Twitter’s Periscope Launch Is an Unintentional PR Coup for an Agency Called Periscope

Twitter just launched Periscope, its competitor to livestreaming app Meerkat. As is often the case, the new app's name was already in use by another company, in this case a creative agency that even owned the Twitter ID @Periscope. 

Us watching everyone tweet @Periscope instead of @PeriscopeCo today. pic.twitter.com/dpG24vkBMV

— Periscope (@Periscope) March 26, 2015

The agency has been on Twitter since April 2009. That meant that the livestreaming startup, eventually acquired by Twitter, was relegated to using @PeriscopeCo.

Agency Periscope's brand manager, Bridget Jewell, said that Twitter never approached the shop about buying (or simply taking) the handle from them. 

The result has been no small amount of confusion, with many on Twitter confusing the agency's handle for the app's official account:

Twitter launched @Periscope, live streaming video app to compete with Meerkat http://t.co/MQuA8WJlmG by @KurtWagner8 pic.twitter.com/Is2lDcaUrD

— Walt Mossberg (@waltmossberg) March 26, 2015

Yes, we are on @periscope – Expect random, hopefully entertaining live streams to pop up. Just search for 'lootcrate' in the app, follow us!

— Loot Crate (@lootcrate) March 26, 2015

You know those times when you say you won't get addicted to a piece of tech, then it happens? @periscope I'm talkin' to you.

— Emmanuel Evita (@Emm7E) March 26, 2015

Follow me on @periscope…I'll be live broadcasting from my submarine later today.

— Hunter Harrison (@hunrharrison) March 26, 2015

The whole situation seems to be working in the agency's favor. 

"It's been every social media person's dream," Jewell said. "Like a kid waking up on Christmas morning, but with tons of Twitter notifications." 

The agency's social media team is clearly having a bit of fun with it all, using the misled tweeters as leverage to gain a bit of publicity, gain followers for its own Periscope account and even answer people's questions about the app.

@TauhidChappell You're looking for @PeriscopeCo but here's the link! You can find us on there at AgencyPeriscope! https://t.co/tSDUWoTQVl

— Periscope (@Periscope) March 26, 2015

The agency has even changed its Twitter bio to help out poor, lost Twitter souls. The bio now reads: "A fiercely independent creative company driven by a single mission: do things people love. Not @PeriscopeCo." 

Jewell said she's just thankful that the newer Periscope didn't sell some horribly offensive goods or services that would cause people to align their agency with something negative. (It happens more often than you might think.)

"But how ironic that the two industries align," Jewell said. "Our clients could be using this app in the future."