Nearly a year ago, a provocative post from Amazon Prime Video on Instagram gained significant traction, and it’s been a talking point ever since. The post, featuring a still from the film “Saltburn,” depicted actor Barry Keoghan drinking another character’s dirty bathwater, and it was captioned “Boy dinner,” racking up nearly 130,000 likes.
This daring social media move was crafted by Saylor, the advertising agency responsible for Prime Video’s reactive strategy. Will Trowbridge, the founder and CEO of Saylor, describes this approach as vital for maintaining a brand’s relevance by tapping into current pop culture and online trends. His belief is that brands with an existing audience miss out on valuable opportunities if they don’t engage in a day-to-day reactive strategy.
To effectively create reactive content for Prime Video, Saylor actively monitors fan discussions and broader social media trends. Trowbridge explained that understanding what fans are buzzing about—whether it’s specific shows like “The Boys” or other trending topics—helps shape the posts.
For instance, in mid-November, Saylor leveraged singer Charli XCX’s highly-publicized appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” Anticipating the excitement, they prepared content ahead of time that linked her performance to Prime Video, resulting in an Instagram post that garnered over 18,000 likes.
While not every viral moment requires a brand’s involvement, Trowbridge emphasizes the importance of establishing a consistent voice and tone. Saylor collaborated with Prime Video to develop a “brand bible,” which outlines how to properly convey the brand’s identity. Without such strategic guidelines, brands risk coming off as disjointed or overly desperate, potentially alienating their audience.
Engaging with audiences effectively also means variety in content creation. According to Trowbridge, simplicity often facilitates considerable engagement. He believes that timely and smartly crafted posts are more effective than attempting to create something groundbreaking.
The proactive and responsive strategy employed by Prime Video serves as a great example of how brands can remain relevant and engaging in a fast-paced digital environment. As social media continues to evolve, those who adapt quickly and authentically will likely find sustained success.
In conclusion, by focusing on timely, relevant content and building strategic guidelines for messaging, brands can successfully engage audiences and cultivate a loyal following.