In today’s society, it is important for brands to stay in touch with customers through the use of social media. Platforms such as Instagram allow for up to 60 seconds of video that provides a stage where marketers can post short videos to engage with users. With short time frames, marketing teams are forced to be creative and inventive in order to create a reaction from the target audience. However, one drawback of the Instagram platform is that it requires subscription from users and there still is no direct way of searching videos, unlike on YouTube.

For a user to interact with a specific video they must be subscribed to brands’ channel or other social networks where that content may be shared. A strategy that brands adopt is making viewers ‘lean-in’ to participate in watching videos. Through creative content that connects with the fanbase can reap huge dividends in terms of securing major subscription figures. A recent study from Unruly confirmed that 40% of the most-shared Instagram videos come from brands, which is promising when bearing in mind the main competition faced is from music stars and Hollywood celebrities.

Click on this link to discover more about how companies making money from Instagram —> How to Make Money on Instagram 

Mercedes-Benz is a luxury brand which is all about the “lifestyle”. Images are uploaded on their Instagram page resemble inspiration and incredible engineering. The videos focus also feature and show off engine noise, the way it handles and its stylish looks. Not forgetting Mercedes’ natural habitat – the racetrack, there is elegant footage of their cars winding down on European roads. As of March 2016, Mercedes-Benz have a whopping 4.9 millions followers on their Instagram account.

Instagram have rolled out a new service where companies can pay for adverting space that appears on peoples feed. It is made clear to users as there is a tag on the top right above the image / video saying “sponsored”. 70 million photos are uploaded on Instagram every day, generating 2.5 billion likes. This reflects a phenomenal amount of engagement and proves that users are an ever-connected. Mercedes-Benz USA trialed this method of marketing for its new SUV the GLA model which was aimed at the younger generation. They used a hashtag as inspiration #ThingsOrganizedNeatly and asked photographers as well as brand ambassadors to answer “What would you pack in your GLA?” Mercedes used photos of  neatly arranged items on a GLA cargo mat to illustrate the versatility of the vehicle for a range of weekend trips.

Through this campaign it led to a 54% increase in website visits form Instagram and Facebook Ads and a 580% increase when combined with Facebook Direct Response Ads.

Mercedes-Benz USA are bringing car customizing to a new platform. Conventionally, car makers have a tool on their website where customers can build their own configuration of a car throughout their range of models. Nevertheless, Mercedes-Benz USA have brought this to Instagram with the purpose of targeting the millennial generation. Now you can customize your version of the GLA model from its colour, wheels, roof type to grill options.

Click on this link to have a go yourself!  —> Build your own GLA

Regarding all the components, there are a remarkable 132 possible unique configurations. The concept works as the user visits the @GLA_Build_Your _Own Instagram page, then user the navigates through a series of pages choosing their preferences which leads to a final picture of the full rendition. Watch the video below as it illustrates the concept.

A negative aspect of social media is that it lacks personal interaction with the product. A car is a huge investment, therefore when consumers come to purchase a car they feel the need to try before they buy. Simple things such as sitting the driving seat to see if it comfortable enough to their liking and taking it out for a test drive to find out if it’s what they anticipated are hugely significant factors that may sway the consumer’s mind.

For more information on Mercedes-Benz’s latest social media craze visit the link below:

Mercedes-Benz Lets Users Build Custom Car on Instagram 

Sources:

http://www.reelseo.com/car-brands-instagram-video/#ixzz459Cxb7IX

https://econsultancy.com/blog/66689-how-brands-are-using-instagram-ads/

https://trbrautoblog.wordpress.com/2013/07/16/car-makers-begin-to-use-vine-and-instavideo/

http://www.dandad.org/awards/professional/2015/digital-marketing/24285/build-a-gla-on-instagram/

http://www.fastcocreate.com/3037489/now-you-can-build-your-own-mercedes-on-instagram 

www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=B3UW5AXwWUQ

Vine is another relatively new platform that marketers are now using. Vine’s concept is very simple, short six second clips which play on a loop and offer the chance for amusing one liners, animations and creative cutaways all in an easy way to film format. Ford have taken the march in this initiative by using top Vine stars such as Rudy Mancuso and Zach King who have over 14 million followers, as well as 5 billion loops on their videos between them. Ford use these Viners to create short skits and humorous videos to endorse their products in a fun unique way. Ford & Ford Europe’s pages have around 70,000 followers and 52 million loops together as of March 2016.

Through the media outlets of the Vine stars it allows scope for the videos to become viral and reach a much larger audience than anticipated.

Back in 2013 when Vine was new to the market, car maker Honda initiated a campaign where they were giving away cars when Twitter users tweeted them reasons for wanting a new Honda using the hashtag #wantnewcar. However, what was unique about this campaign was that Honda responded to entries using Vine. Honda would reply to all the entries and at the end of the event winning entries were picked and each received a brand new Honda.

A relatively simple marketing strategy with low barriers to entry and a high return in growing Honda’s social media presence whilst gaining a following. Although is it hard to measure the success of the campaign, the use of a hashtag was a good way of tracking entries.  A negative point is that, this campaign could be copied by other car makers that have greater followings and could benefit more than Honda did.

Below is an advertisement that Honda put out to create attention to the campaign:

However, it is not all gold that glitters in the Vine world as there are areas of weaknesses. Firstly, the older generation that may view these videos may not understand the concept and not realise that it is a form of advertising. Therefore, potentially missing out on appealing to a market which might or might not be their target market. Moreover, 6 second clips may be too short to inform the viewer of the product. Watching a Vine star endorse a specific car brand might not be enough for viewers to be persuaded to purchase it, as there is a lack of facts and figures presented. Also, linking to my other blog How Car Makers are #Winning on Instagram which highlights the non-existent personal interaction with products, which is usually a vital aspect for consumers especially regarding that a car is a big investment.

Lets talk money.

According to Ted Murphy, CEO of social media brand Izea, the cost to companies using these “internet celebrities” can range between $25,000 and $100,000 for each video. Vine stars benefit hugely from this as they create more awareness and traffic for their profile which may lead to further endorsements. Well known brands are more likely to give social media content creators more freedom when producing sponsored content, as they more inclined to know what will attract viewers. 

The average cost of a 30 seconds commercial is $112,000 during prime time broadcast TV. In comparison to Vine, it is cheaper per second to air, however this does not take into consideration production costs of  filming the TV advert. An advantage of the Vine videos is that they are always accessible to see and can be viewed by anyone ‘forever’ unless removed by the user.

For more of an insight on this topic please visit this link: Meet the Vine Stars Who Turn 6 Seconds of Fame into Big Bucks

Sources:

http://www.hurricanemedia.co.uk/blog/news/gone-in-6-0-secs-5-auto-brands-that-are-winning-on-vine/

trbrautoblog.wordpress.com/2013/07/16/car-makers-begin-to-use-vine-and-instavideo/

https://vine.co/v/ehBYqTIh0hV

http://www.adweek.com/videowatch/buick-ford-enlist-vine-stars-get-intriguing-results-157135

http://adage.com/article/news/costs-ad-prices-tv-mobile-billboards/297928/