A Picture Is Worth... $1 Billion

Facebook has made some moves, very expensive moves, to better compete in the social media market. In my past Pinterest post, I mentioned the realtively new site is an incredibly fast growing social platform. It's actually the 3rd most popular social media network (after Twitter and Facebook), and is particularly popular among the female population. In fact, 97% of the sites users are women--hint, hint, to marketers trying to reach this audience. Women tend to trust Pinterest recommendations over Facebook recommendations. This could be due to the quality of the photos, the relaxing "pinning" process, and the site's simplicity.

Pinterest is clearly creeping up on Facebook and Twitter, but Facebook isn't going to sit back and watch that happen. The company's strategic purchase of Instagram, a photo-sharing mobile app, for $1 billion is step one in ensuring Facebook maintains its position in the social media market. Any photo taken with Instagram somehow becomes gorgeous and perfect. The app has various filters that can be applied to the photo you take, and then you can post your professional looking picture to your social sites. The Facebook team would never admit they are threatened by Pinterest, but in the press release announcing the acquisition they position themselves in a very Pinterest-like manner. “For years, we've focused on building the best experience for sharing photos with your friends and family. Now, we'll be able to work even more closely with the Instagram team to also offer the best experiences for sharing beautiful mobile photos with people based on your interests.” Hmm... what a clever and unique way to state their mission. 

As of now, I don't see how Facebook and Instagram will develop an offering to its users that is even close to being as seamlessly integrated as Pinterest's platform. Even Facebook and Instagram agree it will be a while until anything is really changed by this buyout. So, for now, Pinterest is safe. Facebook is putting its Instagram weapon on the back burner. Will it ever be able to truly compete with Pinterest in regards to photo sharing or motivating consumer purchases through insider recommendations? Probably not. Facebook owns its position as the social network that connects people, brands, and events. Maybe they should focus on making Timeline less annoying so I don't completely switch over to Twitter and Pinterest. Just a thought. 

POGS,

AKtually Ashley

Let The Games Begin

“Hunger games. Hunger games. Hunger games.” That’s literally the only thing I’ve heard coming out of people’s mouths for almost a year. If I'm being honest, one of those mouths is my own. The Hunger Games trilogy, written by Susan Collins, is the new Twilight. Though the two plots have somewhat similar themes, The Hunger Games' story line appeals to a broader audience. For those who don’t have children, friends, or any connection to the outside world, the trilogy takes place in a dystopian future. North America has become Panem and is split into 13 districts. Every year, the Capitol (the oppressive government) holds the Hunger Games, which require each district to pick two teenagers (one male, one female) to participate in a fight to the death. The protagonist is Katniss Everdeen… and she’s quite the heroine.

The Hunger Games is “coming to theaters near you” on Friday, March 23rd. Yes, I’m attending the midnight showing on Thursday night and I am so excited (and such a dweeb). The point of this post, however, is to delve into the incredible digital and social media marketing tactics that Lionsgate has (and will continue to use) to promote the film. The integrated digital campaign, which is part of a much larger campaign featuring traditional promotional tactics as well, really highlights the most detailed aspects of The Hunger Games and allows fans to become part of Panem. Lionsgate's marketers understand that by using digital tactics as the forefront of their campaign, they are able to easily and immediately track engagement. As they observe the reactions of and interactions among fans, they can shape future phases of the campaign to increase engagement. 

One of the most creative and interactive tactics allows fans to become an official citizen of Panem… ID card and all. They have created an interactive website in which you can register for a District Identification Pass. Once you receive your assignment (district, occupation, citizen number), you can download it to your Facebook, Twitter, Google+, phone, or tablet. You can even order a physical District Identification Pass for free off Facebook. Once you register, you’re prompted to join your district on Facebook. Each district has their own Facebook page and a mayor, recruiter and journalist—by the way, these individuals are true enthusiasts and fans of The Hunger Games and were elected to their positions by “The Capitol”. By using these enthusiasts, The Hunger Games was able to push its message through multiple platforms and to broader audiences--the beauty of consumer generated content and brand ambassadors! It also creates a sense of community among The Hunger Games fans. “Panem citizens” are able to watch sneak peek movie clips and receive various rewards for taking their fandom to the next level. 

YouTube hosts “Capitol TV” with clips and special trailers. These videos can also be seen on each District’s Facebook page under a tab called "The Square", which was the main gathering area in each district in the book. You have to “Like” the page before you can see the info, but it has branded messages, warnings, advertisements, and various other film promotions.

In addition to various other strategic social media tactics... I haven't even gotten to Twitter yet (not going to, so check it out for yourself--sorry!), The Hunger Games partnered with Feeding America and the United Nations World Food Programme to fight against hunger. The actors of the film starred in a PSA to raise awareness about hunger in the US and around the world.

As you can see, The Hunger Games did A LOT to promote the upcoming movie, but due to the campaign's heavy reliance on social media and digital tactics it was incredibly inexpensive and effective. There were still frequent TV advertisements, 3,000 billboard and bus shelter advertisements, movie posters, and almost 50 magazine cover stories, but with the help of social media platforms, the integrated campaign motivated a TON of engagement. The key is to constantly give fans something to get excited about and share--that that is exactly what Lionsgate did for The Hunger games. I'm quite confident that the film will do extremely well in theaters, and hope that other studios and marketers in all industries realize the power of creative and engaging digital promotional tools as centerpieces of integrated campaigns. 

I’d be happy to tell you about some of their other tactics, but I really want to register for my District Identification Pass so I know where my loyalty lies on Thursday night. Oh, and did I mention there is an iPhone game? The Hunger Games: Girl on Fire.

POGS,
AKtually Ashley

#Pinning is #Winning

I created my account on Pinterest in December and have been obsessively pinning ever since. For those of you who are a little behind in this booming social media trend, it is basically an online scrapbook. The site was launched in 2010, and went from 1.6 million registered users in September '11, to more than 7 million in December '11. WOW. The site is fun and engaging for users because it allows consumers to create and organize personalized and categorized bulletin boards, which they can pin their favorite images to. When they "pin" something, their friends/acquaintances/followers will see it and can re-pin it to their own boards, or simply "like" or comment on it. Additionally, Pinterest pins have the ability to go viral, just like posts on Facebook or Twitter. 


Pinterest is not only a great social media platform for consumers, but it also provides an incredible opportunity for companies, brands, and blogs. When users click on a picture, it will link them out to its source, which ultimately drives visitors to company websites and relevant blogs. Companies should highly consider setting up accounts on Pinterest in order to reach consumers in a visually appealing way. This is especially applicable to retailers who can post images of their own products, and ultimately link users back to the company's website and... DRIVE SALES! 


Like any social media website, the goal of Pinterest is to interact and engage consumers. Companies should not only post their own pins, but also re-pin the images of other users in order to maintain a presence and avoid being too promotional. The scrapbooking site is strictly visual... so it's not the optimal social media platform for every company. But if marketers are able and willing to think outside the box and get super creative, it might result in various positive outcomes! Chobani is one of these innovative companies. The popular yogurt brand posts pictures/recipes of delicious looking (and sounding) foods that use Chobani yogurt as an ingredient. It helps the brand drive consumers to its bloggers and website, which helps promote the brand's personality, values, and uses. Another Pinterest success story is Ideeli, an online retail "deal" site that specializes in luxury products. Ideeli has seen a 446% increase in web traffic from Pinterest in the last six months!


Here are a few of my favorite pins...these are just snippets of styles I love, delicious looking food and recipes, future home dreams, and incredible photography. 

Pinterest is quickly becoming all the rage among consumers...SO, if companies and marketers haven't signed up yet, they should probably get on that...today.


POGS,
AKtually Ashley

PS. Pinterest is my go-to site to find yummy recipes and trendy online shopping sites. Buffalo fried goat cheese? Yes, please. 

Social Media Faux Pas

Twitter and Facebook both create a ton of opportunities for companies to interact with consumers, but it is no secret that these social media sites pose massive threats as well. We are well aware that on our personal pages there are certain things we should never do or post. The same goes for companies... times 10. One of the most frowned upon social media practices is deleting unfavorable comments in hopes to maintain a positive brand image. When companies delete these comments or loosely/unprofessionally reply, their transparency and reputation plummet. 

A well-known example of this type of social media disaster was Nestlé's response to Greenpeace's accusations in 2010. I learned about this crisis in my Global Marketing class, and it always comes to mind when other companies make similar silly (and damaging) mistakes. If you're not familiar with the story, let me fill you in...

Cue Greenpeace's (extremely graphic) video:

DO NOT WATCH IF YOU HAVE ISSUES WITH BLOOD... or monkey fingers)

Basically, Greenpeace (a non-governmental environmental organization) was raising awareness of Nestlé's use of palm oil in products, like Kit Kat. It's said that the palm oil companies they used cause extreme deforestation in Indonesian rainforests... and are responsible for the deaths of many native orangutans. Nestlé obviously tried to get the video removed from YouTube... sparking a social media war. Greenpeace started posting on Nestlé's Facebook page... Nestlé THEN made a detrimental mistake: they deleted the critical comments from Greenpeace and other users (especially those with the altered Kit Kat logo as their pictures).

Nestlé was not the first company to make the immature and inexcusable deleting mistake... and were not the last.

Recently, another company (or restaurant, in this case) got a slap on the wrist for their social media practices. Boners, an Atlanta BBQ joint, posted an extremely inappropriate blurb about a customer who "apparently" didn't tip. A rude customer and a bad Yelp review does not give restaurants (or any company) creative freedom to post anything like this... talk about a temper! After checking out their website... I'm not surprised. It doesn't seem like the classiest of establishments, but you can't judge a restaurant by its website (FALSE) who knows...

Boners has deleted the ridiculous post and the establishment's owner replaced it with a personal apology to Stephanie. His "sincere" post, however, has not quelled the equally inappropriate attacks against Stephanie from fellow Facebook users. Whoever is continuing to insult this woman via Boners' page needs to find a new hobby... I think she suffered enough from the restaurant's original post--don't you?

POGS,

AKtually Ashley