• by Larissa Faw , June 6, 2018

Twitter is once again taking its show on the road with a food truck tour visiting 26 agencies this week, up from 13 during the platform's dog and pony show last November.

This time, Twitter is promoting upgrades in brand safety and its LIVE sports options with a food truck "tailgate" that provides product demonstrations as well as free root-beer floats and what Twitter calls "elevated Cracker Jacks," also known as “gourmet” caramel popcorn. Lucky attendees get to spin a wheel to receive swag such as Twitter branded sports gear or Apple TVs.

"Agencies are gatekeepers, decision makers and innovators when it comes to digital advertising, so my team is excited to highlight the premium content and conversation that makes Twitter the place for consumers who want to see what’s happening," says Stephanie Prager, head of global agency development, Twitter. "Marketers are constantly looking for ways to capture consumer attention and make meaningful connections." 

“We think it’s super important for people to see the product in action,” adds Prager. "We know that people love a food truck with prizes and swag - who wouldn’t?”

She explains that Twitter's World Cup partnership with Fox will introduce exclusive U.S. content, analysis, and video highlights to "make Twitter the world’s biggest sports bar during the World Cup."

In 2014, there were 672 million Tweets about the World Cup, and this year every single goal will be available for people to see on Twitter through video-on-demand highlights. 

This tour follows Twitter's NewFronts presentation on May 1, where the platform announced it was doubling its content offering versus last year. "Our 30 plus partnerships offer a diverse slate of options that are premium and brand safe," says Prager. "We want advertisers to understand how Twitter can connect brands with leaned-in consumers who are shaping culture." 

Prager adds that one common misconception that advertisers still have about Twitter is that "the value of a connection on Twitter is way deeper than an impression alone," she says. "Twitter’s audience is extremely valuable to advertisers because they are not only influential, but they are also open to discovering new things. They are early adopters, tastemakers and opinion givers. These people are shaping culture, and so their brand advocacy is also extremely valuable."

Twitter is also using this event to highlight its brand safety initiatives, explaining that the platform's increased investment includes both visual and text-based algorithmic filters, people resources, and serving controls.

In addition, Twitter has partnerships with third parties including IAS, MOAT, DoubleVerify and TAG, and is working toward MRC accreditation. "Advertisers choose which content they run alongside in our LIVE content, so it’s brand safe based on the advertisers’ definition," she says. "Brand safety is a critical conversation that we all need to have, and we are committed to being a leader in measurement and transparency." 

Tuesday's event stopped at Spark & Performics, Wavemaker, Hearts & Science, PHD, BBDO, Carat, Denstu, and iProspect. Wednesday's installment is making stops at GroupM, UM, Initiative, Reprise, and Essence. Thursday's visit includes Publicis, Horizon Media, 360i, Vizeum, and Omnicom Media Group.