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Chatroulette Marketing: Ideas for Brave People

Filed under: Web Video

I’ll admit it. After weeks of hearing about and being warned away from Chatroulette, I visited the site. I had some friends over a couple weeks ago and, when the conversation turned to Chatroulette, I suggested we check it out. Besides being mildly traumatizing, the experience got me thinking.

If you haven’t heard of or visited Chatroulette, here’s a quick primer: Andrey Ternovskiy, a 17 year-old high school student from Moscow, founded the site in late 2009. It’s basically an old school chatroom mixed with Skype. The novelty lies in the “roulette” aspect: visit the site to chat with a random (and yes, sometimes naked) stranger. Don’t like that person? Just click a button and you’ll get paired with another one (but there’s no clicking back to the last person).

Sometime in February the site became the latest mainstream internet phenomenon. That’s not to say everyone uses it. Everyone just talks about it. Who does use it?

Take a look at this graph from comScore to see:

So who will you meet on Chatroulette? 72% of the site’s users are male. 45% are people age 18 – 24. And many are using the site for, um, less-than-scholarly activities. Which is why you probably don’t want to check out the site on your work computer. And why you may also want a trigger-ready finger to click “Next.”

That said, Chatroulette’s uses go beyond the obscene. Some examples: video, video. Plus, while I don’t think companies should stifle the fun with marketing messages, I think the site poses some opportunities for creative marketing efforts. Here goes:

• Position your company’s logo or icon in front of a webcam and leave it up on Chatroulette. Make it eye-catching. Make sure the url to your website is visible. It’s like a billboard – people probably won’t stop and look at it for long, but your logo will get some face time. Plus, it’s free (and takes about zero effort).
• Create a game or puzzle like this person did. Go for simplicity and cleverness, but also make sure your logo or brand message makes an appearance too.
• Get a Chatroulette celeb to rep your brand with a t-shirt, hat, etc. while on the site.
• Make a Chatroulette contest. For instance – put the prize (iPad!) in front of your webcam and leave it up on Chatroulette all day with a sign that says “Visit [your website url here] for a chance to win this.” Or, announce that you’ll be on Chatroulette during a certain timeframe and that you’ll be giving a special discount code or prize to people you come across that are wearing a t-shirt with your company’s logo or using your company’s product.
• Tie it in with your other marketing efforts. You know Burger King’s creepy King mascot? Now imagine that you ran into the King on Chatroulette. Wouldn’t you tell your friends (or perhaps share the news on Twitter)?

What are your ideas for marketing on Chatroulette? Let us know in the comments.

Pepsi Taps Obamamania

Filed under: Branding

I’ve been enjoying watching the clever bit of sometimes subtle and sometimes overt alignment that Pepsi has been practicing with regard to riding on Obama’s coattails. Did you catch it?

I have to imagine that when the Obama camp debuted its logo that folks in the legal department at PepsiCo scoffed and that the marketing department cheered. Pepsi as a brand had to be pleased that the two logos shared more than a little in common. The Obama camp benefited from having a logo that seemed familiar and had positive associations. Pepsi also grabbed some momentum at being associated with such a historic, popular and youth-driven campaign. Pepsi has seemingly taken the next logical step and made the two logos look even more identical with a new redesign.

In a recent ad entitled “Word Play/Yes You Can” the alignment was as explicit as possible. The commercial featured emulation of the “Yes We Can” motto from the Obama campaign, the flashing of messages such as HOPE and ALL FOR ONE and a soulful tune in the background. Fixing one’s corporate wagon to a star such as a popular president who is awash in media who gush over his every move is a smart yet risky move. The latest Obama adulation from Pepsi came during the Super Bowl where they aired an ad that featured ardent Obama supporter and recording artist Will.i.am. For those unfamiliar with him you might remember the anthem he penned after Obama’s original “Yes We Can” speech.

From a corporate perspective this juxtaposition of president and beverage isn’t as far-fetched as it might seem. PepsiCo has an impressive history of promoting minorities to leadership positions within its organization. Perhaps that’s part of the story Pepsi wants to tell? That as an organization they had a role to play in advancing equality in this country. Or perhaps their aim is to share the enthusiasm of the moment with a new “Pepsi Generation.” Does it cheapen a great moment in history by attaching crass consumerism to it? I’m not sure. All I know is that I’m thirsty. Does anybody have a Pepsi?

See more the of the ads described above here: Pepsi’s YouTube Channel