iris' latest social update, covering the latest platform updates and what they mean for brands. Plus, 27% of Americans are Millennials, so we took a look at a group of brands taking advantage of seasonal relevance to unlock the magic formula for reaching them. See how beverage brands are pursuing exclusive music content strategies and what the rest of us can learn.

1. 8/22/14
social update:
Reaching
millennial
males
with beats,
Beverages &
branded
content?
Plus: Facebook’s Buy Button, Pinterest
Updates, LinkedIn ups its content game
Confidential © 20141

2. contents
Platform Updates:
- Big Week for Social Commerce: Facebook Buy Button, Twitter’s CardSpring Acquisition
- New Pinterest Features
- LinkedIn’s Acquisition Spree
Special Update: What says summer like Beverages, Beats & Branded content?
To reach the somewhat elusive millennial male and offer them something unique in the
way of entertainment, beverage brands from Pepsi to Miller Fortune are betting big this
summer on exclusive tracks and branded content partnerships.
Confidential © 20142

3. The Facebook buy button
Last week, Facebook announced that it is
testing a new buy button feature, enabling
businesses to sell products directly on the
social network. The button isn’t currently
available to all advertisers, but presents a great
way for small businesses without eCommerce
platforms to take advantage of the platform’s
reach.
Implication: In order for it to work, people must
be willing to store their credit card information
on Facebook. Given the current level of mistrust,
it may face a slow rate of adoption. But if and
when people do, this could definitely make
buying on Facebook in-the-moment more of a
reality.
http://allfacebook.com/buy-button_b133304
Confidential © 20143

4. Twitter + CardSpring: tweet-commerce?
With the acquisition of CardSpring, Twitter can
now track redemptions of offers delivered via
Twitter Cards, as well as help businesses deliver
relevant deals to users.
CardSpring’s platform allows developers to
build apps that work with credit cards, such as
electronic coupons, loyalty programs, and virtual
currencies, and track sales back to these digital
promotions.
Prior to the Twitter-CardSpring deal, things like
#AmexOffers and #AmazonCart allowed
consumers to get deals and add items to their
shopping carts by tweeting the hashtag
#AmazonCart, but Twitter didn’t offer brands a
way to track redemption on the back end.
Implication: We should start to see more fun
things like Starbucks' Tweet-a-coffee! In-tweet
commerce may face similar barriers to the Buy
Button in terms of sharing card data or linking
cards.
Further reading:
http://techcrunch.com/2014/07/17/twitter-cardspring/
http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/twitter-cards-
types/
Confidential © 20144

5. LinkedIn ups its content game
LinkedIn went on a buying spree with two
acquisitions that will increase advertising
opportunities for brands on the platform:
Newsle, a start-up that combs the web for relevant
articles (about users’ friends, professional contacts
or public figures), allows LinkedIn to provide more
relevant content.
https://newsle.com/
Bizo, a marketing company with a proprietary
technology that lets marketers identify new
prospects and target them with relevant content.
http://press.linkedin.com/News-Releases/338/
LinkedIn-to-Acquire-Bizo
Confidential © 20145

6. New Pinterest features
The image-based discovery platform is
rolling out pins for specific interests, another
feature that will benefit online businesses by
allowing them to categorize and make
content more discoverable.
http://www.clickz.com/clickz/news/
2356390/pinterest-ramps-up-e-commerce-features
Confidential © 20146

7. Reaching millennial males:
Betting big on beats +
branded bro content
Confidential © 20147

8. Dr. Pepper’s one
of a kind studio
sessions
The days of simply licensing music for a
commercial are over. Brands are working with
artists and producers directly to bring something
unique to the table to entertain the Millennial
male.
Dr. Pepper’s solution was to create a music studio
with Complex Media and pair emerging artists like
Robert DeLong and Tinashe with renowned hip-hop
producers such as a RZA to release exclusive,
‘one of a kind’ tracks over the summer,
Tracks will only be available through the brand (i.e.
not on iTunes) and available to stream on the site.
http://agenda.complex.com/drpepper/
Confidential © 20148

9. Red Bull: CHOOSE
YOUR WINGS.
CHOOSE YOUR
MUSIC.
Red Bull launched their Remixed flavors this
summer by doing what Dr. Pepper did with
hip hop, and becoming a music studio in
their right in a different genre.
Red Bull partnered with renowned DJ’s, MC’s
and producers to create three exclusive
remix tracks from Red Bull Records and Red
Bull Sound Select artists
Fans are encouraged to pick and share their
favorite Remixes, whether its Cranberry, Lime
or Blueberry. Download, Listen and Share
your flavor here: http://remix.redbull.com/
Confidential © 20149

10. The Red bull
music academy
Red Bull goes beyond pairing artists and
producers to facilitate fresh new music –
they are creating platforms for innovation by
sponsoring opportunities for musicians and
culture-makers around the globe to come
together. In doing so, they’re showing
Millennials a common interest in furthering
a passion.
The Red Bull Music Academy is a series of
opportunities to collaborate, recording
sessions and more that happens for two
weeks in a different city each year.
RBMA Radio showcases interviews, special
features and tracks across eight different
http://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/academygenre channels.
http://www.rbmaradio.com/
Confidential © 201410

11. Bud fans get to be in on the making of the MIA festival
Rather than just hosting the Made In America
music festival, Budweiser is letting fans in on
the curation and production of it through a
smart branded content campaign dubbed Made
Underground.
Partnering with Vice’s music channel, Noisey,
they created a 3 month video series followed
rock bands Jamie N Commons and X
Ambassadors to NYC, London, Philly and Rio to
find the best street performers to join them as
they perform at the LA event.
Footage will be streamed to at home viewers,
and users are encouraged to create their own
‘MIA’ Spotify playlists and share with
@budweiser for a curated channel.
http://www.madeinamericafest.com/
Confidential © 201411

12. Pepsi #RealBigSummer brings fans closer to the music
Pepsi’s #RealBigSummer revolves around a
content hub designed to help fans discover
new music, and a surprise and delight
program aimed at giving fans unexpected,
amazing music experiences.
The hub gives tips on how to discover new
artists, provides updates with what’s latest
and trending within the music industry and
publishes “Definitive Guides” all aimed at
driving relevancy with its millennial
audience.
See if you’re up to date on the Best Party
Songs of 2014 (so far) and more here:
http://www.pepsi.com/en-us/d
Confidential © 201412

13. The mountain
Dewsroom
curates beyond
music
Launched mid-2013, Mountain Dew is
attempting to bring more than just new
music to fans, but a hub of branded lifestyle
content curated around music, art, style and
skater culture, similar to Red Bull’s 5-mm
strong magazine, the Red Bulletin which
caters to the action sports crowd.
Green-label.com is produced in partnership
with Complex Media, (a name popping up
repeatedly in this deck) as it’s a content
network geared at Millennial males.
http://green-label.com/
Confidential © 201413

14. MillerCoors adds real-time branded content
partnerships to exclusive music plans this summer
MillerCoors, like many brands, is working with Complex
Media to create exclusive tracks this summer with hip-hop
artists Big Sean and Curren$y on behalf of Coors
Light and Miller Fortune, as well as behind-the-scenes
videos that can be watched on Vevo.
In addition, they’ve launched a massive content
program across their brands, surrounding Millennial
Males via mobile with all kinds of relevant content from
partners include The Weather Company,, AOL Networks,
Resignation Media, Spotify, Comedy Central and Funny
or Die, theChive, and MLBAM.
For example, the BrewPub Newsroom with AOL churns
out sponsored content on trending topics among
Millennials such as the World Cup.
Confidential © 201414

15. Beers that Bring
the unexpected
Heineken is getting city dwellers to break away from their
typical routines this summer as a part of their “Routine
Interruptions” by hosting a series of “social experiments”. The
first involved Comedian Fred Armisen calling a NYC payphone
and asking answerers to come across the street. Those willing
to go beyond their comfort zone were invited onstage with
him during a standup comedy act.
The next stage of the campaign is beginning now. Break your
usual routine up by entering your phone number for a chance
to be called on to participate at RoutineInterruptions.com
Bud Light is taking over a US town this summer and offering
people a weekend getaway to the secret location. The
weekend will be filled with “spontaneous fun and surprises
around every corner” as a way to encourage their “Perfect
Beer for Whatever Happens” campaign. Digital videos are
dropping clues about the actual location.
UpForWhatever.com
Confidential © 201415

16. What can we learn?
Everyone wants to be at the forefront of cool, especially Millennials. Give them tools to get there. Brands are helping them get the inside edge
on what’s new and next in the music industry, whether it’s unique (or “one of a kind,” in the case of Dr. Pepper) tracks and remixes, insight
into the next generation of talent that will alter the music landscape via festivals like Budweiser’s Made In America, or emerging artist finders
like Pepsi’s Real Big Summer project , or tools such as playlists to amp up their own summer fun.
Simultaneously, allow them to express their own individuality. Giving them choices of unique remixes or compilations allow them to best
showcase their individual style, at the same time as sharing something new. Similarly, creating experiences like Heineken’s Pay Phone and
Bud Light’s Up for Whatever campaign that show Millennials, ‘hey – you just be you – and we’re up for anything, so we’ll be right there with
you’ helps align to the Millennial mindset of craving new experiences and adventure
Sponsor innovation in an area of mutual passion. Brands can align with Millennials on a deeper level by facilitating opportunities for musicians
and industry movers and shakers to meet and collaborate, like the Red Bull Music Academy, helping bring new things to the space in a non-branded
way.
Be unexpected. On top of bringing new music to the table, many campaigns are layering in elements where super fans or advocates are given
unexpected opportunities to be closer to the music, meet the artists, etc.
Participation is a strong driver of brand loyalty. Involving fans in the creation of an experience, whether allowing them to vote on top tracks or
offering them a window into the curation and production of an event, like Budweiser’s behind the scenes journey up to the MIA festival,
bringing them along on the journey as talent was procured from around the world.
Confidential © 201416

17. THANKS!
Questions? Thoughts? Get in touch!
SocialNY@iris-worldwide.com
Emily Canan, Social Strategist
Amy Brown, Social Strategy Director
Confidential © 201417