Vine, the new social networking application that allows you to create six second videos to share with the world is building incredible hype. Major companies are even jumping on the band wagon in order to utilize this new social media effectively according to an article from TechCrunch. But, having only six seconds to tell a story or message can be a little difficult. So how are these companies faring with their pioneering attempts at social media marketing on Vine?
TechCrunch displays three examples of companies already posting on Vine including Trident, Ritz and Dove. Creativity is definitely a requirement with a six second window as you see soap being bowled into shampoo bottles set up as pins, random people chewing in unique ways and a cracker disappearing bit by bit. The last one is similar to a Reeses commercial. The results are simple, but are they effective?
Vine and the companies trying to market their products on the social platform reminds me of Ernest Hemingway's famous six-word story challenge where he famously wrote, "For Sale: Baby shoes, never used." With such a refined time to work with, each word or frame needs to unlock deeper thoughts or questions which open a grand story in your imagination. Dove and Trident may have lead the short video marketing army, but their attempts are only the beginning. I am sure other companies will blow us away in six seconds, like Google who can build up emotions with their incredible search bar commercials.
The exciting part about Vine and the opportunity to market short clips is the anticipation of seeing truly creative pieces. Yes, it is marketing, but the effective six second commercials will be those who can tell a story using their product and not simply creating a call to action to buy. Something that is unique, refreshing, exciting, and above all memorable.
Vine may even help these companies market their brand more effectively. "Now that consumers have the power to skip through commercials on programs that they record, creative advertisers have to start pushing the envelope," as stated by TechCrunch. Vine is the outlet for this new wave of marketing in a world that has little tolerance for ads. Think about other places where people bypass ads other than television. I personally can't wait for the "Skip this Ad" button to appear on my YouTube videos after the five second wait period passes. Could these short clips be the perfect alternative? Vine may have started a new age of marketing.
Have you checked out Vine yet? What were some creative clips you have seen so far?