3 tips for using Periscope for breaking brand news

Earlier this month, I received a Periscope notification from Finnair on my phone. Their new A350 jet had just landed in Helsinki, fresh from the Airbus facility in the south of France. Finnair is the first European carrier to fly A350s.

I quickly jumped onto Periscope to watch the A350 taxi toward the terminal. As photographers, videographers, Finnair staff and aviation fans cheered, captured and looked on, I took screenshots–which Periscope allowed me to share via Twitter.

All told, it was three to four minutes of watching, and—better yet–participating in a significant moment in the brand’s history. I might’ve caught this breaking aviation news later, or perhaps not at all. But because of Periscope, I watched, shared and am writing about it now.

Periscope, with its ability to alert users of breaking news within the app and via Twitter and Facebook, resulted in measurable #A350Finnair interest, as well as ongoing reach and storytelling impact beyond its Oct. 7 arrival in Helsinki.

I recently collaborated with Santa Fe Opera. Periscope played a major role in two of the season’s biggest moments: Director Daniel Slater interviewing Al Pacino, and SFO’s live press conference announcing “The R(e)volution of Steve Jobs” opera.