Ikea gets into bed with user-generated content and unlike other brands who treat user-generated content like advertising, PR or buzz-marketing, Ikea takes a more direct approach. They created a contest offering a $5,000 prize to the user who creates the best online video for making a bed. The theme of the contest asks consumers to “break the rules of bed-making” and you can visit the site here.
Other video networks are leveraging the power of contests with the emerging user-generated content marketplace. ReacTV, utlizes contests to attract and offer incentives for visitors to interact with the channel’s advertisers. Another site ExpoTV takes the user-generated content spin into another direction away from advertising by taking a page out to the direct marketing handbook offering the equivalnet of user generated infomercials and product demonstrations.
After a week of following the adventures of the underwear clad kidnappers the Heidies (yes, their stunt resulted in them becoming runway models for Diesel – what a surprise) in which the Diesel site leveraged a lot of social media tools it was in end, very successful (in my opionion) because it was consistent with Diesel’s image – suggestive and curious and engaging for visitors.
Incorporating a contest, a well-proven marketing model, in a social marketing framework to help Brands connect with new audiences could be the next big thing in promotion marketing as it strives to capitalize on the explosion of social networking, video and user generated content.
