After working with BuzzFeed due to the fact that 2012, Purina hit the content advertising lottery final yr with its “pricey Kitten” backed video collection.

in line with Rick Spiekermann, director of content, community management and partnerships for Nestle’ Purina PetCare, the original “pricey Kitten” video has surpassed 21 million views and continues to grow organically.

“expensive Kitten has grown right into a franchise, with 50 million+ views across seven episodes and multiple distribution structures,” says Spiekermann, “Audiences all over the world love pricey Kitten and we’ve seen important sure increases in our shopper trying out.”

Positioning Purina as content advertising superstars, the much beloved cat video collection made the ultimate bounce into tv promotion all the way through this 12 months’s super Bowl when Purina partnered with BuzzFeed to create a 60-second spot that ran in three regional markets during tremendous Bowl XLIX.

major Purina’s content advertising efforts, Spiekermann took the time to share how his brand works with BuzzFeed, and what he has realized about his target audience from the success of the “dear Kitten” video series.

Purina Petcare’s Rick Spiekermann Talks content advertising, Viral videos & BuzzFeed

Rick Spiekermann

Director of content @ Nestle Purina Petcare

Amy Gesenhues: can you give me a quick overview of how your advertising staff is structured?

Rick Spiekermann: Purina has a model management organization that supports every Purina model of pet meals, snacks and litter.

model administrators and executives lead content material for their model and deserve the credit score for inventive and market success.

Amy Gesenhues: What was the creative course of for the “pricey Kitten” marketing campaign?

Rick Spiekermann: Purina works with BuzzFeed like every strategic communique companion.

the emblem offers a quick led by means of brand targets steeped in consumer and model insights. BuzzFeed ideas and iterates the content in partnership with the right Purina brand team after which we move to manufacturing.

the method for building is the same for video and editorial posts.

Amy Gesenhues: where does BuzzFeed rank with regards to Purina’s content advertising efforts?

Rick Spiekermann: BuzzFeed is one in all many new strategic content material partners, including innovators similar to SoulPancake, the fine Brothers and social influencers that are reinventing content on video centric structures from YouTube to Vine.

“Kitten remedy: The Prescription for Stress” from the favored YouTube channel SoulPancake:

Amy Gesenhues: What have you learned about your target market from your results on BuzzFeed?

Rick Spiekermann: A key finding out is manufacturers are more elastic in as of late’s world than prior to now believed. New creators, including BuzzFeed, assist us reimagine the right way to build manufacturers.

nice content can travel throughout structures and two of Purina’s digital first videos evolved into television campaigns. BuzzFeeds’ “expensive Kitten relating to the large sport” ran on television during the iciness and YouTube’s Jash created the rap-impressed “Get Beggin’” for Purina Beggin’ that ran all the way through the 2015 Grammys.

Amy Gesenhues: What would you suggest to a model that could be taking into account advertising on BuzzFeed, but hasn’t yet made the leap?

Rick Spiekermann: World class brands are built of deep consumer and brand insights.

Purina has a long historical past of constructing common content on conventional systems, and continues to get outstanding work from companions there, companions which have been with us in some instances for many years.

We take the identical way with emerging content companions: encourage risk-taking and new companions will ship great work and educate your people revolutionary methods to create and distribute content.

Purina’s original “expensive Kitten” video that started it all:

concerning the author

Amy Gesenhues

Amy Gesenhues is 1/3 Door Media’s basic assignment Reporter, overlaying the most recent information and updates for advertising Land and Search Engine Land. From 2009 to 2012, she was an award-profitable syndicated columnist for a variety of day by day newspapers from big apple to Texas. With more than ten years of promoting management expertise, she has contributed to a variety of traditional and on-line publications, including MarketingProfs.com, SoftwareCEO.com, and gross sales and advertising and marketing administration magazine. read extra of Amy’s articles.

(Some images used beneath license from Shutterstock.com.)