Tag Archives: digital skywriting

More than Words in the Sky

Remember the Pepsi taste tests in the 90s? There was a cup of “cola” and a cup of Pepsi. Participants tasted both and then on camera revealed which one they liked the best (which was always Pepsi – imagine that). And there it was, irrefutable proof that Pepsi was the better tasting soft drink by two or three people.

I recall some friends and family members sharing their surprise that Coca-Cola didn’t respond or accuse Pepsi of illegally using their trademark (which, for the record, they never did). But why would “Coke” do anything? Coke has pretty much won the cola war and has held onto the majority of the market share for decades. According to Beverage Digest, Coke controls 42% of the total carbonated soft drink market, compared with Pepsi’s 30%.

However, when you’re looking to gain market share and your competition is going head-to-head with your products and services, it behooves you to take action, respond and retaliate. Consumers deserve to know why your brand is the better option. This is exactly the situation faced by T-Mobile.

In 2014, the mobile communications company launched a petition, at Change.org/AbolishOverages, calling on other carriers to follow T-Mobile’s lead in dropping overages. The petition had approximately 250,000 signatures at the end of August and now has more than 330,000 signatures. And while T-Mobile CEO John Legere has been busy on social media promoting their brand and petition, the company felt it wasn’t enough. So they wrote their message where their biggest competitor’s couldn’t miss it… above their headquarters.

digital skywriting

The technique known as digital skywriting, utilizes five planes flying in formation and working in sync to write messages using a dot matrix system. Five aircraft in the sky over a specific location or community, demand attention and often causes local media and social media to buzz over the advertisement or campaign. What happened over the Verizon Wireless headquarters was no different.

Check out this brief video to see it in action.

While the battle rages on between mobile service providers, few will forget the lengths at which T-Mobile went to as they fought to rid the world of overages and earn more business.

What do you think… would a digital skywriting message cause you to search for more information or share an image on your social media networks?

Marketing Genius: Unexpected Messages Going Viral

In today’s fast paced, interconnected and technology driven world, businesses as well as consumers expect a quick response. Take for example, Twitter, the platform that forces users to simplify messages to 140 characters before accessing the ability to share updates with the world.

Marketers today recognize the need we all experience for information when we want it and how we want to receive it. From television advertising campaigns emblazoned with hashtags in the hopes of going viral to apps and marketing automation platforms, marketers have a myriad of tactics they can utilize to reach and engage with customers.

Marketers also face a growing need to be spontaneous and even clever. It’s critical for organizations to tie marketing and advertising campaigns to social media and have the flexibility to react almost immediately to events as they happen via social channels. Take for example Oreo’s brilliant tweet during the Super Bowl in 2013. Oreo knew many Super Bowl viewers were also engaging in conversation on social media regarding advertisements and the game. When the lights went out at the Superdome, Oreo moved fast and “won” the marketing Super Bowl with a tweet instead of a $4 million commercial.

While there’s no recipe to creating social media buzz, there is usually a trigger: something out of the ordinary… unexpected even. Oreo surprised the world with its humor and timely response and, as a result, marketers around the globe are now looking for the next “big” thing to get their campaign viral.

When it comes to thinking outside of the box, why not consider the sky? Through a technique known as Digital Skywriting. Created by one or five aircraft soaring high above a city, digital skywriting uses a dot matrix system to display short and lengthy messages that captivate audiences below. Messages can last as long as 20 minutes, ensuring countless photographs can be taken and even shared via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Unexpected, rare and creative, Digital Skywriting offers marketers the ability to share a message with an entire metropolis guaranteed to capture attention and imagination, unless people are living under rocks. Digital Skywriting encourages engagement and leaves a lasting impression.

Learn more about Digital Skywriting and how it can benefit your next campaign here.