Costa plots more Periscope activity as it looks to give brand ‘an edge’
Costa is looking at ways to further integrate Periscope into its marketing strategy as it looks to reach a new audience with its quality message.
Earlier this week, Costa live-streamed its first Periscope event, which challenged multiple baristas to craft flat whites with different florette designs.
The event lasted for one hour and viewers were able to suggest designs and vote for the winner in each round. The brand’s event generated 1,200 viewers and over 25,000 likes, with a quarter of total viewers watching the entire broadcast.
“It’s exciting that our audience can interact with us in real-time, which hasn’t existed in a video medium like this before,” Caroline Harris, Costa marketing director UK and Ireland told Marketing Week.
Costa is now looking at how the social medium could fit into its wider social strategy.
“Looking at the results from our ‘Flat White Coffee Art Battle’, we are very pleased. We see the opportunity with this channel getting bigger, and a new platform to continue to use in addition to our existing social channels,” she commented.
Pushing quality
According to Harris, the live-streaming medium will also allow the brand to show off the quality of its coffee.
“Using Periscope definitely gives the brand an edge and we have many ideas on how to use this channel to cultivate a new audience and showcase the great quality of our coffee,” she said.
Periscope could also provide an opportunity for the brand to be more targeted with its messaging.
“The ‘Scopes’ we create will allow us to publically broadcast to a wider audience, and also create private ‘Scopes’, where by we only invite a targeted group to view. This allows our communications to have a wider reach, and an optional targeted approach,” she said.
The activity allows the brand to build on its current momentum against its main competitor Starbucks. While Starbucks prides itself on technological innovation and launched mobile ordering earlier this week, consumer perceptions of Costa are higher.
Costa Coffee’s overall YouGov Brand Index, which includes a range of measures like value, quality and reputation, ranks third out of a list of 35 competitors. Starbucks ranks 32nd on the list.
- Find out more about engaging customers at this year’s Festival of Marketing, where you can listen to speakers on the “Social Stage”. For more information go to: www.festivalofmarketing.com
