A tip from Skywire Live: Facebook events promote inclusion

A screenshot of Discovery Channel’s Facebook invitation to its viewing event, Skywire Live.

For the next three weeks, my posts will be revolved around the social media show campaigns my master’s project has evaluated.  Today, I’m talking about Skywire Live’s use of Facebook events to promote customer inclusion.  Skywire Live was a one-time viewing event by Discovery Channel in June 2013.  Nik Wallenda, a wirewalker, had a burning desire to walk across the Grand Canyon.  That dream came true, and millions of people around the world witnessed Nik’s triumphant victory.

Since the event is new and has never aired before, Discovery had the challenge of promoting show awareness to consumers.  One tactic the team used on Facebook was an event invitation.  In today’s television viewing habits, consumers are gaining more power in what, how, when, and where they watch television programming.  This power has created the desire for consumer-driven content, whether it is home videos or on-air tweets.  Consumers want to feel they have contributed and effected the shows they consume, and they want to develop a bond with networks.

Soaring social ratings for Skywire Live

Wire walker Nik Wallenda crosses over the Grand Canyon on Discovery Channel’s Skywire Live.

I think it’s safe to say that Discovery Channel gave viewers quite the heart-pounding and stomach-turning experience Sunday night with its broadcast of Skywire Live; a televised event dedicated to helping one man’s dream to walk across the Grand Canyon on a wire.  Oh, did I mention the wire is only 2 inches thick and there are no nets or a tether?  178 countries and 12.98 million viewers watched as Nik Wallenda made his daring walk over Hellhole Bend, generating 40,000 tweets per minute (700,000 tweets total by the end of the show) and #Skywire taking the #1 spot in trends worldwide.  Nik wasn’t the only daring one during this telecast; Discovery became a daredevil itself for allowing Nik to walk on the wire without any sort of safety net or tether (as a side note, Nik requested to not have these items.  Discovery disclosed this information at the beginning of the show).  Either this live show will become one of Discovery’s greatest achievements…or biggest mistakes.  Thankfully, Nik and Discovery shared a triumphant victory.  So let’s talk more about the social media stats shall we?