Want to catch up with what happened in the digital world this week? Our weekly cheat sheet will fill you in on everything you missed while you were scrambling to meet deadlines and put out fires!
Read about Twitter’s push towards e-commerce, Adidas interactive live stream for NYFW, interactive TV shows coming to Xbox, Netflix launching original series, and Frito-Lay’s crowdsourced contest to find the next flavor of chips!
1. Twitter and AmEx partnership lets users tweet-to-buy
Last year, Twitter and AmEx partnered to launch a couponing program which offered consumers dollars off of their purchases at participating retailers. Now they are allowing consumers to tweet to buy products promoted on Twitter. The user must first sync their AmEx with their Twitter account. When they see a product they want to purchase, they can tweet a corresponding hashtag to make the purchase, and retweet @AmexSync to confirm the transaction. While this isn’t the firsttweet-to-buy program, it shows an interesting way for brands to sell and create buzz about their products.
2. Adidas’ makes its live stream interactive during New York Fashion Week
Adidas showed off their new 2013 spring/summer Y-3 collection during NYFW earlier this week and added a new twist to their live stream. They partnered with ACNE Productions to bring a dynamic interactive live stream that allowed online viewers to look at the entire show through 4 different angles: full view of the runway, close up of accessories and shoes, silhouettes moving against the kaleidoscopic projection, and a behind-the-scenes view . Each video stream was displayed at the same time and users could magnify one view while still seeing the whole show. Users were also able to instantly take screenshots of the show and post to social sites like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Pinterest.
3. Xbox launching original interactive TV shows by the end of 2013
Have you ever watched a show and wished you could be part of the action? Microsoft is planning to launch original interactive TV content to Xbox Live users but the end of the year. They are planning to make shows interactive by leveraging technology like Kinect and make the experience an organic and natural extension of their current behavior. Children can interact with the characters on the screen or users can vote for their favorite contestant on a show with a quick gesture.
4. Netflix partners with DreamWorks Animation to launch original kid’s series
Netflix is partnering with DreamWorks Animation to release their first original children’s series calledTurbo: F.A.S.T. which will debut in December. The new series will be based on DreamWorks’ upcoming summer movie release. Turbo, which is about a snail who competes in the Indy 500. The original 26 episode series launching later this year will focus on Turbo’s subsequent adventures. Netflix has also announced that new DreamWorks movies will be available on their platform starting with the studio’s 2013 film line-up.
5. Frito-Lay’s “Do Us A Flavor” contest invites you to vote for their next flavor of chips
Frito-Lay launched a Facebook contest that invited consumers to submit their ideas for new Lay’s flavors. The contest had 3.8 million entries and culled it down to just 3 flavors which are now available in stores. Now it’s up to consumers to vote for their favorite through the Lay’s Facebook page, via Twitter using the hashtags #SaveGarlicBread, #SaveChickenWaffles, or #SaveSriracha, and or by texting “VOTE” to CHIPS on their mobile phone. Voting ends on May 4th and the winner will be awarded either $1 million dollars or one percent of their flavor’s 2013 net sale (whichever is higher). The “Do Us A Flavor” contest has already launched in other parts of the world and have seen great success. The global contests have garnered 8 million entries, but the latest U.S. campaign has brought in nearly half of that total so far.
