Youtube Interactive Video Advertising

A recent Youtube promotion by Amsterdam based tequila flavoured beer manufactura Desperados has taken not only Youtube, but interactive social media marketing to a new level of awesome.

The Desperados Youtube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/desperados has creatively replicated the look and feel of Youtube in an interactive flash-based format.

The online promo was designed from the ground up with the intention of increasing branding exposure through social media and hopefully trending towards going viral.

Because the ad is for alcohol, Desperados have to prequalify viewers in the attempt to exclude underage drinkers, which in todays day an age is a near impossible task over the internet. But to avoid any legal ramifications they started the advert by asking viewers to fill out a form detailing age, location and sexual persuasion. This not only pre-qualifies viewers, but also surveys their audience to get a better understanding of the type of demographic watching the video.

This form of interactive marketing is very effective from the point of view that it involves the audience in the storyline, allowing each individual to not only participate but also include and share the experience with their Facebook friends... hence the viral aspect.

I suspect that this type of marketing is only on the rise, but from the perspective of Youtube publishers, being able to provide such a unique experience is a perk and benefit of being selected as a Youtube partner.

This is definitely a trend that will grow with other social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin.

So what can we learn, take away and apply to our own marketing?

• Try to come up with creative ways of making your social media content more interactive
• Successfully include other social media properties as part of your ad to not only increase exposure, but also increase the likely-hood of your ad going viral
• Remember to qualify your audience through clever copywriting and/or web forms.
• ...And finally survey your viewers, this can give you a valuable insight into your target demographic that you perhaps may not of had before

What did you think about the Desperados Youtube campaign? I'd love to hear your thoughts and any ideas on how you are currently using interactivity in your social media marketing.