Why some brands are embracing Viddy

The video-sharing platform, which launched in spring 2011, has some big-name celebrity fans. Brands are getting something out of it, too.

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Launched in April 2011, the video-sharing service and mobile app has amassed 38 million users, including celebrities such as Justin Bieber and Shakira. The basic idea is simple: Shoot what the app’s developers call a “bite-size” video—no more than 15 seconds—with your phone, and upload it right then and there.

That’s all well and good for celebrities who want to, say, post brief clips of themselves showing off their purple ties. But is it any use for brands or organizations?

Brooks Thomas, emerging media coordinator at Southwest Airlines, says it is.

“It’s just another form, just like Twitter’s another writing style,” he says. “It offers an alternative in terms of the subjects you can use, in terms of how you can express yourself.”

Southwest’s experience

Southwest happened upon the creators of Viddy through serendipity, Thomas says.

“We found out about them because we were booth mates at BlogWell last year,” he says. “We liked what they had to offer.”

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