Rakuten Arena brings fans closer to Shakira with interactive video

Video has never been a more important tool for online marketers. According to a recent article by Forbes, by 2019, “online content will consist of 80% video marketing, and mobile consumption of video content continually rises by 100% annually.” But along with the growing popularity of video also comes more competition amongst marketers to create truly engaging, unique and useful content.

With the future of content consumption in mind, Rakuten Arena, the official sports and entertainment hub of Rakuten, unveiled a new interactive video in September that invited fans to help find Shakira’s microphone by clicking or tapping on hotspots hidden within the video.

This video was part of Rakuten Arena’s efforts to engage and entertain Shakira fans during her El Dorado World Tour by leveraging WIREWAX’s hotspot technology—using artificial intelligence to bring 35 elements of the video to life which resulted in an innovative gamified experience for viewers.

By gamifying the experience, Rakuten Arena was able to turn passive watching of a Shakira performance into active engagement, and as a result achieved on average 31 interactions per viewer. Those who played the game were also more likely to share the video with their friends on social media, and “Help Shakira Find Her Mic” was shared almost 80% more on average when compared to regular Shakira-related posts on Rakuten Arena.

“At Rakuten, we have a strong culture of innovation, and we’re constantly experimenting with new mediums and technologies to better bridge the gap between us and the consumers. At the end of the day, it’s all about giving consumers the best experience possible and engaging content is key,” says Vanessa Asell Tsuruga, Vice General Manager, Sports Strategy & Branding Department, Rakuten.

“The fact that a global brand like Rakuten is utilizing interactive video to drive increased performance further validates the fact that interactive video is the future of online media. There’s a surfeit of video content online and brands now need to work harder to engage their audiences,” says Steve Callanan, WIREWAX CEO.

Rakuten Arena has also used its social media reach to further engage with the global pop star’s fan base by releasing unique pieces of content such as the Shakira El Dorado AR Filter, which allows users to take photos with the El Dorado World Tour background and a 360˚ illustration series called Rakuten Star Finder that challenges fans to look for Shakira hidden inside. These experiments with new content mediums have resulted in high engagement and excellent feedback—with Rakuten Star Finder reaching more than 1.5 million fans and over 300,000 clicks and engagements.

Rakuten Arena will continue to utilize content and emerging technologies to grow the Rakuten brand and bring us closer to consumers—connecting communities and empowering fandoms around the world.

Are you quick enough to find Shakira’s lost mic? You can try out the game here.