Want to catch up with what happened in the digital world this week? Our weekly Cheat Sheet fills you in on everything you missed while you scrambled to meet deadlines and put out fires.
Read about how Airbnb launched a new campaign using Vine, a social network for neighborhoods called Nextdoor, Neiman Marcus promoting products exclusively on Pinterest, Coca-Cola’s interactive TV ad and how 3D printing continues to be on the rise.
1. Airbnb creates a short film via Vine
If given the option to decide between using Instagram video or Vine, for custom content, most brands would choose the former. Rather than conforming to the ways of its competitors, Airbnb has launched a new social campaign this week and has chosen to use Vine as its medium. The platform — Hollywood and Vines — encourages users to create custom videos based on the given instructions, for a chance to be selected and featured in a short film on the Sundance Channel. Airbnb does a great job of using the Vine platform to engage with its consumers; hopefully, enticing other brands to jump in on the action as well.
2. Nextdoor rolls out a social channel for your neighborhood
Ever wonder how safe your neighborhood actually is, whether or not someone is having a garage sale in your community, if a kid is opening up a lemonade stand, etc.? Well, Nextdoor — a private social network for neighborhoods — hopes to bring the community closer together by keeping them connected and up-to-date with everything that’s going on. This application opens up an online platform that helps neighbors share information and socialize with one another as they go about their busy lives. It seems as though this platform would be very beneficial for neighborhoods, but it will be interesting to see how brands can leverage this tool to reach consumers.
3. Neiman Marcus uses Pinterest to garner followers
CUSP, by Neiman Marcus, took a great approach in increasing social awareness by having a unique product exclusively listed on Pinterest — the red Rebecca Minkoff Elle handbag. The item was not promoted on the company’s main site and could only be accessed through its Pinterest page. The campaign was very successful given that it acquired approximately 3,000 new followers, as well as a 20 % boost in pinning on its Pinterest site. This platform was a great form of interaction between a brand and its consumers by rewarding its loyal fans with an exclusive offer.
4. Coca-Cola’s launches an interactive TV commercial
In Hong Kong, Coca-Cola rolled out an interactive TV ad that encouraged viewers to use the Opener application on their mobile device to virtually open bottle caps and obtain points during the commercial. Users would then take the bottle caps and exchange them with Facebook friends for points in order to redeem a prize. The variety of prizes included coupons, theme park vouchers, movie tickets, etc. This campaign attracted more than 71,000 downloads in China, but I wonder how well this would do if Coca-Cola were to launch it in the states.
5. 3D printing continues to flourish
The 3D printing movement seems to be gaining more traction day by day and it doesn’t look like it’s going to stop anytime soon. Earlier this month, UPS rolled out a 3D printing service for consumers to create models on site. This week, 3D printing took another step forward with Zeus from AIO Robotics. Zeus is a 3D printer that also acts as a 3D scanner, and can even fax a model to another printer. With 3D printing going beyond the limits of our imaginations, I’m excited to see what will develop next.
