Who Will Capture the Spotlight During 2013 #LatinGRAMMY Night?

By Bill Mrazek, Social Media Strategist, BodenPR

Brand strategy on social media has expanded drastically in the past year. While many monitoring conversation during the most-talked-about televised events has been a commonality, brands have taken their social media efforts to a new level: predictive and real-time/responsive content marketing.
 
And one of the biggest opportunities for this is in the bicultural, bilingual Hispanic market, starting with highly rated Hispanic televised events such as the Latin GRAMMYs, coming up on November 21st.
 
Although brands didn’t start to develop real-time/responsive content for televised events until the start of 2013, fans have been active in TV-related social conversation for a long time. More than 10 MM viewers tuned in to the 2012 Latin GRAMMY Awards, which roused 1.1 MM #LatinGRAMMYs conversations on Twitter; becoming the top hashtag across social TV. Additionally, the Latin GRAMMYs attracted more Hispanic viewers in groups of 2+ than the 2012 “American Music Awards,” “Billboard Music Awards,” “Primetime Emmy Awards” and “MTV Video Music Awards” – combined. That’s the power of Hispanic viewers.
 
As we approach the 2013 Latin GRAMMY Awards, BodenPR has developed the following guide for brands to capitalize on the massive social TV conversation that is expected to flood social media.
 
Various content strategies will be present

If we have learned anything from this year’s biggest television events, it’s that brands are going to be present on social media leading up to, during and immediately after the Latin GRAMMYs. Content will include various aspects:
    •    Calls to action
    •    Creative visuals highlighting products and/or services
    •    Attempts at witty tie-ins to a specific artist performing, speeches or unplanned events
    •    Brands targeting keywords and – from the night through promoted tweets and/or accounts.
    •    Content that has been optimized for mobile, since majority of users will be sharing their thoughts on social through mobile devices while watching from their couch.
 
Additionally, keep an eye out for the brands that are being advertised during commercial breaks to also share content.
 
Relevance is key for brands

#LatinGRAMMY will provide a massive opportunity for brands to engage, but it’s essential to keep content and messaging relevant on multiple levels. Brands need to consider their persona, messaging, bilingual fans and the conversation surrounding events that unfold during the night (“Noche de Estrellas” coverage on the Green Carpet, Pitbull and El Cata joint performance, nominee performances and more). Content can’t come across as forced, otherwise fans and consumers will see it as more damaging than creative. Remember, just because a topic is trending doesn’t mean it’s appropriate for the brand or its audience.
 
Know which tools should be handy

While brands can’t predict the unexpected (i.e. blackout at the Super Bowl), it is essential to have the capabilities and preparations in place to stay nimble and responsive.
 
    •    Plan: A brand’s real-time engagement and content will be successful if a process is in place, allowing for the team’s planning and instinct to take over with enough time to review and ensure authenticity, relevance and compliance.
    •    Measure: Determine which key performance indicators (KPIs) are most relevant to the brand’s goals. Check in on these KPIs leading up to, during and at the conclusion of the night, to keep a pulse on how the content and plan is performing. Developing a framework and report will help in the planning and reporting in future projects, as well.
    •    Communicate: Maintaining communication with all stakeholders involved is essential. As practitioners of strategic communications, we pride ourselves on transparency – that means both internally and externally. The best way to avoid inconsistent brand voice, messaging and tactics is by keeping all teammates “in the loop” and informed.

With the 2013 Latin GRAMMYs just around the corner on November 21, it’s difficult to predict exactly what we will see from brands. However, we can be certain that there will be various content strategies in place. Those brands that successfully focus on relevance and timing will be talked about just as much as “¿Quién luce mejor?”
 
We want to know what you think – which brands do you think will win on social during the 2013 Latin GRAMMYs?