ME
NU
Case Study
HBO UK
Making an American Staple
a British Favourite.
We had worked on the final season of Game of Thrones, but when it was over, Wilderness was briefed with building the same buzz for the UK channel and its entire roster of shows, on all major social platforms. Cutting through the noise on social is difficult. Making some noise of your own is another challenge altogether.
We took the momentum we had built during the final season of GoT and worked hard to make sure that the conversation was being led by us. We had to make sure we weren’t being overrun by angry fans seeking a rewrite (maybe you remember people were NOT happy?!).
To differentiate the UK’s social presences we developed a unique British brand tone of voice and focused on the things we knew that people would love – the characters, the stories and the moments.
We grew the community on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter we got users engaging with our content and we spread the word that HBO UK isn’t just about Game of Thrones or The Sopranos or Sex and the City or The Wire. And it’s not the BBC or Sky Atlantic.
Because it isn’t TV. It’s HBO.
Showing Personality
We know the best way to connect with fans is to think like one of them. We poured all of our passion and wit into accounts until they felt like they were being run by people who couldn’t believe their luck that they got to talk about TV all day. It wasn’t a stretch.
45K
follower increase
80M
social impressions
3M
social engagements
Being an authority
It’s not enough to just talk about loving the shows – we also needed to prove that we had the knowledge to back it up. A core pillar of our approach was showing something more than fandom – we had to present an infectious enthusiasm for everything that HBO produced. If you like Game of Thrones we’ll show you why you will love Big Little Lies.
Getting Creative
HBO shows are known for their lavish production values. We couldn’t let the side down but we never had the kind of budgets that would fund a Lannister wedding.
Turns out you don’t need the big bucks if you know what the fans want to see.
Starting Conversations
The best thing about social is… it’s social. We had some of our best results and deepest engagements from just asking a question and chatting to the fans.
Community
Spirit
It’s never about waiting for people to speak to us.
If we’re not posting something that will get people talking we’re actively hunting for the people that we know want to talk to us.
