I'm bullish on Twitter, but I'm by no means a financial analyst. I just see the manner in which the platform has transformed the way the world communicates. Two days ago I was asked to speak about my feelings regarding Twitter's IPO on Fox Business's Varney & Co. In the segment I articulated three reasons why I'm bullish on Twitter:
1. Second Screen/Live Tweeting
My agency Silverback was able to live tweet with an audience of millions during the Robin Roberts 20/20 special on behalf of our client the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. During this special, their "Someday is Today" commercial was airing. We live tweeted throughout the entire show, teasing that the commercial was about to air, and connecting with an audience on behalf of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of the likes which they had never seen before.
2. Campaigns Are Dead:
Bonin Bough and his team at Mondeleze International did something remarkable during the Super Bowl black out, sending a Tweet in real time that spoke to the moment: "You can still dunk in the dark." It was cute, appropriate, and oh so powerful!
This is why I am 100% bullish on Twitter. Until there is another platform that can (at scale) replicate this type of interaction and real time communication, I will remain bullish.
3. People will Initially Complain About Ads, but They'll Forget About it Soon.
We've seen this happen before, but most publicly on Facebook. We lament, complain and argue, but we always relent. Why? Because we love our social networks, and all of our friends are already there. Of course there is the danger of turning into MySpace, but I think that Dick Costolo won't let that happen to Twitter. There are a myriad of money-making opportunities that they can tap into without diluting the Twitter users' experience. I believe this is a non-issue.
What do you think? Will Twitter's IPO fall flat or soar?