You may have heard that Facebook usage is on the decline. Maybe even that it will be dead in five years. How does Facebook respond? By creating millions and millions of personalized :60 spots that you willingly share on your newsfeed. The 10th anniversary videos are beautiful, the music somehow matches each custom version perfectly and more than a few have brought tears to my eyes. It’s genius marketing, one of the better brand campaigns in history. Why?
Beyond automatically increasing the time spent on site and number of shares (surely important KPIs), what’s in it for Facebook?
Every video tells users:
1. “Facebook knows me. They knew me before I had kids/got married/moved across the country/traveled the world. All of my biggest life moments have happened with this brand.”
2. “All of my friends are here, sharing the most beautiful moments that I don’t want to miss.”
3. (In my case) “I should really do a better job of uploading the good stuff so that my video won’t be so lame next time around.”
The lookback videos transform Facebook from a tech brand to a lifestyle brand, from a creepy big brother who serves too many ads to the home of all of your best memories, from your Mom’s social network to … Well, some things can’t be helped.
The do exactly what this Apple ad did-emotionalize a technology-but they do it with the faces of your own friends and family. What’s not to…
