How to get your launch in front of its target customer

Twitter’s position as a preeminent video platform in the Middle East means it’s a great place to launch a product or brand. This targeted campaign for the Audi Quattro, which launched late last year, is a typically excellent example. In addition to being a Promoted Video, it also ran as a First View to ensure maximum exposure.

When it comes to launching a new product or brand, a combined strategy like this can compound the campaign’s effectiveness. Video on Twitter is great, but Twitter has several other channels that brands can use to amplify that launch and connect with the target audience.

There are good reasons for taking a multifaceted approach. Data shows that when brands use Twitter, they see 33% more sustained awareness¹ than when they don’t. Why does this happen? Essentially, when your brand is on Twitter, people notice, and it sticks. When you launch without Twitter, you launch with less — a lot less.

Here are the top products to use when you launch on Twitter.

1. First View

Use First View to get your ad in front of an engaged and influential audience of millions. First View gives brands exclusive ownership the top ad slot — Twitter’s most valuable real estate — for 24 hours. Run this in the first 24 hours of the launch. Think of it as the gold spot of your timeline, the chance to get your brand in front of millions of people for that 24-hour takeover.

Saudi Arabia might be a massive market for the latest SUVs but it’s also fiercely competitive. To stand out from the crowd, Lexus (@LexusKSA) combined a Promoted Trend with First View to launch its Lexus UX vehicle.

2. Twitter Emoji

Combine the use of First View with a Twitter emoji and a powerful hashtag to drive conversation. A custom emoji provides an extra reinforcement for your campaign — in fact, we have data to show there is a 6X higher emotional connection² when you pair an emoji with video.

As an example of this, low-cost airline Flynas (@flynas) created a custom emoji to go with this Video Website Card. The card linked through to a landing page.

3. Promoted Trend

This is found in one of the most valuable and visited places within Twitter — Explore. This is the first place people go to find out what’s happening, and your brand could appear there with your visually engaging video creative. This format offers the perfect opportunity for your brand to be what’s happening and engage with the Twitter audience with full-bleed, edge-to-edge media.

A good example of this approach is this Audi ad for the Saudi launch of the Quattro A8 sports car. Audi Middle East (@AudiMiddleEast) used a Promoted Trend to direct users towards a video website card.

4. Sponsorships — don’t launch and leave

The first three steps will provide a strong platform for launch. Then it's time to maintain the momentum you've built. We see a drop in consideration by 15% week-on-week if your brand does not support its presence.

Sponsorships are a crucial way for brands to stay top of mind. We have a range of products that help continue to drive that top-of-mind awareness that is critical for brands. One option is for brands to run six-second cutdowns of their content as pre-roll, aligning with a range of premium publishers on our platform to keep driving that brand association.

5. Niche

Another way to refresh your core message is through Twitter’s creator network, Niche. This is made up of thousands of people who know what content resonates with their audience and can interpret and freshen up a brand’s core message during a campaign. They can create brand content fit for the fast-moving Twitter feed, making an impact in the first three seconds. MyDubai (@MyDubai) used Niche for this campaign that promotes the city to Japanese users.

6. Video Website Card

A Video Website Card allows brands to use a simple call to action to allow customers to instantly shop for gifts. A simple click of a button that is entirely customisable will direct users to any specific webpage on your brand’s website. Better still, this is all within Twitter itself, as the web link is pulled in directly to the Twitter experience. This allows the user to go from seeing the brand ad to taking action all in one immersive experience without leaving Twitter.

This is a great example from Bank AlJazira (@BankAlJazira). It used a Video Website Card to help direct users back to a landing page of its Noor Innovation Program.