Nearly one year ago, a social media post by Amazon Prime Video gained significant traction on Instagram, primarily due to its humorous and slightly risqué content. This post coincided with the release of the movie “Saltburn” and featured a scene with actor Barry Keoghan humorously leaning in to sip a character’s dirty bathwater, accompanied by the caption “Boy dinner.” The creative twist resonated with audiences, garnering close to 130,000 likes.
The “boy dinner” concept was crafted by Saylor, the agency of record for Prime Video, which plays a crucial role in shaping the platform’s advertising strategy by ensuring timely responses to pop culture and social media trends. Will Trowbridge, the founder and CEO of Saylor, emphasized the importance of a reactive social media strategy, suggesting that brands risk missing valuable engagement opportunities with their audiences if they do not implement such strategies consistently.
To develop its reactive content, Saylor closely monitors conversations among Prime Video’s fanbase and keeps an eye on shifting social media trends. Trowbridge provided an insight into their process, explaining that they continuously assess what users are discussing and which cultural moments are resonating broadly.
Additionally, Saylor connects Prime Video content with current trends in pop culture. For instance, when Charli XCX hosted and performed on “Saturday Night Live” in November, Saylor anticipated a surge of conversation around the event. The team prepared an Instagram post featuring Prime Video visual elements alongside lyrics from Charli’s popular TikTok hit “Apple,” which went live to capitalize on the anticipated buzz and subsequently attracted over 18,000 likes.
While Saylor acknowledges that brands don’t need to jump on every viral moment, consistency in voice and tone is paramount. To ensure Prime Video maintains a coherent identity on social media, they collaborated to create a “brand bible” that outlines appropriate tones and messaging strategies. Trowbridge cautioned that without clear guidelines, brands risk coming off as disorganized or overzealous, which could result in negative audience perceptions.
Lastly, Trowbridge pointed out the importance of varying engagement strategies. Simple, concise content can often be just as effective as more elaborate posts. While Saylor is committed to reacting promptly to trends, they recognize that sometimes the best approach is to keep things straightforward.
In summary, the proactive engagement and humor exhibited through Saylor’s work with Prime Video showcase how brands can successfully connect with audiences while navigating the fast-paced realm of social media. This highlights the potential for growth and positive engagement by tapping into cultural moments and trends, reinforcing that creativity and adaptability can lead to significant success in digital marketing.