Social Messaging: Boston Dynamics

The brand that I chose for my assignment is Boston Dynamics, a Boston-based robotics company. While looking at my YouTube feed this week, I noticed a video published by Boston Dynamics was suggested. This was notable to me, as it was not a paid advertisement but rather a video that the algorithm believed that I would like.

Boston Dynamics is a company that makes robots that move like people and animals. The company is trying to create robots that will not harm people but can still navigate human made spaces. Eventually, Boston Dynamics wants to make robots that can work alongside people and go to places that are too dangerous for the average person.

I am amazed by Boston Dynamics’ marketing strategy. Between their YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok pages, their videos receive hundreds of thousands and even millions of views. This has allowed them to share the capabilities of their robots and gain a dedicated audience. Leveraging their unique and charismatic machines through viral videos has given Boston Dynamics millions of dollars worth of advertising without spending a dime.

There are three reactions to these videos: amazement at this new technology, fear of what it can do, and speculation on how corporations, governments, and militaries alike will use these robots. This is best shown by the screenshots below:

These comments are actually on a tech news blog, not published by Boston Dynamics themselves. This again shows that Boston Dynamics can generate talk without even directly marketing themselves.

While this campaign is quite impressive, the Boston Dynamics marketing team needs to more consistently engage with commenters. While they do respond to some comments on TikTok, this is not true for every post. There are also videos with millions of views on YouTube and Instagram with no engagement whatsoever.

Additionally, many of the comments across the platforms joke about the threatening nature of this technology. Between its potential military use and the threat of taking people’s jobs, some people are uneasy about the implementation of this technology.

 

People who are afraid of this technology need to hear more than just the abilities of this robot. They want to hear what Boston Dynamics and regulators are doing to protect the public from the misuse of humanoid robots.

If I were to manage the marketing for Boston Dynamics, I would have more engagement in their comments. I understand that not every time someone comments “Wow!” warrants a comment. However, when someone asks a detailed question, they should be able to communicate with a representative. I would also ensure that people’s concerns about this new technology are addressed, rather than not engaging and allowing people to be afraid. These two changes would help complement an already successful campaign.

Overall, I am impressed with Boston Dynamics’ marketing strategy. If it was not for this viral campaign, I would not even know about them today. I believe humanoid robots will be in widespread use in my lifetime. Hopefully, they will be able to integrate with our society and economy, rather than us being afraid of them.