Twitter Next helping OTTs and music brands penetrate regional & hyperlocal markets?

Twitter, where users express their thoughts and converse freely with anyone and everyone in a real-time roller coaster of emotions, is a crucial component of every brand’s advertising and marketing strategy these days.

Even when brands adopt omnichannel strategies, they are gradually adapting themselves with the Twitter services to expand their reach among the targeted audiences.

Twitter’s marketing & branding arm Twitter Next has emerged as a significant platform for OTTs to penetrate in the regional markets. For instance, Netflix India’s (@NetflixIndia) partnered with Twitter Next to launch Netflix India South (@Netflix_INSouth) - a dedicated handle for south Indian audiences.

One of the most noteworthy brand campaigns of Twitter Next targeted at Tamil-speaking audiences was the OTT service’s launch of the anthology Navarasa. The brand hosted a live musical event, #SymphonyOfEmotions, on Twitter, bringing together the Tamil film industry in celebration of #NavarasaOnNetflix.

Rishabh Sharma, head of Twitter Next, India, tells e4M, “Netflix Twitter’s audiences come from diverse backgrounds, speak different languages, and are interested in a multitude of conversations. Those who speak Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, among other languages, are some of the most passionate audiences on Twitter. Tapping into this cultural unit, we planned Netflix's brand campaign dedicated to southern states.”

Sharma adds, “When brands are trying to engage with a certain cultural cohort, they can lean into what their target audiences are talking about and craft campaigns keeping their audience’s interests in mind. At Twitter Next, we provide brands with that insight and help them with the means to tap into a conversation that their audiences are actively engaging with.”

Launch of Regional Brands

Sharma says, “We also work with regional OTTs such as Aha video (@ahavideoIN) to help them reach more audiences and scale engagement.”

Twitter Next partnered with Spotify India (@spotifyindia) to introduce content properties crafted for audiences in south India. The brand chose to align with a cultural moment - that of #WorldMusicDay - to introduce India’s first Spotify Single - Enjoy Enjaami with a custom unlock experience.

Leading up to the release, the brand asked audiences to choose their favourite music genre between Team Indie and Team EDM - rewarding them with a fresh mix of the hugely popular Tamil track.

They followed that up with another regionally-targeted campaign for #TheRJBalajiPodcast via Twitter Spaces. Leveraging the intersection of the two audio formats, the brand used a scheduled space card, and an announcement straight from RJ Balaji to create buzz around the new property.

“Several brands such as Netflix India (@NetflixIndia), Morris Garages India (@MGMotorIn) and more - have scaled multiple launches through Twitter. The way brands engage with audiences on Twitter - in a friendly, casual, one-on-one fashion - that kind of direct audience connection is something only Twitter offers. And that’s what makes it such an important channel for brands - whether it's a legacy brand trying to retain its market leadership, or a new-age brand that’s looking to acquire more audiences,” Sharma says.

Branded Emojis, Games, Quizzes, Trend Takeover Help Grab Attention

When brands collaborate with Twitter Next, the company offers them a range of services.

“We bucket our services largely into launching and connecting with audiences engaged on a daily basis to stay culturally relevant at all times. Once we know what the brand wants to do, we present them with strategic options by packaging features from our ad-product suite.

Takeover products such as the Timeline Takeover (First View) and the Trend Takeover (Promoted Trend Spotlight) help brands acquire the premium real estate on Twitter for a 24-hour span - which is a great way to grab attention when launching something new.

Twitter Spaces (audio conversation over the platform), Conversation Buttons, Branded Notifications, Branded Emojis, Twitter Live, Media Polls are some of the products from Twitter’s ad-suite that help brands start engaging conversations and connect with audiences.

“We’ve also been collaborating with third-party vendors to custom create formats such as Emoji engine which rewards audiences with exclusive content in exchange for an emoji. Some examples are Spotify #PlayThis, #NetflixMatchmaker, Flipkart’s #BigBillionDays,” explains Sharma.

Gamification experiences that engage audiences in exciting gamified experiences that correspond to the brand’s message or the product also helps a lot on Twitter. Money Heist Escape Room for Netflix and Skoda - Speed Challenge used such games to get popularity.

Quizzes such as Samsung India’s BTS quiz around the launch of the #GalaxyS20PlusBTS edition, #ShakuntalaDeviSpeedTest, Netflix’s #MismatchedQuiz that tested people on friendship also makes wonder by engaging the Twitter users.