Twitter is increasing the creative options for brands on its Periscope platform with the launch of new Custom Hearts. Broadcasters will be able to use the branded hearts in live videos as a tool to “visually and natively amplify” campaigns with the aim of boosting engagement with content.
Users on Periscope can currently use a standard set of hearts to show their appreciation during a broadcast, but the new functionality will allow marketers to create a heart that matches their brand. The hearts can be activated with a specific hashtag, which must be designated by the brand and can be used during the runtime of a video or in conjunction with pre-roll ads.
Brands won’t be able to come up with hearts on the fly, though, as Twitter will be working in partnership with marketers to create them. This will remove the need for the social giant to vet and approve submissions. Twitter believes that the new feature will enable brands to build more effective content marketing campaigns.
“Starting today, we are offering brands an immersive and personalised way to integrate their campaigns into video via Custom Hearts on live and on-demand Periscope video,” Twitter said in a statement. “As video continues to play a prominent role in brands’ campaigns and content strategy, activating Custom Hearts is a new way for brands to visually and natively amplify their campaigns within live video.”
To celebrate the launch of the branded hearts, Twitter has teamed with NBC Universal to roll out a custom “F8” icon, which ties in with its upcoming release of the hotly anticipated movie The Fate of the Furious. Custom Hearts, which will pop up alongside the colourful set of standard hearts, add a variation that Twitter hopes will prompt users to tap on a more frequent basis. Periscope says that there is no “rhyme or reason” to how the reactions will be shown.
Twitter hasn’t given broadcasters much creative control on Periscope in the past, and while the customised hearts are a small addition, they do finally give brands the chance to differentiate their campaigns and support other brand and campaign marketing endeavours across digital channels.
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