirts and hats in front of it."

 

Red Bull, known for their sense of adventure and risk, always open to trying new things, experimented with Periscope during Miami Music Week this weekend. 

"The brand will live stream events happening at its Red Bull Guest House. Social content will also be pushed out via Twitter and Snapchat."

And the fourth brand, DKNY, gave viewers a look into its fashion closet last week, shortly after announcing it had opened an account via Twitter.

"Fashion brands already regularly employ Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to give folks a peek into its world, so it's likely that fashion-minded marketers will embrace Periscope."

Are you willing to give Periscope a try?