Taking a Bite Out of Teen Wolf: A Case Study on Multiplatform Engagement

On the hunt for some inspiration for your social media strategy? How about some teen spirit to get your strategy through the dog days of summer? Then take a bite out of MTV’s Teen Wolf.

No, not the mild-mannered Michael J. Fox flick, but the popular scantly clad MTV drama loosely based on that fun-loving film. Teen Wolf has transformed the MTV demographic and beyond into a ‘wolf pack’ on the hunt for more, especially after season one ended in August 2011 with a cliff hanger. MTV admits, since the show went off the air the fan base has actually increased by 50 percent. An astounding number for a show in slumber…

‘Storytelling without Borders’

The key is that the show is not dormant during its off season, but active on multiple platforms, not just the tried and true reruns and trailers although both elements have been taken to previously unimagined levels. It is a part of MTV’s aptly named “storytelling without borders” strategy, which aims to engage audiences across every platform. To learn more about MTV’s approach and more details on Teen Wolf’s post-season boom, don’t miss Lost Remote’s interview with MTV President Stephen Friedman back in April.

There are endless examples of MTV’s innovative multiplatform engagement, the most obvious being its relentless and exclusive Facebook (content from behind the scenes videos, intimate cast photos, insight into season two, social badges for sharing specific content, etc.). Other social platforms include Teen Wolf’s twitter handle @MTVteenwolf with 86,928 followers, Tumblr and more. The MTV team even invites members of the Wolf Pack Girls, the official name for the show’s female fans, to broadcast behind the scenes access and info on its official social networks.

Challenging the Pack

However, the one instance that caught the attention and incited anticipation among the larger pack was MTV’s recent challenge upon releasing the season two trailer. The announcement of the challenge was made the day before the trailer’s release on their YouTube channel and the Teen Wolf Facebook page. The trailer ends with a somewhat chilling challenge: “Share this trailer now, five million views unlocks the first 10 minutes of season two.”

The trailer and challenged was released on May 5^th and the first 10 minutes where unlocked by May 17^th – just 12 days saw a epic engagement. By May 11^th, just six days, the trailer surpassed one million views according the Teen Wolf Facebook page. On MTV’s YouTube channel the trailer has been viewed more than 2 million times alone (the official count also included video views on MTV.com). The first ten minutes seemed to make fans go wild for more and MTV promises to deliver.

Future Brand Incarnations

The two night season premier will begin directly following the MTV Movie Awards on June 3^rd. Also launching that week on June 4^th will be “Teen Wolf: The Hunt,” a new Teen Wolf social experience that allow fans to “friend” and interact with the show’s characters in real time via Facebook and other social platforms. The Hunt will feature a completely original and complementary storyline written by the Teen Wolf writers. As if not enough, MTV also plans to launch – er, publish – an original novel based on a series, called ON FIRE, on June 5^th. A number of top brands are infusing social gaming into the multiplatform mix, but an original book is a novel twist.

MTV and Teen Wolf continue to not only harness the power of its engaged – perhaps consumed – audience, but enhance the level of engagement by creating no boundaries for interaction. MTV thinks outside the box, outside of platform and out of this world.

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Curious what 5 million views earned? Watch the first 10 minutes of season two:

Categorised in: Digital Strategy, Social Media

This post was written by Sarah Casey