Sometimes a powerful and successful media campaign is not limited to traditional advertising campaigns or even limited to the digital domain. Some companies might provide discounts, freebies, or even limited releases of their products online. In contrast, service providers such as insurance companies might use their website design to provide access to information and online help for their clients.
But there are a few whose social media marketing strategy has won admirers, fans, and clients, which in turn have made it easy for these companies to build their success from their social media management.
Uniqlo’s Use of Imagery and Design
The clothing company used Pinterest’s platform to attract millions of users without paying for a single ad. How did they do it? Uniqlo used the platform to display images of their clothing that flipped and changed colors. Uniqlo received 55 million online impressions and received 6,000 mentions on Twitter from users. And they didn’t have to pay a single ad.
Urban Outfitters, Early Adopters
The clothing brand was the first company to use Vine, Twitter’s new video app. Though the company did not get lots of retweets, their clout exploded online as early adopters of technology. It also put them in the headlines as the new technology was made public. In an age where early adoption to the latest and latest technology is a virtue, Urban Outfitters became a brand that was a social media phenomenon.
IHOP, the Restaurant Formerly Known as IHOb
In 2018, the International House of Pancakes (IHOP) briefly became known as the International House of Burgers (IHOb). They used Twitter to market a new dish served in their restaurants (burgers, what else?). But the tease created an air of mystery and speculation, which resulted in 30,000 users guessing why IHOP needed a name change.
The marketing stunt worked because the restaurant had a smart and funny response to online users, even taking a dig at fast-food giant Wendy’s. While some users also investigated whether the name change was true, the stunt was a success as burger orders quadrupled in many IHOP restaurants. Sometimes, some fun engagement with your customers and competitors is all you need to boost sales.
Dove and Self-esteem
Dove’s campaign for real beauty started with a hashtag spread across several social media platforms. It has since become the brand’s mission to educate consumers on social issues such as self-esteem, health, and bullying. The brand has used images of women from across the globe and of different ages to share their experiences and promote inner beauty.
The campaign also initiated discussions on perceptions of beauty in advertisements and the real world, and how women perceive these images. The campaign was touted as one of the Best Campaigns of the 21st Century and has been a testament to what advertising could do to promote positive change.
Many other social media campaigns have used influencers, marketing stunts, engaging content, and contests, but all of them have been planned and handled well. If you want your campaign to be a real success in the digital marking field, think outside the box and explore the numerous possibilities on the web.