X for Business: Future of X – Client Council
Problem / Opportunity
Due to its high-profile acquisition, one year had passed since X (formerly Twitter) had engaged the advertising industry’s C-suite via an in-person event. With a new CEO and brand, X needed to reassert its value proposition in the market and showcase a vision for the future.
Strategy
To build top-down market momentum, the team targeted influential brand and media agency leaders from Fortune 500 companies – with a bias for guests who had been active and committed members of Twitter’s past Client Councils, as well as new invitees who reflected X’s target audience going forward.
My role was twofold: 1) partner with leadership to build a vision-to-foundations company narrative; and 2) bring that story to life with a four-hour run of show inclusive of scripted content, live Q&A and lunch. Here’s how I distilled the brief to our creative and content team: Inspire confidence among attendees by showing (not telling) X’s vision for the future and making clear what’s in it for their businesses.
Every year our marketing team takes a step back from our brand, creative work, public expression and activations. We look in the mirror and ask ourselves if what we see creatively, reflects what Twitter is.
— Leslie Berland (@leslieberland) January 27, 2021
Tactics
- New company narrative that repositioned X from social news to a lifestyle app, grounded in rich audience insights and product demonstrations.
- Deep-dive presentations and Q&As with product and policy leaders across the business to give guests a first look at upcoming feature releases and opportunity for live feedback on key priorities for their businesses.
- High production presentation layouts and videos to reflect X’s new brand identity and evolution from the Twitter brand.
- Pre, during and post-event communications plan to maximize event attendance and engagement, plus accelerate next quarter pipeline.
Results
1) Over 60% of surveyed client representatives said they expected the event to accelerate next-quarter pipeline.
2) Both in-room and post-event client feedback indicated the event solidified their confidence in the platform’s direction.