The Next Big Thing?: How Quibi is using digital marketing to battle other streaming giants

With social distancing and stay-at-home orders in full effect across the globe, people are consuming much more media than they were pre-COVID.Like...much, much more.The Global Web Index found that over 80% of consumers have reported consuming more content since the outbreak. Between Disney+, TikTok, and quick 30-minute workout videos on YouTube, it’s easy for consumers to be glued to their screens while cooped up.The timing of the outbreak was right in line with the launch of the new streaming platform, Quibi. Quibi is a new streaming service that serves up 10-minute episodes for users to watch on-the-go.To make Quibi more niche than it already is - all programs are filmed and edited to be viewed on smartphones only. Creators intended for the ‘quibis’ (AKA the quick bites) to be watched on-the-go, during life’s ‘in-between moments.’With 175 shows on deck featuring big-name celebrities like Chance the Rapper, Chrissy Teigen, and Liam Hemsworth, Quibi is already making a splash in the streaming space. 1.75 million users downloaded the app within the first week of its launch.

How was Quibi able to have a successful launch despite the current state of the economy?You guessed it - marketing.

Social media marketing + mobile advertising

To generate excitement for the launch, Quibi invested advertising dollars in several digital marketing channels, including Tik Tok. Their native advertisements blended in with TikTok’s user interface, giving users a sneak peek into the episodes Quibi was planning to launch.Quibi is looking to compete with applications like Tik Tok for users' attention, so infiltrating the platform it’s competing with could be seen as bold (to say the least). By putting out quality bits of content and developing a killer strategy to tap into their ideal consumers, Quibi was able to generate buzz pre-launch.Quibi also sold $150 million in advertising revenue for its first year. With commitments from massive advertisers such as T-Mobile, Google, Taco Bell, Walmart, General, Mills, Discover, and more.Why? Because companies are lining up to meet consumers where they are. Adam Hartner, Pepsi’s Senior VP of Sports, Media, and Entertainment has found “it’s challenging to find those millennials in the on-the-go moments.”

Adam Harter, svp sports media and entertainment @pepsi, on being a @Quibi launch partner: "Like most advertisers we've found it challenging to find those millennials in the on the go moments." He demos a Mountain Dew ad showing Quibi's "Turnstile" in action #CES2020 pic.twitter.com/4JVdp1Eigi

— Ad Age (@adage) January 8, 2020

Quibi has gained the trust of advertisers by providing easy access to a millennial audience, and advertisers are on board with experimenting with a new mobile advertising format.

The takeaway = company growth

Whether or not Quibi will be the ‘next big thing’ is hard to determine, but one thing is for sure:The application is revolutionizing the way companies can tap into new markets and mediums to expand market share. By giving traditional advertising a spin (pun intended), Quibi is changing the game when it comes to millennial marketing.Looking to change the game with your digital ads? You’re in luck. Drop us a line and let’s get started.Contact us