Jul 5, 22 | 4 min read
marks on discord
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Fast forward to 2015. If you were a gamer back then, you might remember how difficult it was to interact with your friends when you were playing online and remotely. If you're not familiar with this realm, I can explain. We only had TeamSpeak (if anyone could afford it) and Skype, which wasn't made for gaming. Out of this need, Discord was born.
Discord is basically a platform where you can create your own private server, with text rooms, audio channels, a role system that you can customize for each member of your community, and lots of different features like its presentation mode and custom chatbots that can record content from specific channels.
With all these features and serving to bring together a loyal and engaged community, it was only a matter of time until Discord served bigger purposes, especially in the marketing plans of big brands, such as Samsung, who is testing the platform for its Metaverse Marketing strategy. Check out these 3 examples of brands that are exploring Discord features in their marketing strategies:
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Samsung and its metaverse strategy
During the NFT.NYC event , Samsung said it’s been expanding the ways it interacts with Web3 , creating digital experiences and virtual wearables, such as branded NFTs. Let’s get to the numbers: According to Digiday, just 12 hours after the company’s server debuted, it reached more than 100,000 new members .
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According to Michelle Crossan-Matos, senior vice president and head of marketing and communications for Samsung Electronics America, the brand treats the platform "like a conversation in Times Square and a billboard."
The server basically consists of two slovakia email list separate rooms for key audiences: gamers and Web3 fans interested in NFTs or metaverse-related topics.
But creating a server isn't enough, you need to interact with your community and keep them engaged. Discord is the perfect place to do that.
Gucci Vault
Gucci also created its own server as part of an NFT strategy . Recently, the luxury brand shared an invitation to its Discord server via Twitter. And, since we're talking about an exclusive brand, there's nothing better than creating exclusive experiences for its community. The first 20,000 members would get special roles and the ability to access NFT-focused channels.
Within two days, it had over 28,000 members. Because of this success story, Kering, Gucci's parent company, opened an opportunity for a professional to manage their Discord server and presence.
Jack in the Box and its Afterparty after Comic-Con
Last year, Comic-Con had its second virtual edition due to COVID-19, and that had brands looking to engage with their audiences through the right channels. The San Diego-based fast food chain chose Discord to do so , and what a great choice. With its new “Jack’s Late Night Discord” server, the brand saw 7,664 users interact over the course of a weekend, with over 27,000 messages.
Jack in the Box's strategy also included a virtual concert with a superhero-themed band, The Aquabats, interactive channels dedicated to Funko Pop figures, Marvel Cinematic Universe and DC Universes.
“We wanted to make sure Jack in the Box was taking an authentic approach to its own night and building equity with gamers and comic book fans with a culture-first approach,” said Ryan Ostrom, CMO of Jack in the Box, via email comments. “Discord was the perfect platform to host our digital afterparty because it allowed us to take a personalized approach to engaging with our communities.”
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How can marketers use Discord to build a strong community strategy?
Of course, with news about NFTs and the metaverse popping up in every corner of the web, community-based platforms will become popular, but it is important to understand that platforms like Discord will not become the new TikTok or something like that.
It’s a channel to talk to your community, get instant feedback, and have a literal two-way conversation with interested users. Remember, your brand shouldn’t be the highlight here, but rather the relationship you build and how to make users feel like they’re a real part of what you’re creating.
If your brand is looking to build a truly engaged community and establish a direct communication channel with customers and fans (especially with the changes in customer relationships after the pandemic ), Discord is a must-have for your strategy. Don’t believe it? Check it out for yourself and check out this list of Discord Servers for Marketers .
