Dive Brief:
- On Dec. 23, AT&T will host a Facebook Live broadcast featuring "Santa" called Santa Live by AT&T, according to MediaPost.
- Santa will read names and stories from those on his “nice list,” which is comprised of members of AT&T’s loyalty program AT&T Thanks, and offer reports on what the North Pole is like on the night before Christmas — though he’s technically broadcasting two days before the holiday.
- The event will run from 12 to 2 pm ET and will offer families an opportunity to interact with a cast of holiday characters in real-time. “We wanted to find a way to give back without an overt call-to-action or some other promotion,” Ray Page, executive creative director at Possible Seattle, the group behind the event, told MediaPost.
Dive Insight:
Loyalty programs exist to give long-time customers a sense of insider access, and AT&T’s latest effort is a great example of how to tie that feeling of inclusivity into a major marketing moment like the Christmas holiday. The Santa Live effort also showcases how brands can take advantage of the Facebook Live format to directly connect with dedicated consumers in real-time.
One way the Santa LIVE effort is sure to engage AT&T Thanks members is by telling their personal stories, which were requested by the company beforehand. Marriott similarly ran a global rewards program campaign called “You Are Here” in September that put an emphasis on stories drawn from its members.
AT&T will also demonstrate some of its products and services live during the broadcast, per MediaPost, perhaps convincing some viewers to do a little (very) last minute shopping. Per the event's Facebook page at time of publication, nearly 2,000 people plan to tune in, with another 2,900 interested in going, showing that one-off social efforts like Santa LIVE can attract a significant audience without "overt call-to-action” or traditional promotional materials.
