• by Frank Riolo , March 14, 2013

Most brands include the usual suspects in their social media arsenal – Facebook, Twitter and the ever-growing Instagram – thinking all bases are covered. However, video platforms like the immensely popular YouTube, as well as newcomer Vine, continue to be successful routes to the teen psyche for a number of major brands.

YouTube Craze

A 2012 Nielsen study determined that YouTube was not only the fourth most popular web brand of the year, but it was also the top online video source. Many brands have seen success through corporate YouTube channels, something that can earn them the attention of a much-desired teen audience. According to audience measurement site Quantcast, 26% of YouTube users are under the age of 18. Another (surprising) Nielsen study revealed that the site is teens’ first choice for listening to music, which shows just how popular the video service is with their age bracket.

Social media sweetheart Oreo has been making a big splash ever since its “Dunk in the Dark” Super Bowl tweet was such a hit, and it is now expanding their success to YouTube. Its “Cookie vs. Creme” campaign originated on Instagram, but recently debuted on YouTube with a series of videos showing new and creative ways to eat the cookies. The first video in the series was published at the end of February, when the company had about 9,000 channel subscribers; since then, it has already received nearly 4 million views and increased the number of Oreo YouTube subscribers to over 13,700. Janda Lukin, brand director for Oreo at Mondelez, told Mashablethat they are “continuously looking at YouTube as a means to share Oreo video content to keep our fans engaged and excited.”

Say Hello to Vine

Vine, a mobile app created by Twitter that allows users to create and post six-second video clips, may be the new kid on the block, but a lot of top brands have already started creating interesting, engaging posts. Vine is great for the short attention spans of teens. If used properly, six seconds is plenty of time to announce exciting brand news, give a behind-the-scenes look at a company, or just show off new products. Though it’s a little early in the game to look at demographics, Vine’s quick and crafty videos could be the perfect environment to attract teen fans and may follow the success of Instagram in that market.

One brand that has already embraced Vine is Taco Bell, which chose to announce the new Doritos Cool Ranch Taco on the platform. The brand is now continuing the campaign with more Vine videos. In less than a month, it has amassed 3,955 Vine followers and is using the service to encourage fans to participate by posting their own Cool Ranch Tacos photos with the hashtag #CoolRanchDLT. Though Vine is still gaining a foothold, Taco Bell has shown that it has the potential to be the next step in the visual social media craze.

Oreo and Taco Bell, two brands popular in the teen space, are examples of how major brands can gain substantial awareness by making video a priority. If your brand still considers video a platform for “Harlem Shake” videos and old movie clips, maybe it’s time to take a second look.