Sunday, March 29, 2015

Brands (and puppies) flock to Periscope, Twitter's new app for broadcasting videos

Periscope
It's an ironclad rule of social media: If you launch it, the brands will come.
Marketers flocked to Periscope, Twitter's new live-streaming application, within hours of its launch on Tuesday. Some brand accounts used the service to broadcast exclusive, behind-the-scenes footage; others held spontaneous question-and-answer sessions with customers and fans.
Others went straight for what works best on the Internet: puppies.
In this particular case, brands had some practice first: the opportunity to test the live-video sharing waters with Meerkat, a similar application that launched a few weeks earlier and received tons of press. Ben Rubin, Meerkat's creator, has repeatedly said brands were very much on his mind when building the app — particularly the scheduling feature, which lets users alert followers to an upcoming broadcast.
Periscope does not offer a scheduling option (though some brands are using workarounds) but the app's polished feel, ability to share replays and, of course, its close tie-up with Twitter, has quickly attracted some big names.
For now, some brands are double-dipping in both Meerkat and Periscope — a light lift considering it just requires someone to hold up a phone. But that will certainly change if and when it becomes clear that one app has pulled far ahead of the other.
Here's a tour of how businesses are using Periscope:

Barkbox

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BarkBox, a startup that offers a subscription service for pet products, has been using Periscope to broadcast puppies hanging around its office. It's diabolical.

General Electric

General Electric Periscope
Image: Screengrab, Mashable
General Electric used Periscope to go behind-the-scenes on StarTalk Radio with astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and everyone's favorite science guy, Bill Nye.

Adidas

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The sportswear company used the app to give fans a view of soccer player James Rodriguez signing a contract extension with Adidas. You know, for those fans who really like watching players ink deals to earn $$$.

Mountain Dew

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Casual.

DKNY

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The clothing retailer gave shoppers a look inside its closet.

NBC

Viewers of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon got a sneak preview of his monologue on Thursday via Periscope. Fallon did the same thing with Meerkat earlier this month.
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