When you ask someone what they love most about HBO, they immediately rattle off their favorite moments and characters. And you might be surprised how those moments and characters span decades and genres, engender passion and emotion, and defy expectations. In the fall of 2013, when we set out to refresh the HBO brand presence on Facebook, our broadest reach vehicle, we looked to the core social currency of our brand – those moments – to build a unique visual language that reinforces the breadth and depth of what this brand means to people. We got to work building a bank of moments (AKA the quotes, scenes, iconic characters and images most recognizable to fans) so that we could pull from an arsenal to use the brand to respond to what was happening in the world. Whether commenting on topical subjects, sharing major news or just plainly reminiscing as part of #ThrowbackThursday, the HBO Facebook provides the high quality, thought-provoking, witty content for which the HBO brand is known. We chose a publishing strategy that speaks to what fans of the brand want to see from us most: the programming they love. Kicking off the day after the Emmys, when social buzz about HBO was at its peak, we populated the HBO Facebook page with Timeline Milestones, sharing the pivotal programming moments and technological advances that created waves of disruption in the industry. We then began our new day-to-day publishing strategy, which speaks to topical events using our core social currency: those memorable moments from HBO programming. Working with 360i, we developed a “Moments Bank" of notable programming highlights, giving us the tools to comment opportunistically on current events and use our content opportunistically. For example, when the Government Shutdown became a reality last fall, we had this quote from the VEEP to make our fans feel a little better.
