Look around you: how many items with an internet connection can you see from where you’re sitting? These days, we have a constant companion in our pocket, at our desk, and in our homes. Our computers, phones, and iPods allow us constant access to the internet and thus to each other. But as our lives become more and more saturated by technology and our total communication skews increasingly digital, our connections are becoming less and less human.
As a result, some individuals are fighting back by leaving their phones behind, disconnecting from their laptops and coming together to connect face to face. Some advertisers have caught on and have begun to create campaigns around these connections, like Dentyne’s Make Face Time campaign, or T-Mobile’s Life’s For Sharing. These campaigns focus on their products’ role in human connections, whether it’s as simple as fresh breath for when you lean in for a kiss, or the technological means to bring people together to collaborate or connect. Of course, this has all come through baby steps. From dating sites to XBOX Live, the humanization of digital interaction has slowly altered the DNA of our online interactions.
These days, people are increasingly inviting their online communities into their real life, an integral benefit of social media. Whether it’s a tweet-up or a flash mob, social media is transcending digital conversations to create real-life interaction, and the companies, applications, and systems that foster this transition are being rewarded for it.
Levi’s is one of the first brands to take advantage of this trend with their G.O. IV Fortune contest, as part of their Go Forth campaign. They launched a video online explaining that Grayson Ozias had buried $100,000…$100K that’s yours, so long as you can find it. They dropped voice recordings all around the country and online puzzles to help guide the players to the treasure, all based on the idea that for everyone one active participant, there would be nine commenters and 90 observers, what Levi’s director of digital marketing Megan O’Connor calls the “1+9+90” rule. Using their Facebook fan page, a Twitter account dedicated to the game, and live streaming, Levi’s posted clues that led to the eventual discovery of the treasure by one of the tens of thousands of participants, all of whom signed up with their email address and actively participated with the brand.
So what can we learn from Levi’s and the trend they capitalized on?
1. The key to engaging users begins with being where they already are.
2. People who participate in social media are looking to connect with others; bringing this connection to real life is a great way to get them to connect directly and, when done right, organically, with your brand.
3. Competition and connection are powerful motivators.
How will you leverage this opportunity?
Claire Grinton is a brand strategist and writer based in San Francisco. Find more from Claire or contact her at claire[dot]grinton[at]gmail.com.
Tags: Business, community, online marketing, passion, Social Media, Strategy
