Marketers pushing summer blockbusters are aggressively seeding Vine, Twitter’s nascent mobile app for six-second videos, into their social media fieldwork.
For instance, Regal Entertainment Group this week plans to promote Monsters University and World War Z (each opening Friday) with Vine, which, according to Twitter, has been downloaded by 13 million iPhone owners (it became available to Android users only a few weeks ago). The 572-location cinema chain will launch a similar initiative to support next week’s White House Down premiere.
It’s all about putting butts in seats using Vine’s pithy videos, then selling soda and candy (theater owners’ bread and butter) during the flicks.
“The limitations of six seconds can actually lift the storytelling,” explained Gabrielle Kessler, accounts manager for Something Massive, which manages social media for Regal. “You get to home in on those emotionally engaging moments that both marketers and filmmakers are after,” she said. “We are really encouraged with the engagement the app is producing so far.”
Regal is working with partners Coca-Cola and Red Vines licorice to reach consumers via Vine, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other social nets. Kessler said the partners will amplify their “shared marketing goals through each others’ networks.”
Red Vines, part of American Licorice Co., has run roughly 20 Vine ads since Twitter debuted the app in late January, seeing click-through rates of as much as 3 percent. “It’s an interesting way to get people thinking about buying our licorice before they go to the movie,” said John Dempsey, a rep for the company.
The brand will also use Vine to foster awareness around the Independence Day holiday.
Noting the brief videos require more of a consumer’s attention than mere tweets or Instagram snaps, Dempsey said Vine “has brought our brand top of mind with people who hadn’t thought of us in years.” The company also believes Vine boosts sales.
Peanut Butter & Co. shares a Vine-based strategy for Fourth of July. The brand promises an “edible fireworks show” via the app with a buy-one-get-one-free coupon offer for jars of peanut butter. A similar effort in April produced 300,000 impressions and 6,000 coupon downloads, according to the company.
“With Fourth of July fireworks, there are opportunities to do fun things with peanut butter,” said Lee Zalben, president.
And with Vine, the summer fun could very well spread.
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