Mission

2020 was a landmark year for WDC as it launched its first collection of dedicated games storage drives, WD_Black. We were tasked with launching this to the insider gaming stratospehere.

Method

We jumped on the launch of the new Outriders game in Warsaw by inviting key UK technology social media influencers to get hands on and test the drives in a real life situation. We then kick started a product seeding programme with additional influencers, called the ‘WD_Black Collective’.

Capitalising on the exclusive hands-on time with the Outriders game, as a hook to entice VIP technology/gaming YouTubers to Warsaw, we methodically contacted our trusted black book of contacts. We quickly confirmed @ZONEofTECH (970K YouTube subscribers) and @GadgetsBoy (32K YouTube subscribers). Whilst subscriber numbers were important we carried out thorough research on average video views, a vital KPI for our client.

Both guests were flown to the Polish capital and put up in luxury hotel. We had a jam-packed itinerary that involved world-first gameplay, developers Q&A, one-to-one time with WD_Black experts plus an after party. Throughout, we liaised with both influencers to carefully craft a YouTube script for their WD_Black videos plus gifted WD_Black product for them to test out and shoot. Constantly sharing updates with the client to ensure content was first class.

At home, we strategically placed WD_Black product with leading gaming influencers including @Lomadiah (1.2M YouTube subscrbers) and @Walkthroughtime (45K Instagram followers). Each genuine partnership was geared towards a smorgasbord of social media placements.

Boom

ZONEofTECH and GadgetsBoy not only posted a plethora of social media coverage whilst on the trip and at home once the strict embargo lifted, but also published two dedicated YouTube hands-on videos discussing the WD_BlackP10 at length. The trip helped to create an online buzz for the WD_Black collection and reached a total of 1,639,133 people across 21 social media posts.