LivinginHD is Panasonic’s network where customers can share content and join in the Panasonic community around various products. A new contest launched earlier this week by Panasonic will run exclusively on the LivinginHD network, were a new HD product will be given away each day for 30 days.
Called 30×30, the contest will run through May 30 and will award the daily winner with their choice of a LUMIX digital camera (either the DMC-ZS3 or the DMC-TS1), or the HD Camcorder HDC-TM20. Some of the features for these camera products include 720p HD video recording, waterproof and dustproof features, and 16GB internal memory.
As a worldwide brand dealing with consumer products, user engagement in an online environment can really pay off for continually building that brand, and creating long term customer loyalty. And as many social media experts have been preaching for the past few years, taking control of the online environments that are related to your product is one way in which to gain valuable customer feedback while creating a two-way communication stream for sending and receiving product-related information.
Panasonic has an interesting take on its social network, as some of its products (i.e. digital cameras) are readily used for the creation of much of the content being spread across the web on large and popular destination sites like Flickr and Facebook. So why not become a more integral part of this discussion by creating an online hub for consumers to learn more about products, discuss these products and even share the content they create?
That’s a major selling point behind the 30×30 contest currently being run on Panasonic’s LivinginHD network. The best part? You don’t really need to do anything in order to qualify or participate in the 30×30 contest, other than become a member of the LivinginHD network. If you’re already a LivinginHD member, you’ve already been entered in the 30×30 contest. So best of luck to ya.
As part of the larger picture, however (pun intended), Panasonic is really looking to take advantage of online activity, product reviews and consumer feedback. This is something we’re frequently seeing from large brands, including those that sell Panasonic products. Best Buy, for instance, has a set of APIs that allow developers like Ribit to integrate useful product-related information into various social applications, so scrolling over a Flickr photo can tell you what type of camera was used, with a link to purchase the camera directly from the nearest Best Buy. Such cooperative gestures in the online social realm will greatly help brands like Panasonic in the long run, because they’re very consumer-centric initiatives.