Twitter recaps 2020 with #BestofTweets awards

Celebrating the brands worth remembering from a year we’ll never forget

2020 has been a year of disruption and disconnect across economies, industries, and communities. For marketers, 2020 proved to be a more challenging year as disconnect is a rampant theme all throughout. Campaigns, events, and creative shoots had to be moved online, postponed, or cancelled, setting aside a year’s worth of pre-planned concepts and strategies into the shelves.

Despite these challenges, the real time nature of Twitter provided a space for brands to step up and take action to inform, support and entertain people during an objectively chaotic year. Whether they’re tapping into Twitter’s conversational insights, creating a meaningful connection with their communities or using Twitter’s product suite to completely revamp their launch plan–marketers across Southeast Asia, especially the Philippines displayed tenacity and creativity in using Twitter to help their brand stay agile and relevant this year.

In recognition of this extraordinary work, and as we reflect on the toughest of years, Twitter is today introducing its #BestofTweets 2020 Philippines Awards to celebrate and applaud the brands that broke through the chatter to create standout campaigns.

1. Best Campaign for Driving Positive Change in Society

There has never been a more important time like now for brands to articulate their ideals and more importantly, act on them, as more people are choosing brands based on their positive impact on society. Globe Telecom, Inc. (@enjoyGLOBE) exemplified this trait best with their Home Prepaid WiFi’s HomeSURF199 campaign. In this campaign, Globe spread positivity and hope by reminding Filipinos that they have their inner “galing” with them, and this can be enriched even at home. This prompted Filipinos on Twitter to share their own inner “galing” moments at home and sparked inspiration that if they can, then others can do it too.

2. Best Brand Voice

In a challenging business environment, it is definitely a challenge for brands to consistently and strategically define and leverage their own voice. However, Smart Communications, Inc. (@LiveSmart) proved that they are exemplary among the rest.

Smart’s #LiveGiga campaign is a standout, thanks to its consistently uplifting and empowering brand voice. It was able to connect to Smart’s young, diverse and passionate audience by encouraging them to live big, dream without limits, and think of new possibilities. The campaign also saw the effective use of video and enjoyed record-setting impressions and engagement rate, a great example of social listening done right on Twitter.

3. Best Use of Video

Video content marketing is increasingly an important part of any brand marketing strategy, as more people consume content in the form of videos. Online video is the only advertising format to have its 2020 growth estimate upgraded and is expected to lead growth in 2021. Andok’s Litson Corporation (@PusongAndoks) winged this category with their witty #ChibokNgPuso campaign featuring its newest endorser, Piolo Pascual.

The brand nailed the video on Twitter for their launch by following Twitter’s best creative practices: keeping the video short at 15 seconds and ensuring a creative that resonated with the Filipino audience: a romantic storyline featuring a well-loved brand ambassador. This delivered impressively over 9.7M video views and notably, positive reactions among Filipinos on Twitter.

4. Most Tweeted about Brand

While 2020 has been a challenging year for many, music kept everyone accompanied and entertained as more people stayed at home. This resulted in more buzz on music as well as Tweets about a brand that brings it to all Filipinos, Spotify Philippines (@Spotify_PH).

2020 is a year full of action for the said brand. From the launch of K-Pop Multiplaylist Campaign on Twitter to unveiling nine platform-exclusive Filipino podcasts, Spotify Philippines got everyone talking and eventually led its rise to the top of the Most Tweeted about Brands list on Twitter Philippines.

5. Best “Launch” on Twitter

2020 was a tough year to launch anything new for brands, but that doesn’t completely say that successful launches are impossible during a downturn. Brands can creatively leverage Twitter and follow Twitter’s best practices of Tease, Reveal, and Reinforce for launches. Gatorade (@GatoradeION) aced the launch arena for their Gatorade ION, a totally new product featuring its brand ambassador, Kathryn Bernardo.

During the Tease phase, the brand got people guessing about their new brand ambassador while also driving the buzz about the newly launched product using Promoted Tweets. Afterwards, their big Reveal combined the power of 2 takeover products, Promoted Trend and First Views, and creative executions with Instant Unlock and a Video reveal. Lastly, the Reinforce phrase ran through a series of promoted Tweets along with the hashtag #EverydayHydratION.

6. Best Connection to Culture

Latching onto cultural moments to lead conversations online is a clever move that brands implement their marketing outreach. After all, what better way to join or spark conversation on Twitter than by anchoring campaigns to things people are passionate about. Jollibee (@Jollibee) made sure to tug Filipinos’ heartstring on Valentines Day with their #KwentongJollibee Valentine Series, which featured several facets of how true love always triumphs in the end.

This refreshing take on incorporating brand messaging into moments appealed to many Filipinos especially to Jollibee’s young audience. In fact, the video received a whopping 3.5M views, positive responses, and a legion of organic conversations initiated by audiences on Twitter around Valentine’s Day.

7. Best #OnlyonTwitter

All campaigns are unique, but there’s one that is ahead of the pack when it comes to being unique on Twitter. The best #OnlyonTwitter Philippines goes to Closeup Philippines (@CloseupPH) for the launch of the new Closeup All Around Fresh. The brand has shown a masterclass on how launches can be done by leveraging Twitter creative canvas on 4 fronts:

• Innovative media execution (dayparting) with extended targeting capabilities (e.g. TV sync, Competitive TV sync etc.)
• Leveraging on Twitter’s Takeover products, Promoted Trend, and First View to put the brand in the spotlight.
• Expert Usage of Twitter’s Custom Emoji solution to supercharge the conversations on Twitter.
• Tapping on Twitter Brand Survey to enhance their brand metrics measurement, a first for a brand in Philippines.

Over all, this campaign resulted in outstanding awareness and engagement surrounding the hashtag #AllAroundOralCare during its launch period.

“In this time of upheaval, there was no rule book to go by, or tried and tested method to keep audiences engaged. Instead, brands and marketers have had to roll with the punches and learn as the year evolved. This meant really listening to and connecting with their communities, before reaching out in an authentic and genuine way. We’ve been humbled and inspired by how brands throughout the region have leveraged Twitter to tap into conversations and cultural moments. And as we look to the New Year, it’s clear that community building will only increase in importance,” said Arvinder Gujral, Managing Director, Southeast Asia, at Twitter.

These award winners have shown that great campaigns may start with a creative idea and be propelled with a strategic Tweet or more. Perhaps, making meaningful connections with audiences is also the way to go for brands as the world enters 2021. To the brands who carried on and stood out victorious, Tweet on!