VerizonSurround: expanding brand identity by uniting fans with artists
Verizon's advanced FiOS platform presented the opportunity to update the company's entertainment presence on the web. Deciding on a brand makeover for its "Broadband Beat" site, Verizon created "VerizonSurround," a destination site designed to be the premiere branded broadband entertainment community site on the web. VerizonSurround enhances Verizon's market positioning as a leader in the broadband entertainment and content distribution space while providing Verizon an opportunity to showcase new broadband services and products.
Audience and project challenges: music entertainment channel
Verizon's challenge was to create artist information and fan microsites that leverage the individual artists' branding to reach new consumers who might otherwise not interact with Verizon's broadband offerings. By capturing the attention of artists' fan base, Verizon expanded its branding into the music entertainment channel.
Verizon created a series of web campaigns that enhanced consumer experience by interactively engaging users while showcasing Verizon's functionality, products and services. As with the NFL project, Verizon's technology drove the key campaign components.
Sweet Escape: one strong brand expanding awareness of another
What better artist to work with to expand Verizon's brand than Gwen Stefani? Stefani, who has her own retail line of fashion and fragrance in addition to her music, is one of the most exciting and original brands in popular music. To coincide with her "Sweet Escape" tour, the Gwen Stefani microsite offers unique tour information, video footage from backstage, and interactive options including Gwen's Tour Blog, where users can post comments, ask Gwen questions and create their own Gwen related fan blogs.
The Sweet Escape microsite encourages fans to participate in contests including the Wonderful Life contest and a viral "Send to a Friend" sweepstakes. Entrants in the Wonderful Life" contest submitted life snap-shot UGC videos that community members rated, commented on and forwarded to friends. To jumpstart the Wonderful Life campaign, UGC viral videos were created and seeded to generate interest in the contest.
Once they reached their ultimate destination, the Gwen Stefani concert, attendees were encouraged to take pictures of themselves and their friends. Pictures taken on phones and digital cameras could later be sent via SMS or email to the Sweet Escape site. Each fan then had the opportunity to make their mark on the Sweet Escape microsite within the interactive tour map.
The UGC components performed extremely well, with millions of views on the videos and entries on the microsite.