SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING FOR BUSINESS

How Consumer Brands Create a Culture on Social Media

Preface:  Why  should  corpora2ons  be  on  Social  Media?

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Corporations are not people… for the purposes of this report, anyway. However, having a brand identity is crucial, especially when throwing yourself into the mix of many competitors fighting for the same attention and loyalty for your brand or service. Why should I choose you as my mobile provider? What makes me want to drink your beer over the hundreds of other beers on the market? Do I really care if I buy your toilet paper over the leading competition?

Preface:  Why  should  corpora2ons  be  on  Social  Media?

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Among leading brands in a given category, especially those in a realm of perfect competition, the challenge lies in setting yourself apart. Is your company’s dish soap that much more effective than your major competitor? If not, what is it about your brand that makes the consumer pick you? Do you stand for something? Does your brand have a personality that makes consumers tick?

Preface:  Why  should  corpora2ons  be  on  Social  Media?

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Brands with personality…? No, brands (and corporations) may not be people, but they can certainly have personality. This is where we see social media play into the bigger picture. The questions brand marketers should be asking themselves: How does the market think of you? What sorts of consumers support the brand? Are their consumers philanthropic? Are they cool? Sexy? Smart? Are they forward-thinking? This personality can come in many forms. Ultimately, it’s up to the brand to decide how they want to shape the face of the company. Social media plays a big part of this communication, and is the most effective way to interact with like-minded consumers who will truly understand their values.

This report examines the social media practices of six top consumer brands, and how they succeed or fail to communicate an identity, and establish and foster a culture online. The takeaways from this analysis will provide insights from each brand’s social tendencies, and provide best practices for how consumer brands should be engaging on social media.

AT&T: OVERVIEW

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• Multinational telecommunications corporation founded in 1983

• One of the big two telecom companies in the US (with Verizon)

• Second largest provider of mobile communications (39.1% market share)

• Services offered include mobile and home phone, Internet, and digital TV (offered under contract)

• 120.6M wireless customers (reported in 4Q)• $132B in revenue in 2014• Facebook: 5.6M likes (21K talking about)• Twitter: 668K Followers• Instagram: 29.5K Followers• YouTube: 59K subscribers, 27M+ total video views• Google+: 45.4K Followers• Pinterest: 1,733 Followers

AT&T: FACEBOOK

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• 5.6 million Likes• Content is posted multiple times daily, and is

consistent with brand voice and other channels• AT&T posts vary in approach

• Value-driven content like phone tips and tricks• Posts that shine a light on their customers• Timely posts for holidays (Father’s Day)• Inspirational photos with uplifting quotes which tie

back to their brand offerings• Facts and stats about AT&T’s offerings• Posts with CTAs like new product rollouts, upgrade

offers, etc.• Weekly roundup (Weekly ICYMI) including product

updates, news on AT&T’s charity efforts, and AT&T in pop culture (shoutouts to AT&T-sponsored golfers prior to US Open)

• Prioritize 2-way communication, often responding to comments and criticisms (good and bad) usually within the hour

• Featured apps include their charitable efforts (Pride week, Autism awareness) and customer service

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AT&T: FACEBOOK

AT&T: TWITTER

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• 668K Followers• Much of content is syndicated from other social

media channels, extended to offer more similar material to accommodate the more frequent posting nuances of the Twitter platform

• Content is consistent with the brand voice across all platforms

• All content pushed in their feed contains rich media (images and video)

• AT&T retweets partnered content in support of their charitable causes, for PSAs against texting/taking selfies while driving

• Like on Facebook, posts are a mix of value-driven content, tweets shining light on their customers, inspirational content, etc.

• The majority of their tweets are responses to their tweet mentions. Many responses include such applicable hashtags as #ATTFamily or #ATTLove. These hashtags can be applied to responses to collect and sharing valuable data, including customer satisfaction, feedback, and criticism.

AT&T: TWITTER

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AT&T: INSTAGRAM

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• 29.5k Followers• The content on Instagram differs from Facebook and

Twitter, as it caters more to the artistic nuances of the Instagram environment

• They focus on customers’ need to stay mobile connected, focusing on their devices to prove social value

• AT&T ran a photo contest called #MobileDarkroom, where entrants take photos and post to Instagram using the designated hashtag, and tagging @att

• This allows AT&T to attract new followers• Initial followers are initially attained through

connected community members on Facebook, Twitter, etc., and then spreads outwards as submissions are posted by these users.

• As with FB and Twitter, AT&T responds to comments left on their posts regarding criticisms and other feedback

• Beginning in late January, AT&T started a photo diary of picturesque shots as a representative travelled the Pacific Northwest. Some shots encourage followers to tag their friends if a photo strikes a chord with them

AT&T: INSTAGRAM

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AT&T: YOUTUBE

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• 27 million+ total video views• AT&T has a robust content strategy

ranging across a variety of angles• The featured video on the right is a PSA

by PGA 2015 Masters and US Open champion Jordan Spieth about the dangers of distracted driving, a reminder for those who use their devices

• Video series themes include “Escape the Cube” (the cubicle), weekly recaps (ICYMI), TV commercials, and new product demos

• Cross promoting channels in header image and About pages

• Considering the vast video content they create and curate, their videos have gained very little traction, averaging a few hundred streams per video

• Some promotional videos have amassed hundreds of thousands of views, which we can conclude that AT&T paid for pre-roll ads for these videos

• YouTube has created a partner channel with YouTube, as can be seen above. This channel is personalized with its own custom user interface, a feature which is not publicly available.

• This interface is purposed to encourage users to use this page as a media platform. Given the traction attained on their videos, this approach leaves much to be desired.

AT&T: YOUTUBE

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AT&T: ADDITIONAL

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Google+• 45.4k Followers• Content falls in line more with their Facebook and Twitter brand voice, but with a slightly more

B2B voice• Certain posts on this platform include the implementation of more open-source software,

VPN connectivity for cloud networking, and business solutions

Tumblr• Most recent content was added two weeks ago• While some use Tumblr to blog, AT&T uses this for rich media publishing• Most common themes for their posts include their safe driving campaign, and their “Where Will

You Be?” campaign.• Engagement is somewhat low on this platform, with no posts amassing more than 20

engagements.

AT&T: ADDITIONAL

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AT&T: TAKEAWAYS

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• As a brand with a large, broad customer base and target market, their content strategy calls for content that will be easily digested by the most broad of demographics

• AT&T uses each respective platform well by understanding the nuances of each environment and post content that suits the audience

• They post content that touches on subject matter of mass appeal that their audience finds interesting, engaging and inspiring:

• Father’s Day, PGA golf, PSAs on distracted driving, graduation season, etc.• Two-way communication on all social platforms shows that the company cares about their

customers, keeping customer satisfaction up, and greater retention • AT&T has successfully implemented a strategy that exposes their brand to a broad audience,

and creates visibility outside their community • Their content successfully encourages Facebook sharing, Retweets on Twitter, etc.

• AT&T’s content does not often offer a direct CTA to sign up or switch to AT&T, as most sales posts were angled at their new product rollouts (Samsung Galaxy S6 smartphone, in particular).

• AT&T does an excellent job staying true to their brand and their values across all platforms• By posting inspirational and socially responsible content, AT&T uses social media as an

outlet to spread their messaging to their customers, and to future customers who hold the same values

• Sharing these values important in an oligopolical industry where services offered are similar in nature, as often the values (which are often reflected in the strengths of their service) can be the difference in which provider a consumer chooses.

OREO: OVERVIEW

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• Owned by Cadbury, Oreo was introduced in 1912• One of the most recognized brands of snacks

worldwide• While the target market of Oreo has historically

been primarily moms and children, their “Wonderfilled” campaign aims to remind the rest of us to “see the world with the same sense of wonder we had as kids” (Oreo brand manager at Mondeléz International)

• Social media plays a key role in this marketing• Facebook: 40.3M likes (714K talking about)• Twitter: 667K Followers• Instagram: 576K Followers• YouTube: 99.5K subscribers, 95.2M+ total video

views• Pinterest: 11.5K Followers (not listed on website)• Google+: 277 Followers (N/A)

OREO: FACEBOOK

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• 40.3M Likes• The focus for Oreo on Facebook is to offer rich media

(calorie-rich as well) that offer delicious inspiration to their audience

• Oreo’s content mix:• Value-driven content includes outside-the-box

ideas for “Oreo Cookieng” (ie. Oreo pancakes)• Using Oreos to creatively reflect current events

and celebrations (ie. Pride week)• Partnered content with the NHL during the Stanley

Cup Playoffs• Oreo does not foster two-way communication like

AT&T does, as there is arguably less of a need to do so, since Oreo requires less of a need to communicate to their community on a customer service level

• The only featured app on their Facebook page is for their “Oreo Cookieng” (unavailable in English)

• Posts come in waves, recently posting at least every other day, but will sometimes have periods of two weeks without posting

OREO: FACEBOOK

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OREO: TWITTER

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• 667K Followers• Brand voice is consistent with Facebook, with • Content is consistent with the brand voice across

all platforms• All content pushed in their feed contains rich media

(images and video)• Oreo’s partnered content with Dunkin’ Donuts and

Milk is well executed, having a playful and humorous dialogue between the brands

• As with Facebook, there is little two way connection with their customers. However, consumers are not completely ignored, as they will respond to legitimate complaints about their product (ie. a customer finding glass in their Oreo)

• Frequency of tweets is relatively low for what’s typical on Twitter, but their content contains a great deal of animation and graphic design, something that would be expensive to produce content for multiple posts per day.

OREO: TWITTER

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OREO: INSTAGRAM

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• 576k Followers• Once again, the brand voice on Instagram remains

consistent with other social platforms. • They take a playful approach with their feed, as

Instagram’s ecosystem is more receptive to certain types of content (landscape photography being one type), which they represent with miniature figures and Oreos incorporated into the landscape

• Oreo generates great interaction on Instagram, highlighted by their #PlaywithOreo hashtag that encourages followers to post images of ways they get creative with their product with the chance to get re-grammed (10,563 posts with the #PlaywithOreo hashtag)

• Oreo also keeps their two-way interaction very minimal here as well, keeping the communication very one-directional

OREO: INSTAGRAM

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OREO: YOUTUBE

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• 95.2M+ total video views (99.5K subscribers)

• Oreo’s YouTube content strategy takes on a very international and multilingual approach, as their product knows no language barriers

• The featured video is an episode of a three-part series of cartoons featuring Smorey, a satirical take on Smokey the Bear out to teach the world you don’t need to start fires to enjoy s’mores. You only need s’mores flavored Oreos

• Similar to AT&T with their tech hacks series, Oreo features a playlist that offers outside-the-box ways to eat Oreos

• As is the case with most successful YouTube strategies, Oreo offers value-added content that people come back to regularly

• With all of Oreo’s content, they either educate, inspire, or entertain, and never publish simple, superficial advertising as part of their content strategy.

OREO: YOUTUBE

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OREO: PINTEREST

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• 11.5k Followers• Pinterest is a natural hub for Oreo, as creative

culinary inspiration is a natural fit for the environment, which Oreo executes well

• Oreo does not post original content on Pinterest, merely aggregates the best content from active foodie blogs on the platform

• Unlike a company like AT&T that would create original content to drive users to their site for more information, Oreo’s marketing funnel does not necessitate this path to purchase.

• Oreo updates this channel regularly, and sees a nice return on their efforts with strong interaction and visibility.

OREO: PINTEREST

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OREO: TAKEAWAYS

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• Oreo’s social media presence is a great example of how companies can use this medium for a segmented audience

• Their #Wonderfilled campaign hits a target audience that was otherwise being missed in traditional media.

• This execution was successful by staying true to the platforms in which they were present on• Facebook using a mix of video and images• Adding a conversational element to their Twitter presence by interacting with content

partners (Dunkin Donuts, Milk, etc.)• Connecting the candid photographer’s mindset and implementing this content into their

Instagram strategy• Catering to Pinterest’s audience of foodies by curating pinboards with Oreo-inspired dessert

creations• Oreo’s social media strategy is not a driver of direct sales. They do not include strong CTAs on

their posts because they do not have an e-commerce solution for B2C. Sales are made offline, and Oreo sees social media as an important touch in the attribution of sales

• Oreo’s overall display of two-way communication lacks, but as previously mentioned, is not required as it is with a service-based company like AT&T, where customer satisfaction is maintained and nurtured with direct communication

Burberry: OVERVIEW

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• British luxury fashion brand founded in 1856• In 2014, was recognized by Interbrand as being

ranked #73 on their ‘Best Global Brands’ report• $2.32B in revenue in 2014• Facebook: 16.7M likes (42K talking about)• Twitter: 4.15M Followers• Instagram: 3.8M Followers• YouTube: 172.4K subscribers, 64M+ total video

views• Google+: 4.7M Followers• Pinterest: 132.2K Followers• As a fashion brand, having a strong social media

presence is of utmost importance, especially focusing on rich media

Burberry: FACEBOOK

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• 16.7 million Likes• Posts fairly regularly, usually every 1-2 days, with some

rare extended breaks in between• Posts:

• New season collection announcements and features• Posts in the Burberry acoustic series, supporting up

and coming British musical talent• Timely posts for holidays (Father’s Day)• Photos and videos from Burberry fashion shows,

including backstage shots• Celebrities attending Burberry fashion shows/wearing

their products• Sneak peeks into pre-production of new products• Lifestyle posts that build the personality of the brand

(ex. new trendy cafe attached to Burberry’s Regent Street flagship location)

• Burberry does not communicate or respond to their community and commenters on this medium, positive or negative.

• Many posts regarding the fair treatment of animals are ignored

• Facebook profile is very simple, with a basic elevator pitch-style ‘About’ section, and no third-party app features

Burberry: FACEBOOK

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Burberry: TWITTER

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• 4.15M Followers• Frequency of posts is much greater than other

platforms in order to fit Twitter’s ecosystem (ranging from ~2-5 posts per day)

• Content is consistent with the brand voice across all platforms

• All content pushed in their feed contains rich media (images and video), all featuring Burberry fashion and illustrating company values

• Partnered content supports independent artists in their Burberry Acoustic series, assisting in the artists’ brand development, and building the Burberry brand as a music-forward brand

• The majority of Burberry’s posts on Twitter are runway shots at fashion shows, often including celebrities wearing/endorsing their clothing

• As with Facebook, two-way communication on this platform is not a priority for Burberry

Burberry: TWITTER

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Burberry: INSTAGRAM

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• 3.8M Followers• This feed is a breeding ground for runway shots,

product features, red carpet moments, luxury lifestyle photography, etc.

• Two-way communication is not a priority (the trend continues)

• Their use of hashtags is very simple, using designated hashtags for each respective show.

• It appears that Burberry is looking into more lifestyle-centric posts that focus on London’s urban scenery, their high-end coffee shop Thomas’s at Regent Street, etc.

Burberry: INSTAGRAM

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Burberry: YOUTUBE

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• 64M+ total video views• Burberry’s content strategy is very simple

on YouTube as well, as it matches the voice of all other channels, and offers a similar content mix

• Burberry organizes their content by category, which is broken down by fashion line, product classification (eyewear, corporate wear, etc.), acoustic sessions, etc.

• Like their Facebook profile, their ‘about’ page is very basic, with a short slogan-style description of the company

• Burberry’s viewership is strong, consistently getting 10K+ views on their videos• As with the other channels analyzed, Burberry offers a value-added channel that offers make-up

application advice. This is a recurring series that encourages people to follow the channel for new tips and tricks.

Burberry: YOUTUBE

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Burberry: PINTEREST

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• 131.8k Followers• Pinterest is a natural platform for Burberry, as a

strong contingent of Pinterest’s user base pins fashion-related content

• Interestingly enough some of their most popular content are contained in their “Burberry Weather” board, showcasing England’s landscape and beauty

• These posts are linked from Instagram, redirecting users to this platform to encourage cross-population of followers to this platform

• Burberry posts content very frequently, usually every few days, and usually come in batches falling under a particular category

Burberry: PINTEREST

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Burberry: GOOGLE+

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Google+• 4.7M+ Followers• Content on Google+ resembles that of

Facebook, with a similar content mix• Posts get strong interaction, with

hundreds of users engaging with the content

• Content mix ranges from runway shows, British landscape photography, product shots, how-to makeup videos, lifestyle branding, etc.

Burberry: GOOGLE+

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Burberry: TAKEAWAYS

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• Burberry’s commitment to creating an online culture for their brand is apparent in the ecosystems that they maintain on each platform they are present on.

• In the world of fashion, it is as much about the lifestyle that is portrayed through the people wearing the product as much as the design of the clothing. Both are represented well on their social media presence

• As opposed to a brand such as AT&T that keep their voice very broad and accessible to all audiences, Burberry’s voice appeals to an upper-class demographic that is exuded by celebrity endorsements, and private fashion shows in upscale country club and other swanky environments

• Burberry does not prioritize two-way communication like some of the service-based brands do. It is certainly a trend among product-based brands, but is not necessarily considered best practice.

• Burberry content naturally drives sharing, as their designs are looked upon as being traditional, yet influential in the fashion industry, characteristics that drive a lot of conversation.

• Burberry rarely posts calls to action on their posts, focusing more on the culture of their social media presence as opposed to selling directly through this medium.

jetBlue: OVERVIEW

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• American low-cost airline founded in 1998, serving 91 destinations in the Americas and the Caribbean

• Company slogan: “You above all”• Slogan sets up their social media strategy for a

consumer-focused approach, let’s see if this is where they take it

• 2014 Gross revenue: $5.34B• Net income: $401B• Facebook: 1.1M likes (9.9K talking about)• Twitter: 1.9M Followers• Instagram: 70.4K Followers• YouTube: 8.8K subscribers, 6.5M+ total video

views

jetBlue: FACEBOOK

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• 1.1M Likes• jetBlue posts regularly, usually once every 1-2 days• Posts:

• Popular destinations are featured with jetBlue Getaways, their vacations service

• Their accompanying copy is top-notch as well, with creative puns and well-communicated value

• Their social media team is very reactionary with current events, jumping into the Supreme Court marriage equality ruling conversation

• jetBlue tells stories well with quality video content• Father’s Day video with father who flies in to

visit his family and is able to see them with newly surgically implanted eyes is a good example

• They also support charitable causes (Joining Against Cancer in Kids) and communicating these through Facebook posts

• jetBlue fosters two way communication, and answers almost any/all comments directed their way

jetBlue: FACEBOOK

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jetBlue: TWITTER

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• 1.9M Followers• Frequency of posts is about 3x per day• As with all companies offering a service, their two-

way communication is very active, with most of their tweets dedicated to fostering their relationships with their community

• Most of their content is an extension of their Facebook content, with some added variations and repeat mentions of their content in order to make sure their community sees the content.

• When the Supreme Court ruling on marriage equality passed, crew members offered quotes in support of the decision to publicize on Twitter, receiving enormous praise from the community, getting Retweeted numerous times and reaching a wide new network

• jetBlue incorporates pop culture content as well, posting visual content to celebrate days like May 4th (May the 4th be with you)

• Their light-hearted content strategy keeps jetBlue at top of mind for prospective travelers

jetBlue: TWITTER

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jetBlue: INSTAGRAM

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• 70.4K Followers• jetBlue’s Instagram feed is flush with stunning

photography of popular destinations, feeding the social network’s ecosystem with posts that are common to the platform

• Posting frequency is once every 2-3 days typically• Some additional content unique to their Instagram

channel includes re-posts from their community using the hashtag #JetBlueSoFly

• Contrary to their Facebook and Twitter accounts, Instagram’s interaction is one way, with no interaction with user comments

• jetBlue also likes to use humor in their posts, stimulating strong interaction and encouraging users to tag their friends for increased visibility

jetBlue: INSTAGRAM

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jetBlue: YOUTUBE

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• 6.5M+ total video views (8.8K subscribed)• jetBlue creates content on a regular basis on

this platform, but gets little interaction and has a less-committed audience on this platform

• The viewership is low, despite some content featuring popular personalities with large audiences (ex: Ellie Goulding performing at JFK Terminal 5).

• As with many other YouTube channels analyzed, some videos have significantly more views than others, of which are very promotional by nature (concluding that some videos are being used for pre-roll advertising)

• Their latest campaign featuring the “Better Wingman” as featured on the home page of their channel was launched 3 weeks ago

• This is a great example of how they show off their “You Above All” slogan, and emphasize the value in their award-winning customer service

• They add humor to their YouTube content as well, offering comedic advice on how not to fly• These 4 episodes to date have accumulated over 200K views

jetBlue: YOUTUBE

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jetBlue: TAKEAWAYS

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• jetBlue’s award-winning customer service is put on full display on social media• Their slogan “You Above All” is indicative of their social behavior, as they are conversational

and interactive with their community/customers. • Out of all the analyses performed to date, jetBlue receives the most positive engagement on

their channels, likely attributed to the quality of the service provided, and the positive experience from the point of purchase, to the arrival at the customer’s destination, to the online interaction and customer service experience

• The company also projects a sense of identity with taking a stand on cultural issues, such as marriage equality, something many brands would be unwilling to risk alienate their customers for.

• Their social media managers make it a priority to be creative with their content strategy, with significant planning going into their scheduled content like May the 4th, Mother’s / Father’s Day video content. Their execution of this content is of high quality, and takes a great deal of time and financial investment

• They see strong value in this quality content because they know it is a way to grow their visibility and recognition as a company that cares about providing strong value to their customers

• Ultimately, it is this value that keeps customers returning to jetBlue, as this customer service becomes an amplified and memorable element of the overall travel experience

popchips: OVERVIEW

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• A brand of potato/corn chips founded in 2007• In 2011, was regarded by Forbes as one on the USA’s top

20 promising companies• Celebrity investors in popchips include Ashton Kutcher,

David Ortiz, Jillian Michaels, Katy Perry, and Sean Combs• Social Media and Outdoor Media were popchips' key

channels for advertising before 2014, when they started advertising on TV

• Part of the social media guidelines implemented by popchips is the exclusion of capital letters, in keeping with the brand name, communication some form of laid-back philosophy regarding their snack

• Facebook: 391K likes (1.2K talking about)• Twitter: 49.3K Followers• Instagram: 7.2K Followers• YouTube: 4.8K subscribers, 7.1M+ total video views• Pinterest: 1.5K followers

• NOTE: A foreshadowing for their commitment to quality creative is the fact that there is a repeated word in the contest see on the right (the the)

popchips: FACEBOOK

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• 391K likes • The frequency of popchips’ posts are quite infrequent and

inconsistent• One week (July 4th weekend), they posted three times

on the same day. Posting frequency prior to this ranges from once every four days to ever three weeks.

• Engagement rate is very poor, averaging ~30 likes per post on 391K page likes (followers)

• Posts:• On their July 4th week posts, they posted about a

FDNY BBQ• While the intentions were charitable and positive,

the copy and creative posted on their page was lifeless and lacked context

• An example of how a great idea can be quashed by poor execution

• Their best performing posts are those that are relevant to pop culture, and execute using simple copy and creative

• Their May the 4th (Star Wars) post and their United States Supreme Court Marriage Equality post were executed very well, getting solid engagement

• They also use a resourceful app that allows their fans to find the nearest location in which popchips are sold.

popchips: FACEBOOK

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popchips: TWITTER

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• 49.3K Followers• Frequency of tweets ranges from 2-5x per day• They are very conversational with their channel,

responding to everyone that engages with their channel

• Their content consists a significant amount of retweeting and quoting of their followers, whereas their original content is much less infrequent

• This is a nice way to show appreciation for your audience and showcase the praise being given

• This approach is a means of maintaining the strength of one’s brand, but not meant to be a tactic to grow the community

• They often use their Twitter feed to live tweet their pop-up shops and events, which get a modest amount of engagement

• Once again, their content that gets the most reception are the timely, culturally relevant posts (ie. Father’s Day)

popchips: TWITTER

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popchips: INSTAGRAM

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• 7.2K Followers• Posts are usually spread out a week apart, but

ranges depending on scheduled on-site activity (increased posting schedule during these events)

• Their content mix ranges from creative food tips, to holiday-themed posts, to live event coverage

• The interaction from their community is fairly low for their audience, concluding that their content isn’t resonating with their audience

• There is very little value on this channel, and the rate of interaction proves this

• Their creative, especially for their live events do not belong in an Instagram feed, as the instant gratification you need on Instagram comes through the stunning quality of the photo/image

• popchips floods their Instagram feed with poor quality iPhone images taken at charity events or pop-up promotions

• While intentions are strong, the content still needs to be executed effectively

popchips: INSTAGRAM

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popchips: YOUTUBE

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• 7.1M+ total video views (4.8K subscribed)• Their posting is also quite sparse; their last 16

videos uploaded were published over the span of three years

• In their more recent uploads, their attempts to be witty have fallen flat, with their holiday video only receiving 294 total views

• The rest of their more recent uploads are TV commercials being cross-promoted on social media, all with very little viewership and interaction

• One video series that has performed well is Katy Perry’s “Katy and the Popcats” short film, which received 1.2M streams

• The celebrity endorsements certainly helped popchips with their low engagement, and brought a great deal of visibility to their brand

• popchips also likes to feature the rest of their celebrity part-owners, which is great to leverage views from fans of said celebrities.

• Unfortunately, it’s not always clear that the content has strong relevance to the popchips brand, which kills the effectiveness

• They have a pop culture channel that features many household name celebrities featured in the videos, something where they highlight all instances where popchips appear in popular media

• This is effective in highlighting some videos that have clearly been successful, and generates more visibility to fans of popchips, hopefully leading some fans to continue to share this content

popchips: YOUTUBE

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popchips: PINTEREST

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• 1.5K Followers• popchips has pinned 719 times, but their posting has

been on hiatus since 26 weeks ago• The reason for stopping their content posting is likely

due to low engagement and lack of substantial audience growth

• Oreo executed a similar strategy to popchips, but Oreo’s brand equity is exponentially beyond that of a 7 year old company in popchips

• While popchips creatively put together some attractive food creations, Oreo’s creations bring value beyond the appeal for the food. They offer nostalgia as well

• popchips also tried to get creative by creating boards that were unified by the “pop” theme

• They created a board for “pop the question”, a board full of inspiring ways to propose. This seems clever, but does not necessarily hit the same demographic as popchips, which is an inefficient means of marketing your product

popchips: PINTEREST

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popchips: TAKEAWAYS

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• Out of the brands selected for this analysis, popchips has been the least effective in executing a social media strategy

• Their overarching strategy lacked a central theme, which brands like jetBlue (“You Above All” and Oreo (“Wonderfilled”) nailed on the head

• Key takeways to learn from:• Visual content is key, but good visual content is king

• The value in their content falls short because they fail to communicate strong value in their posts

• AT&T does a great job at this; They will post a picture with an AT&T compatible phone, and will tell you how much more convenient your life will be with this phone and network.

• There is a big difference between boasting about your product’s quality as opposed to telling someone how much better their lives will be with their product (selling you a better version of you)

• Their content themes were very one-dimensional, and didn’t show much diversity• It seems that they are mostly satisfied with simply posting content without having a specific

goal for what the content is supposed to achieve• When posting on social media, some content will get liked for basic-level gratification, it will

get feedback in comments for praise/criticism that you can use, or get shared and give your brand more visibility.

• A great deal of their content seems to end up in neither of these categories, and serves as a way to fill dead space

Charmin: OVERVIEW

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• Charmin is a Procter & Gamble-owned toilet paper brand

• Introduced in 1928 as Hoberg Paper Company, branded as Charmin for 21 years

• Company tagline: “Enjoy The Go”• As with jetBlue, their slogan will tie in nicely

with their content strategy• Facebook: 911K likes (6.9K talking about)• Twitter: 66.9K Followers• YouTube: 7K subscribers, 14.5M+ total video views• Google+: 228,720 Followers

Charmin: FACEBOOK

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• 911K Likes• Charmin posts about every 2-4 days on Facebook,

posting quality, entertaining rich media• Charmin is open to bathroom talk, and is often playful

with it to make their audience comfortable with being open about it too

• They love talking about how well they clean up. Not many toilet paper brands are open about the nature of their product, but Charmin executes this well, connecting well with the massive millennial and gen-Y demographics

• Their Father’s Day video represents their attitude towards the bathroom rituals well, taking colloquialisms like “dropping a log” and acting out these expressions literally

• They get great interaction and positive feedback on their product and on their posts, and Charmin reply to messages when deemed appropriate

• They had an app (that is still visible) that I wish was still available. You could prank a friend’s wall with Charmin toilet paper. A very awesome social experience, and an idea that has potential to go viral

Charmin: FACEBOOK

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Charmin: TWITTER

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• 66.9K Followers• Frequency of posts is about 3x per day• Charmin is very conversational on Twitter, and

replies to many tweets directed at them• They get praise often from their community for

putting out great social content on their feed, which they respond to with grace

• They will also embrace some of the “toilet humor” their community directs at them, and will often retweet and reply for the public to see

• RTed by @Charmin —> “.@Charmin Pushing hard with every fiber of my being to squeeze out a clean potty joke, but so far nothing's coming.”

• They also use a clever hashtag #tweetfromtheseat to start a worldwide conversation where everyone’s contribution is being sent from the toilet (not all content is “clean”, but it adds to the user’s personal experience and connection with the brand)

Charmin: TWITTER

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Charmin: YOUTUBE

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• 14.5M+ total video views (7K subscribed)• Charmin primarily uses this platform to

upload their TV commercials, but they also use it to host some original YouTube content

• The Charmin Relief Project content is very well done because they bring noble causes to the community, while still providing entertaining content as well.

• Due to the channel mainly hosting their television commercials on their channel, and many of them amassing a significant number of views, it’s safe to say that some videos are being used for pre-roll advertising

• Another great channel idea was “Charmin Potty Songs”, which playfully helps bring the conversation about going to the bathroom to the forefront with song.

• These songs are 30-second clips, they are hilarious, and would encourage many people to share these

Charmin: YOUTUBE

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Charmin: GOOGLE+

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Google+• 222.3K Followers• Content on Google+ is an aggregation of

content from all sources into one channel.• Posts get little interaction from a channel

that has over 222K followers• This channel is important for social media

marketers to continue to update because with Google being at the heart of the search engine market, these frequent posts will help the SEO of the brand with more content,

• Serving primarily as a business page, where the goal is to improve and sustain Charmin’s SEO

Charmin: GOOGLE+

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Charmin: TAKEAWAYS

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• While they are not doing incredibly unique things in terms of video content, their Facebook and Twitter is top notch, and are rewarded with great interaction

• Their brand voice is consistent throughout, but their social media and digital-exclusive content takes a little more liberties with their subtext to appeal to the more millennial and Gen-Y demographics

• While it is simply a toilet paper brand, a very mundane product, their marketing team has done a great job at making this particular product memorable with not only the classic Charmin bears, but with an innocent sense of humor about the nature of their product

• Once again, another company that is executing social media well is one that encourages two-way communication with their customers, and they do this very well on Facebook and Twitter

• The overarching goal of this brand was to enforce the “Enjoy The Go” messaging, which is an attitude and philosophy that comes across very clearly in their social media presence.

Report Summary

KEY TAKEAWAYS

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• Two-way engagement is priority #1• Depending on the nature of your business, there will be some element of customer service element to this

engagement on Social Media• Service-based consumer brands should be taking the same approach as AT&T and jetBlue, monitoring all

comments and feedback• Negative feedback and upset commenters are the ones that require the most attention. If brands ignore

them, it will be apparent that the customer is not appreciated or taken seriously• Set an objective for your social strategy

• jetBlue has a great slogan, “You Above All”, and Charmin has “Enjoy Your Go”. With clear, strong values representing their businesses, it is important for a social media team to make sure their content reflects this value.

• Social media isn’t about you… It’s about your community• Understood that selling a better version of your customer is more effective than selling a product. jetBlue does this

well, by advertising a better flight experience for their customers.• Rich Media wins every time

• … Except that it has to be quality rich media. A great social media post is like a great joke. It’s not that great if you really have to think about it.

• Create your own culture• Burberry did this amazingly. With everything they posted, they would accompany this with a stunning shot of

London, a swanky coffeeshop attached to Burberry’s flagship store, runway shows riddled with celebrities, or music from up and coming British stars. The culture is something that customers want to affiliate with, and something that helps define them

• One size does not fit all• Each social media platform has its own nuances, and it’s up to the social media manager to make sure that the

audiences on each platform will reach based on their expectations of the platform.• The ROI is trust, reliability, and identity

• More and more people are consuming media digitally these days, and if you make yourself absent here, you will fail to reach a significant portion of the market who use social media as their primary source for content.

THANK YOUAndrew Salmon

•• •• /andrewgsalmon

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