Meerkat and Periscope, apart from being in the news recently, are essentially both live video-streaming apps. Both products hit the market within two years of each other, Meerkat was the first mover. It had gained quick popularity, post its showcase at the SWSX 2015, and had the advantage of linking seamlessly to users Twitter accounts. But, in March 2015 when Twitter purchased Periscope, they cut Meerkat off from access to their social graph.
Both apps function almost identically; with a minor difference in the way the live stream video is stored and shared. Meerkat saves the video you stream to the phone, and Periscope saves the video online for up to 24 hours, so others can consume it as well. Also, the sharing to Twitter stream is automatic on Meerkat, while it has to be an opt-in for Periscope.
I believe both apps have opened up a brand new space for the marketing world to explore. At the present moment though, both apps have their basic features in place, making live video streaming possible. Which of them adds value quickly and mines critical content insights for brands will be determined if it becomes a game changer or is just another new shiny fad that died away.
Of course, with the Twitter power behind it, Periscope is at a slight advantage right now. However, big-ticket brands have started experimenting on both platforms with equal fervor.
Brands like Spotify and Mountain Dew have used periscope to launch some interesting behind the scenes content. Spotify offered its music lovers a chance to see the behind the scenes with Irish band The Villagers. While, Mountain Dew used them to showcase experiences they created around virtual reality skateboarding and backcountry snowboarding.
Red Bull used Meerkat to live stream a behind the scenes from their half pipe competition. Interestingly, CNN is the other brand to get onto the Meerkat bandwagon, for the purpose of education. As part of its Instant Start Up Series, CNNTech created a live chat with the founder of Meerkat, Ben Rubin, for users to learn more about the app.
Beyond this, these apps open up content reach for brands in interesting ways. Whether it is a brand event that all users couldn’t get to or unveiling a product moment, brands can now live broadcast it to consumers and fans worldwide. The eventual goal could be to find ways to make it a powerful customer service tool.
.jpeg)
The mention of CNN participating actively may raise a few eyebrows. As the largest threat that these apps are touted to pose, is to the broadcast sector. And much discussion of what this means for copyright have been raised. Which I believe are questions that are raised with every new innovation in the digital space. The responsibility of making sure this does not get misused will rest on both brands and the industry as a whole. There may well need to be an industry wide discussion to ensure new rules and regulations are put in place to prevent copyright issues. Especially when speaking of areas such as large sporting events and live performances by bands and artists.
The other caveat is also that as is true of any ‘live’ event, there can be hitches. So, brands that decide to use these platforms need to be aware of the risk and have means to minimize it. Careful planning, and a certain tolerance for the rough around the edges that comes with live will be needed to have success on these platforms.
-by Tripti Lochan, CEO, VML
