Integrated Marketing
Catmoji: A Social Media Network Dedicated to Cat Lovers
Over the past several years, industry specific networks and niche social media sites have been created in order to connect people who share the same passions and interests. Because the traditional social media sites like Facebook and Twitter often become noisy and overcrowded, industry specific sites allow users to dive into very specific topics without getting bombarded with off-topic posts (Chaney, 2013). For this week’s post, I will be exploring a new social networking site that is created by cat lovers for cat lovers.
“Cat ladies and men of the Internet: You no longer have to spend hours sifting through YouTube, Imgur, Lolcats, or Tumblr for your daily fix of kitty magic. Now, there’s Catmoji, a Pinterest-style social network solely dedicated to cat pictures, videos, and GIFs for the Internet’s, um, purrverts” (Chaey, 2013).
Who knew that there was a social media platform designed specifically for cat lovers? According to Catmoji’s founders, the site is a “catmunity” where users can share and express their love for cats through posts, videos, and photos. So I admit, I am one of these crazy people who spend my free time watching videos of kittens riding a Roomba. Upon discovering this site, I created an account and started exploring.
One thing about niche social media sites that may make target marketing easy for advertisers is the fact that everyone on the site has a common interest. The target audience for Catmoji is not really confined to a specific demographic group; if you love cats, you’re pretty much the in the target audience. Although the site is still in the beginning stages and doesn’t appear to have any advertisers, it would be very enticing for a cat food brand to want to purchase ad space on the site or create a featured post. After all, the majority of users on the site have at least one cat (some have a GOOD bit more then that!). I think this site could be utilized in combination with proximity marketing. Just imagine traveling by a store that sells specialty cat supplies and Catmoji notifies you when you’re in the vicinity. As a cat lover, I would want to go check out the store. If I was sent a coupon, say for 10% off my purchase, I would really be compelled to visit the store.
The first thing that stood out about Catmoji was the simplicity and usability of the site. After submitting and accepting a request to be added to the site, you are able to create your personal profile, which includes the basic information fields: name, email, username, profile picture, profile description and password. You can then choose your cat avatar and background photo. Similar to Pinterest and Twitter, you are shown several accounts that you can follow (just to get you started). After the basic setup process, you can proceed to view your social feed or create your own posts. In my opinion, the site most closely resembles Pinterest due to the sharing options. The site’s timeline feature, however, closely resembles Facebook.
As far as creating an integrated marketing strategy going forward, Catmoji can spread its arms into other social media sites like YouTube and Instagram in order to drive traffic back to their site. Contests can be created on Instagram and YouTube in order to generate awareness. I think that it would be a good idea to get cat product sponsors for these contests, such as Friskies or Tidy Cats, to not only provide prizes, but to raise awareness for the site.
Catmoji also incorporates social media sign-in options that allow users to sign-in using their existing Twitter or Facebook account. This is important because it shows that the creators of Catmoji understand that the site is not a replacement for the traditional social media sites, but a supplement. Catmoji is not competing with Facebook and Twitter. People use Catmoji for different reasons then they would other social media channels. In fact, Catmoji has a Facebook page that pushes users to sign-up for a Catmoji account. The marketing team for Catmoji is using it’s resources, which includes mostly traditional social media channels, to promote their site. Because of how passionate the audience is about the topic, I feel that Catmoji will be successful and can stand on its own. After all, where else can you see all the “crazy cat ladies” all in one place?
Sources:
Catmoji. (n.d.). Retrieved July 07, 2014, from http://catmoji.com/about/
Chaey, C. (2013, Janruary 04). CATMOJI IS A SOCIAL NETWORK FOR THE INTERNET’S MOST CAT-CRAZED. Retrieved July 07, 2014, from Fast Company: http://www.fastcompany.com/3004486/catmoji-social-network-internets-most-cat-crazed
Chaney, P. (2013, December 04). When It Comes to Social Network Marketing, Niche is the New Black. Retrieved July 07, 2014, from ClickZ: http://www.clickz.com/clickz/column/2316846/when-it-comes-to-social-network-marketing-niche-is-the-new-black
Fortune 500 Brands Make Social Media Count
Did you know that 77% of Fortune Magazine’s Fortune 500 companies are active on Twitter and 70% of them are active on Facebook (Gesenhues, 2013)? With social media becoming such an integral part of a company’s integrated marketing strategy, it’s hard to find a company that fails to have a social media presence. Most companies are dabbling in social media; who is getting it right and who is missing the mark? This week’s post will serve as my evaluation of the social media strategy for the following Fortune 500 companies: Target, General Electric, and Walgreens.
Target, one of America’s largest discount retailers, is known for staying in the forefront of consumer shopping trends. But does target stay abreast of social media trends and how does their involvement in social media impact their integrated marketing communications strategy? Today, Target is active on the following social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, YouTube, and Tumbler. With six separate social media channels, it may seem hard to keep up with various editorial calendars. From what I have seen on Target’s channels, however, there appears to be a seamless integration both between the social media channels, and within Target’s overall communications strategy. It is very obvious that the company takes an integrated marketing communications approach.
It is also very obvious that all messaging and images come from the same content and design team. Take a look at the following pieces of content that were posted on different social media channels. The same image and tagline was posted onto three of their channels. Approximately 60% of their content is repurposed from channel to channel. However, because posts are frequently made on each channel (approximately every 2-4 days) the posts don’t become stale and seem repetitive. Unless you’re actually looking for repeated posts (like I have been), it’s hard to find them within in mix.
Aside from the social media icons on Target.com, there really are not any mentions to other social media channels on any particular channel. The vast majority of the posts drive users to product landing pages Target.com. Because the company is so well-known, I don’t think it’s necessary to drive users back and forth on social media. Also, because some of the content is repeated, what need would Target have to cross promote channels?
I find it interesting that hashtags are not being used regularly on the channels. In the past month, Target’s Twitter page only had two posts that contained hashtags. The hashtags used were not specific to Target, but were cross promoting a product line that was soon coming to the store.
I think it is very important to note that even though there are several different social media channels being utilized, the messages are very consistent. The tone, manner, and voice of the posts are also very consistent with the overall Target brand. I would expect to see any of this messaging or graphics in a magazine ad, TV commercial, or banner ad.
Known as America’s largest drug retail chain, Walgreens was founded in Chicago in 1901. The company’s current advertising campaign is “At the Corner of Happy and Healthy”, which plays on the convenience of having your local Walgreens right around the corner and maintaining personal wellness. On the social media front, Walgreens is active on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Instagram, Foursquare and Pinterest. Interestingly enough, their website does not depict the Pinterest or Instagram social media icons. The icons are also pretty small and located at the bottom of the homepage. If Walgreens is trying to have a holistic integrated marketing strategy that encompasses all social media outlets, it is very hard to tell. Although their Facebook page seems to play a part in their overall strategy, their Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter accounts seem a little disconnected. The images, graphics, and messages are not consistent among channels. With Walgreens being such a retail giant, you would think that having an integrated marketing strategy would be important to the company.
Each channel varies in time between posts. On Instagram, the last post was made in May in contrast with Twitter and Facebook, where content is posted several times a day (#bewell is used often on Twitter). The majority of links in the posts drive traffic back to Walgreens.com. Just from looking at one of their channels, you’re unable to see if Walgreens is active in other social outlets; they don’t have any shared links between sites.
One thing that I’ve noticed is that Walgreens appears to be experiencing some rough waters on social media. On the various channels, customers are lashing out against the brand. Walgreens seems to be responding to a majority of the posts, but there is a lot of negativity on their pages. This is definitely not a good sign for the brand’s digital reputation. It doesn’t help the brand that there are a few typos in the posts as well (look at the hashtag).
Founded in 1889, General Electric (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate that focuses business on the following segments: Energy, Technology Infrastructure, Capital Finance, and Consumer/Industrial Products. Like Target, this Fortune 500 Company is heavily involved in social media channels including Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, YouTube, Google+, and LinkedIn. In line with their traditional advertising mediums, their social media posts inspire, educate, and entertain. Every GE social media post is very consistent with traditional advertising mediums, whether a TV commercial, subway banner, homepage images, or print advertisement. GE does a fantastic job with integrating social media into their overall marketing communications strategy.
The biggest theme associated with GE’s marketing is the use of imagery. These photos help tell the story of the company and generate interest. The images and content are fascinating (not to mention entertaining)! This is consistent on all social media channels. Many of the messages are repeated on the channels. On average, for each channel, posts are created every day (sometimes multiple times a day).
Popular hashtags, such as #tbt, are often used by GE on Twitter. One of the features that sets GE apart in social media is an integrated social media feed on their website. Regardless of channel, this feed displays the most recent posts all in one place. This is the first time that I have seen this level of social media integration. This allows users to share any of GE’s social content onto any channel. This is a fantastic idea; I believe that others will soon follow. Whether you are a GE customer or not, you want to follow their social media channels!
While Target and GE are doing a great job at implementing an integrated marketing strategy, Walgreens seems to need some help.
Here are some of the biggest points that we can learn from these Fourtune 500 brands:
- Consistent content is KING
- Consistent images/graphics are QUEEN
- Great integrated marketing plans integrate social media into their website as much as possible
- Share 2-4 times a week for optimum results
- Be careful to not make spelling errors in your posts
And ALWAYS, have fun and let your brand’s voice and personality shine!
Integrated Marketing Campaigns and Push/Pull Strategies: Tory Burch, Part 2
In last week’s post, I discussed how Tory Burch utilizes multiple marketing channels as part of their integrated communications strategy. This week, I am going to further analyze the mediums and details that make Tory Burch’s integrated marketing campaign successful.
The first topic that I’m going to dive into is how Tory Burch utilizes push and pull techniques. Push marketing occurs when the brand initiates a conversation with the customer. One of Tory Burch’s main elements to their integrated marketing strategy is e-blasts. These targeted emails are sent out several times each week to people who have signed up for an account on ToryBurch.com. Available in several different languages and in several different countries, these emails direct customers back to their website and blog. The Tory Blog is also a way in which the company utilizes RSS feed to distribute product information to customers. With new posts every week, the Tory Blog is a content hub that is used to drive customers to make purchases on the company’s website.
In contrast with push marketing, pull marketing occurs when the customer initiates a conversation with the brand. One of Tory Burch’s major pull techniques involves social media. In an interview, Miki Racine, marketing executive for social media at Tory Burch, describes the relationships that occur on social media: “[Social Media] is a live focus group because we can listen to our customers in the moment” (Socha, 2013). Social media is important to Tory Burch’s Integrated Marketing Strategy because it gives customers a voice and a direct line to Tory Burch. Customers create the conversation. Remember when I talked about FitBit partnering with Tory Burch? Several customers are reaching out to Tory Burch on social media for more information (as it was supposed to launch this spring). Interestingly enough, Tory Burch has not responded to any of the comments regarding the FitBit. Wonder why? I’m curious as well. It’s also not a good sign if Tory Burch is choosing not to respond to these customer posts.
In last week’s post, I also spent a good amount of time discussing the Tory Blog as it relates to the company’s overall Integrated Marketing Strategy. The blog is actually integrated into the company’s website. In my opinion, the blog is a great example of how a corporate blog should be. There is catchy content, social media widgets that link back to the specific social media channels, fresh images, and is mobile friendly. The blog, as well as the website, was developed using a platform that allows it to be responsive based on the device that customers are using. The layout is clean and the messaging is consistent with all of Tory Burch’s imagery and messaging strategies. Fresh, unique content is also available on all of Tory Burch’s social media channels. Messaging is specific to the platform, but is part of the overall Integrated Marketing Strategy.
Tory Burch also includes SEO as an important part in their marketing strategy. They sponsor Google Ads as well as pay for ads on social media. Another important feature on all of Tory Burch’s sites is the social media links. Regardless if you are on the blog or on the website, you have all of the available social media links right at your fingertips.
One suggestion that I would make to Tory Burch in order to increase the visibility and branding of their website and blog is to be more strategic when naming images using the alt tag function. Tory Burch has a lot of great images on their website and blog, but these images are not being crawled by GoogleBots to the extent that they should be. For example, instead of naming the image “Shop Swim”, they could name the image “New Tory Burch Swim Wear & Bathing Suit Collection”. Although many marketers don’t often think about alt tags (and often just leave it up to IT to name the image), it is increasingly important to consider as part of your SEO and overall Integrated Marketing Strategy.
Overall, Tory Burch is doing a really good job at implementing their Integrated Marketing Strategy. By utilizing a combination of both push and pull marketing techniques, they are effectively reaching their audience and growing their business. I learned a few lessons from studying Tory Burch’s strategies and hope to be able to use this knowledge to further develop the Integrated Marketing Strategy for my company.
Sources:
Ramos, L. (2012, March 12). Kate Spade Vs Tory Burch. Retrieved June 08, 2014, from Web Lift: http://www.weblift.com/blog.php?id=kate-spade-vs-tory-burch
Socha, M. (2013, July 17). Tory Burch’s Miki Racine Berardelli Talks Social Media. Retrieved June 08, 2014, from Women’s Wear Daily: http://www.wwd.com/media-news/digital/tory-burchs-miki-racine-berardelli-talks-social-media-7056028?navSection=package&navId=7056764
Integrated Marketing Campaigns, Multimedia Communications & Tory Burch
What is needed to create a successful integrated marketing campaign? How do you best reach out to your audience using multimedia communication techniques? Ask Tory Burch—this company seems to have all the answers.
According to the Tory Burch Facebook page, “Tory Burch is an American lifestyle brand that embodies the personal style and sensibility of its CEO and designer Tory Burch”. Founded in 2004, this brand is known for its colorful prints, cutting edge designs, and luxury materials. Tory Burch’s target market consists of “social media savvy women ages 20-40” (A Social Business Plan for the Tory Burch Foundation, 2012). Keeping the target audience in mind, Tory Burch’s marketing strategy consists of various multimedia communication channels including Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, Google+, and Tumblr), The Tory Blog, The Tory Burch App (in which 80% of users return to on a regular basis), and weekly e-blasts (Miller, 2013). Traditional communications mediums, such as commercials and print advertising, are rarely used by the brand. In an interview with Miki Berardelli, CMO of Tory Burch, he mentioned that the Tory Burch brand has, in the past, not had a very large marketing budget. They have needed to think strategically and create an integrated marketing plan that allowed them to achieve their goals while spending far less money than their competitors (Indvik, 2011).
Another way that Tory Burch is utilizing multimedia communications to reach customers is through cross promoting their brand with Fit Bit: “The fusion of fashion into technology will be an important part of the widespread adoption of wearable technologies, like Fitbit products” (Fitbit Partners with Tory Burch to Develop Fitbit Flex Accessories Collection, 2014). Tory Burch is creating a line of accessories centered on the Fitbit activity tracker. I think this a very strategic move for Tory Burch. Social media savvy women ages 20-40 that are interested in Tory Burch fashion may also be very interested in physical fitness. Also, if this group of women is able to spend $250 on a pair of shoes, they are most likely able to afford the Fitbit, which retails at around $100. Tory Burch is expanding their reach into the market and will be able to utilize Fitbit’s multimedia communications channels in addition to their own.
As Tory Burch continues to create integrated marketing strategies that incorporate various multimedia communication channels, I believe that the target audience will become further engaged with the brand. As a member of their specified target audience, I feel that their marketing strategy is very successful. I want to buy a new pair of shoes every time I see their e-blast or social media post!
Resources:
A Social Business Plan for the Tory Burch Foundation. (2012, May 03). Retrieved May 28, 2014, from Slideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/SeraMichael/team-tory-presentation2
Fitbit Partners with Tory Burch to Develop Fitbit Flex Accessories Collection. (2014, Janruary 07). Retrieved May 27, 2014, from Business Wire: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20140107005701/en/Fitbit-Partners-Tory-Burch-Develop-Fitbit-Flex#.U4Ybn3JdV8E
Indvik, L. (2011, November 26). How Digital Marketing Fueled Fashion Label Tory Burch’s Global Expansion. Retrieved May 28, 2014, from Mashable: http://mashable.com/2011/11/26/tory-burch-cmo-miki-berardelli/
Miller, G. (2013, October 18). Tory Burch’s Not-So-Secret Secret Weapon: The Customer Experience (and Technology). Retrieved May 28, 2014, from Upstream Commerce: http://upstreamcommerce.com/blog/2013/10/18/tory-burchs-not-so-secret-secret-weapon-customer-experience-and-technology
The Social Potter 