Rihanna, a pioneer in the new new phenomenon of an album launching through the release of UNLOCKED, an interactive Facebook app that lets fans uncover the album, Talk That Talk, detail by detail. Here's how it works: Users “Like” the page and then go on “missions” to uncover content released by Rihanna’s label, Island Def Jam. When certain “offers” reach a tipping point, the content becomes available. For example, fans were asked to submit a certain amount of fake lyrics to earn the lyric sheet for Rihanna’s album. Other unlocks so far include Rihanna’s new “R” logo, the single “We Found Love,” Rihanna’s new website, album release date and album cover.
Since the app’s launch in late September, UNLOCKED has received some staggering numbers. At time of writing, the project has given Rihanna nearly 1 million new Twitterfollowers and created more than 2.5 million tweets (a 445% increase from before UNLOCKED was launched). The project has also given Rihanna more than 700,000 Facebook fans with an estimated 208 million Facebook impressions.
Rihanna’s huge social presence is probably one of the reasons UNLOCKED has been such a success in the first place. Rihanna had the most fans of any celebrity on Facebook and ranked highly on Twitter as well. UNLOCKED requires a certain amount of built-in loyalty and a threshold of participation to work.
The unlocked content includes standard fare, like new single releases and a website, which would have been released with or without the app. The team behind UNLOCKED realized the real reward was social, rather than physical.
UNLOCKED is also a smart way to engage Rihanna’s fans while she’s on tour or taken up with other press engagements. The app lets users feel like they’re interacting with Rihanna, by unlocking special content and helping promote her album.
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