Create a thunderclap moment to connect in the now (part one)

When Dove encourages us all to #SpeakBeautiful, when REI invites Black Friday shoppers to #OptOutside, and Hamburger Helper drops a mixtape to evangelise its brand love, these major brands turn to Twitter to start movements and create successful campaigns.

What do these successful campaigns have in common? A live connection to culture that sets social movements ablaze, fosters an emotional connection, and drives engagement in the moment of receptivity.

In this two-part series, we’re going to break down the essential campaign components, specifically around live events, so you can connect to your audience, create a compelling campaign strategy, and build in a “thunderclap moment” that excites and engages. In this piece, we’ll cover tips for planning your campaigns and in the second part, we’ll offer tips to break through crowded timelines to foster a true connection with your audience.

Using Twitter’s unique creative canvas of Promoted Video, In-Stream Video Ads, and In-Stream Video Sponsorships, brands can capitalise on live moments and conversations to reach an engaged audience with relevant content at the moment when consumers are most receptive.

Follow these five basic planning principles to set up your brand for success:

1. Map your moments.

Every live event is composed of a series of moments before, during, and after the event itself. And the majority of these “live” moments are predictable and can be pre-planned for. Before the event, make a list of all planned, predicted, and anticipated moments.

2. Plan scenarios to win.

Review the list of moments and identify which pre/during/post moments make sense for your brand and what your brand can authentically own. The moments you select should make sense for your brand and allow it to express its personality. Those are your moments of opportunity to join conversations and break through the noise of an event. Look for moments your brand can authentically own.

3. Make content now based on the list of prioritised moments.

You should be creating content for pre/during/post event moments and both for moments you know and think might happen. You can get your content preapproved and be ready to publish and hit the ground running as soon as event conversation begins. This way, content produced in real time should represent a very small minority of your activity.

4. Set creative templates.

For both pre-produced and real-time content, create templates to ensure consistent execution and to tie any unexpected content (such as audience reactions) back to your brand, key messages, or your value propositions. Consider recurring hashtags, visual treatments, and consistent overall aesthetic to bring content together.

5. Pick targeting parameters.

Based on the moments previously identified, create targeting parameters to ensure that your great content is relevant—it should be seen by the right people, at the right moment, and at scale.

These planning principles go hand in hand with superior creative executions. Adapt these planning principles in a way that is right for your brand and your marketing goals. Then read   part two in this series  for creative strategies to build and maintain powerful live connections.

Download the Brand Principles for Brand Success one sheet to learn more.