Dr Pepper Crosses All Platforms with Social Media Influencers

Rather than confining content to a single platform, Dr Pepper incorporates Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, Vine and Periscope in its first foray into social influencer marketing.

Dr Pepper is going all-in for its first influencer marketing campaign to promote Lip Sync Battle. The soft drink company is promoting the show across as many platforms as possible, rather than confining content to the platforms where specific influencers are most popular.

To generate buzz for the Dr. Pepper-sponsored show, which returns from a six-week hiatus in July, Dr Pepper has a booth installed in Times Square, where a group of influencers will spend today lip syncing. The influencers started hyping the event on Twitter, inviting their followers to meet them in New York and request songs. They will also broadcast the event on Periscope, narrate battles on Snapchat, and share photos and videos from the day on Instagram and Vine.

“Content creation is all the buzz and these folks are multi-talented across platforms,” says Andrew Barker, director of media and entertainment at Dr Pepper. “Someone can take a still picture and put it on Instagram, see it kind of taking off and then based on that, they can immediately repost and resend it across the other social platforms, which will ultimately broaden the audience reach on that piece of content.”

Executed by social influencer marketing platform Speakr, the campaign’s influencers include Liane V, the 30th-most followed person on Vine, and Don Benjamin, a former America’s Next Top Model contestant with an Instagram following of 1 million.

Utilizing user-generated content (UCG) as a marketing strategy has been big for brands lately; last week, McDonald’s became the first brand to have its own Snapchat geofilters. Working with influencers takes UGC to the next level, as they have large followings and the built-in credibility of being more relatable than the rich and famous.

“Not everyone gravitates toward a sports celebrity or a movie star,” Barker says. “A lot of people gravitate toward people who are just like them. That’s what a lot of these influencers bring to the table: they’re people just like us, so they can have an emotional connection with other individuals in a way that celebrities can’t.”

drpepper-lipsynchbattle

Tessa Wegert, communications director at digital agency Enlighten, thinks Dr Pepper is smart to create a strong omnichannel experience. She says the campaign is reminiscent of JetBlue’s interactive window that allowed consumers to explore Curaçao from Manhattan.

“With consumers, Millennial and otherwise, deeply immersed in numerous social networks and platforms, and making them a part of their daily routine, extending marketing campaigns to all these touchpoints is a must,” Wegert says. “It creates brand consistency while also increasing traffic and word and mouth. For promotions like Dr Pepper’s, success is as much about generating positive social chatter as it is about getting consumers into that lip sync booth.”

That’s true, according to Barker. He promises a “large product sampling footprint” at Times Square today, making sure consumers ultimately associate the experience with Dr Pepper.
In addition to interacting with the brand, fans will have the chance to lip sync themselves, subsequently sharing their performances across their own social platforms with the #OneofaKindLipSync and #Contest hashtags. By using the hashtags in conjunction with one another, consumers enter for a chance to win VIP tickets to an upcoming Lip Sync Battle taping. The show will air July 9 on Spike TV.

Subscribe to get your daily business insights

Whitepapers

US Mobile Streaming Behavior
Whitepaper | Mobile

US Mobile Streaming Behavior

5y

US Mobile Streaming Behavior

Streaming has become a staple of US media-viewing habits. Streaming video, however, still comes with a variety of pesky frustrations that viewers are ...

View resource
Winning the Data Game: Digital Analytics Tactics for Media Groups
Whitepaper | Analyzing Customer Data

Winning the Data Game: Digital Analytics Tactics for Media Groups

5y

Winning the Data Game: Digital Analytics Tactics f...

Data is the lifeblood of so many companies today. You need more of it, all of which at higher quality, and all the meanwhile being compliant with data...

View resource
Learning to win the talent war: how digital marketing can develop its people
Whitepaper | Digital Marketing

Learning to win the talent war: how digital marketing can develop its peopl...

2y

Learning to win the talent war: how digital market...

This report documents the findings of a Fireside chat held by ClickZ in the first quarter of 2022. It provides expert insight on how companies can ret...

View resource
Engagement To Empowerment - Winning in Today's Experience Economy
Report | Digital Transformation

Engagement To Empowerment - Winning in Today's Experience Economy

1m

Engagement To Empowerment - Winning in Today's Exp...

Customers decide fast, influenced by only 2.5 touchpoints – globally! Make sure your brand shines in those critical moments. Read More...

View resource