Tweet outside the box

freedmaxickcpas

Simple but imaginative:

[…] In late 2009, accounting firm Freed Maxick launched a digital “Twitter billboard” in Buffalo, NY. Located on a major connecting commuter thoroughfare of the area, the billboard displays updates from the firm’s Twitter account in real-time, promoting the firm’s expertise, services and experience as a means to offer high-value, issue-oriented content to the business commuters of the area.

In 2010, the firm revitalized its digital billboard strategy with the debut of outdoor interactive digital Facebook billboards. The billboards displayed real-time, select content from the firm’s Facebook Page to help raise awareness of local charitable and community-based organizations. Calls-to-action on the billboard encouraged participation in events and causes and encouraged interaction online.

According to Emily Burns, Freed Maxick’s emarketing and communications specialist, the initiative worked to help the firm drive new business and stay top-of-mind within the community.

I’ve not heard of anyone doing anything like this in the UK (is anyone?). There’s no reason I can think of to prevent any business doing something similar here (other than some red tape, perhaps).

While a roadside billboard may not be the best idea – think of the potential distractions reading the content on a billboard when driving along, not to mention the anti-social aspects implied with texting or tweeting while driving – I can just see this as you come into west London, say, on the M4 elevated section (maybe on the side of this office building). Perfect for viewing while in stationary traffic during the rush-hour jams.

(This is example number 5 in Mashable’s Top 5 Innovative Ways PR Pros Are Using Social Media, published on April 7. Any other examples?)

Related post:

Neville Hobson

Social Strategist, Communicator, Writer, and Podcaster with a curiosity for tech and how people use it. Believer in an Internet for everyone. Early adopter (and leaver) and experimenter with social media. Occasional test pilot of shiny new objects. Avid tea drinker.

  1. Peter Simoons

    Neville, I have not seen this been done in the Netherlands either, but it would be a nice idea. Immediately I had to think of the Corning Glass video again, I used it yesterday in a workshop as an example. Think how Twitter / Facebook / any social media can even more become integrated in our daily life with interactive glass everywhere. It is getting close to an “Minority report” scenario for commercials :)

  2. neville

    Thanks Peter. That Corning Glass video clearly resonates with a huge number of people. When I wrote a post about it on March 20, the video on YouTube had 9.6 million views. Today, the view count is 11.7 million.

Comments are closed.
Close