Agencies evaluate alternative strategies for communication on platforms
The decision to suspend the activities of the social network X, formerly Twitter, in Brazil impacted the platform’s users in different ways. Amidst memes and breaking news, X was also a space for brands and agencies to invest in communication that was different from other social networks. With the platform’s exit from the country, companies had to review their strategies.
X’s audience is already seeing a clear shift between Instagram’s Threads and Bluesky. Threads lets you view and share public conversations, respond to others, and follow profiles you’re interested in, with short posts, links, photos, and videos. The Bluesky platform is similar to the old Twitter, because it allows users to make short posts of up to 300 characters, sharing photos and texts, and it also allows users to republish posts from other users. And, as announced on the social network’s own profile, the platform will soon support videos.
“It is understood that, natively, by user profile and behavior, X was an acidic and parochial social network, in the sense that it values being a user of the platform and not of others. In this context, it is believed that Bluesky is the most obvious path, since it is a similar platform and, in this short period, has already added two million users”, explains João Finamor, professor of digital marketing at ESPM.
The blocking of X represents a change for the advertising market as well. “X, or Twitter, has always been a great tool for social listening and conversation analysis. Seeing what Brazilians were talking about, whether it was something about entertainment or events, was a tool that provided a lot of information and helped guide content on other social media. There was always talk about taking inspiration from conversations started on Twitter that would be transferred to TikTok, Instagram and YouTube,” says Finamor.
The platform was used by several brands for different purposes, from downloading applications and increasing conversions, to branding, as in the case of Duolingo, Turma da Mônica and Netflix. “In the 360º marketing model, in which the campaign was broadcast on a main media, such as TV, and was directly connected to what was happening within the X. This transmedia is lost in the strategies and becomes more rigid in terms of conversations with customers, generating a brand discussion and strengthening”, says João.
X Suspension and Agency Strategies
The suspension of X in Brazil has forced WMcCann to accelerate some strategic changes. “We are working on account-by-account data analysis to understand the impact and redirect efforts. Although it is not a priority network for all of our brands, X was important, especially in social listening, to monitor current conversations, whether about the brands or not, and identify opportunities,” says Larissa Magrisso, executive director of content at WMcCann. “On the eve of Rock in Rio, sponsoring brands need to redirect investments to continue positive conversations on social networks, in addition to exploring new options such as Threads and Bluesky. The latter, despite operating very similarly to X, still present challenges in terms of measurement and APIs. We are analyzing each case carefully to understand where it makes the most sense to focus our efforts from now on,” she adds.
The Bold agency seeks not to consolidate the presence of the brands it serves on a single channel or social network. “The fact that X no longer exists in the brand building and content ecosystem will not leave this brand orphaned on social networks. Almost all brands have a presence on other channels, such as TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, each with its own journey. What we are observing is that we will not adopt a replacement for X, but rather consolidate the presence of brands on other channels. And, in the meantime, we are monitoring what will happen in the future”, explains Marcelo Namura, COO & CSO at Bold. “What brands lose and which is irreplaceable is the reverberation around a trend, a coverage, as happened on Twitter. We were able to do coverage, a second screen on top of a television program, for example, in a major sponsorship. This is uncovered, even if the brand manages to explore stories, influencers and other channels, the concentration of volume and mentions related to the brand to generate a big impact is lost with the lack of X. I believe that there is no channel today that can replace this particularity of X in the same way”, he adds.
The agency specialized in games and E-sports GMD talks about a smooth adaptation of strategies. “Brands and agencies are adapting their strategies relatively smoothly, despite the ban on X. Many brands and agencies had already started to migrate their strategies to Threads and Bluesky. However, for the gamer audience, the absence of X is more felt, as Brazil was one of the countries that discussed video games the most on this platform. Even so, the Brazilian community is adapting quickly, migrating these conversations to Threads and other platforms, ensuring the continuity of communication strategies”, reveals Lucas Patricio, managing partner and co-founder of GMD.
Ampfy had already seen a shift in brands trying to move away from X, and the suspension of the platform accelerated this process. “Twitter has been facing challenges for some time now, and this trend in Brazil reflects a worsening of the situation of the platform, which will have difficulty remaining competitive from now on. This movement, however, is not a surprise to the market, which had already been transitioning to other means, such as TikTok and content creators,” says Sergio Brotto, partner and CMDO of Ampfy.
Luma Machado, head of strategy at AKM, believes that companies need to adapt strategies and redirect investments, in addition to exploring new platforms. “It is crucial that agencies expand their knowledge of these emerging networks, as they, although still in the adoption phase in their niches, can offer valuable insights and new opportunities to interact effectively with brands’ audiences,” she says.
Euphoria Creative also had to review its strategies to deal with the X blockade in Brazil. “The recent X blockade in Brazil represents a significant challenge for brands and agencies that depend on real-time interactions. To face this situation, we are adopting new strategies, which include both leveraging conversations on platforms where consumers are already interacting and seeking emerging alternatives, which not only guarantee the continuity of real-time interactions, but also open up ways for brands to connect in an authentic and engaging way with the public”, says César Villas Bôas, strategy director at Euphoria Creative.
Credit: Photo by Bastian Riccardi on Unsplash
