Walkie Talkie

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All your emotions belong to Facebook now

Last month we read that Facebook is to welcome GIPHY into the Instagram team. A surprise for some, a logical decision according to others. Facebook has already relied on Giphy in its apps for years: Instagram, the main Facebook app, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp all already work with the service. Dancing cats, flying pizza, what’s not to like?

But why does this matter?

GIFs make  our everyday conversations more entertaining ones. GIFs and stickers offer people creative ways to express themselves. They are easy to consume, which makes them a quicker and often more understandable alternative for text messages. 

And at the centre of this we find GIPHY, whose massive GIF library – with hundreds of millions of daily users – happens to be the internet’s favorite. This makes them the global leader in visual and creative expression. 

For the average user we do not expect a lot of changes. GIPHY would retain their own branding, maintain existing integrations with other platforms and become part of Instagram (at first). At the same time we can only presume that ading Facebook’s ad sales and marketing firepower could transform it from a popular (free) service into a highly profitable one for Mark Zuckerberg. 

That being  said, GIFs have really become an important part of our daily communication, especially in support of digital campaigns where the amount of words is  limited. Next to that,  the impact of supporting a message with a fitting GIF is directly noticeable as they help enhance a brand’s message with visual content. They help us color our conversations and content. Not to forget they also have an incredibly multi-generational scope. They are understandable for every generation and draw attention to content that would normally  get lost in clutter. And just as our vocabulary is limitless, GIF libraries can go virtually anywhere!

#AUTOMODUS

At WALKIE TALKIE we have had several opportunities to successfully introduce the usage of GIFs within our clients (influencer) campaigns. Last year’s #automodus campaign is a great example of how GIFs supported the campaign’s message.

Mid 2019 Vlaamse Stichting Verkeerskunde (VSV in short) initiated an awareness campaign called “Automodus”. The campaign encouraged drivers tempted by their smartphones to put their devices into “car mode” when they’re behind the wheel. 

In order to support our influencer campaign we created several engaging Instagram GIFs reflecting pop culture with a wink to telecom products. The nostalgic Nokia 3310 and the ‘Unagi’-move from the American television show Friends for instance. In order to launch these appropriately we teamed up with 20 key influencers within 18 to 25 year old demographic who all shared their #Automodus moment with their followers. 

If you consider integrating GIFs in your campaigns, take inspiration from  our case through this  link.