Coca-Cola Case Study

"Mar'Mar old friend, 

I know what you mean, 

A stack large as that is a sight to be seen."

On April 25, 2012, at the NAMA Oneshow, Dan Avenick, Director of Vending Strategy, and Douglas Busk, Mobile Brand Strategy, represented Coca-Cola in a presentation titled Consumer Engagement and Social Media. The two outlined (regarding social media) “4 ways to use it: Build brands, drive sales, improve customer service, and recruit talent.”

Coke partnered with ThisMoment to develop “Pantry”, a social marketing system which can help them share, re-use and distribute content across all social end points and devices.

At this year’s #SocialShakeUp, Coke’s Director of Digital Strategy and Content Neil Bedwell said “a brand’s job is to create meaning.” Coca-Cola’s meaning? Worldwide Happiness.  

I have no doubts that Coca-Cola is the best in the world at creating happiness through advertising. It’s hard not to be happy after watching all their innovative YouTube campaigns.They have done it for 100 years, and it looks like they will do it for 100 more.

My question is, why don’t more people share their stuff on Twitter? It’s just interesting to me to see a brand with several million followers and a presence in 206 countries get 8 RT’s. Two of the biggest social networks in the world, dominated by this brand’s target demographic, seem untapped on the surface.   

Perhaps Coca-Cola’s largest Social campaign to date was Expedition 206. In 2010 the brand used social media to choose three individuals who would travel the world, visiting 206 countries, taking photos, making videos, sending out updates on Twitter and Facebook, and connecting with individuals around the world. @x206 had a Twitter following of 1,391 at the time of this writing. Sure, people may have unfollowed, but for an international social media campaign this one was chalked up as a disappointment.

“Be share-worthy in everything you do.”

Wendy Clark (SVP of Integrated Marketing Communications and Capabilities at Coca-Cola)

Following their 70/20/10 liquid content strategy it is easier to understand why so much of their content is safe. 70% of content is low risk. 20% of content innovates off what works. 10% of your content is high risk ideas.

But safe is different than boring. Forget their statistics. Get on Coca-Cola’s Twitter page now. A good follow? Millions of fans, and most of their photos have RT and Favorite counts below 100, sometimes even in the single digits. Worse yet, the responses are minimal, the conversation isn't there, Coca-Cola isn't a beacon for happiness, they’re a beacon for…Cokes.  This was the same problem for their @x206 campaign, instead of showcasing the world’s happiness, the three individuals were the stars of the show.

What do you think about the social presence for a brand like Coke? For all I know they’re hitting every target they set and are wildly successful using the platforms. After all, they are a brand built by consumers. Maybe they are more focused on making people tweet about them organically. Whatever is going on, it’s interesting to see their Twitter page get the number of RT’s and responses it does for a brand of their stature.

Sources

http://www.coca-colacompany.com/stories/online-social-media-principles

http://www.cokesolutions.com/Vending/Pages/Site%20Pages/DetailedPage.aspx?

ArticleURL=/Vending/Pages/Articles/Vending%20News/SocialMediaItsApplicationforConsumerEngagementinVending.aspx&smallImage=yes&L2=Vending%20News

http://www.cokesolutions.com/BusinessSolutions/Documents/Social%20Media%20NAMA%20presentation_129798489050659207%5B1%5D.pdf

http://www.forbes.com/sites/siliconangle/2013/06/18/coca-cola-leveraing-social-to-drive-leadership-in-social-media-marketing/

https://twitter.com/CocaCola

http://postcards.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2012/10/17/coke-clark-facebook/

http://www.insidefacebook.com/2013/06/12/the-surprising-reason-why-coca-cola-is-not-the-no-1-brand-on-facebook/

Pleasant Surprise: Jos. A Bank (Discounts) vs. Men's Warehouse (Content)

Jos. A Bank vs. Men's Warehouse
Engage vs. Discounts

"What it is we say?
'Set the stage to Engage?'
The goals we set are reached by the kinda goo we mix,
The kinda goo that sticks, kinda goo that keeps us fresh.
Hey, I've wrong been wrong before,
Learn every day in this developing world.
The other day I'm learning,
Sunk on my couch,
I learned a little something that I felt I had to shout."

This semester we're doing our big project for the business school: Business Policy. Teams of 5 select a company, create a 5 year strategy with financial forecasts, and present it at a final presentation. Well, we choose Jos. A Bank, the Men's Retailer with the third highest margin in the industry. That's right, the "buy 1 get 8 free" retailer. Our competitor is Men's Warehouse. I didn't look into their Social Media presence until after we had built the whole presentation, finished the paper, and prepared to present. But, after finally digging in, what I found amazed me - and it shouldn't have. Turns out, Jos. A Bank sees 8x the interaction on Facebook as their main competitor Men's Warehouse, a competitor focused on younger markets. Their website sees 400k more monthly visitors than MW, with 5% of them coming from Facebook.

Take a quick look at each page. Considering all you've learned in SM, which page would you think is set to be more successful. Keep in mind, MW product line is targeted more towards the 18-25 market than ours:
https://www.facebook.com/Jos.A.Bank.Clothiers.Inc
https://www.facebook.com/MensWearhouse

Now, take a look at those PTAT numbers. MW is about .6% of total following while Jos. A Bank is hovering around 4%.

How? Duh: The discounts. The PTAT number includes people who have claimed an offer from the brand recently. Jos. A Bank's business model is marking up items and discounting them to entice customers. Even though they target an older demographic, they see more activity from college students. They are a natural fit for Social Media.

When I was starting a daily deal site for college students a few years ago all the research said that the #1 reason college students interact with brands is coupons. It was promising research for somebody starting a coupon site targeting college students and leveraging social features to tip the deal instead of x number of people needing to actually purchase the deal to activate it.

But, we do forget, and that stat didn't pop in my head for the entire semester, until I looked at the numbers.

Moral of the story: Consumers will be consumers. Saving money rules over talking with brands. I feel like this finding brings a little perspective. Sure, great creative engaging content can make a brand look less, well, brand-y, but at the end of the day consumers exchange cash for goods or services. If they can exchange less cash and get the same services, well, that's King, and social networks don't change it.

Note: Jos. A does have great content on their website, but it's not the focus of their social pages. The focus is their pages. If you're looking for really good timeless fashion advice for Men check out their Expert Advice pages.

Taco Bell! "Some are more funny, some are more stern..."

From Curatoria

"Some are more funny, 

Some are more Stern, 

There's a place for you all if you stand by your word." 

I love Taco Bell. 

I don't eat there much. 

On my way to the local Taco Bell, there's a McDonalds, a Five Guys, a Wendys, A cheesteak place, a Cosi, a delicious local sandwich shop, a Subway, a Dunkin' Donuts, and a Q-doba. 

Of the above listed, I go to the cheesesteak place the most. 

Convenience. 

Of the above listed, the only one I've ever interacted with on Social Media? Taco Bell. 

I've shared pictures from Taco Bell, I've commented on posts, I've retweeted content, I've retweeted content they've retweeted about their brand...from regular people...that I've never met. 

Think you have friends that live closer to a Taco Bell, with fewer options around them, that love the brand like I do, and are going there every 3 days because it's convenient and they love it? That's a Happy Meal. 

Taco Bell takes risks. They understand their customer base too well. 

They're not afraid to be creative, they're not afraid to be funny (surprisingly rare), they're not afraid to have a personality. 

How does Coca Cola have the following it does on Twitter (1.9 million) and not get more shares than Taco Bell (815,000)? 

"Taco Bell isn't a want, it's a need." 6k> RT

"Coca Cola is the MVP of the vending machine, if you think about it." 70 RT

Really?

Coca Cola is creative. They're funny (kindofnotreally).

Could it have something to do with talking? With responding?

Posting creative content is one thing. 

Responding on the go is another. 

We tweet. People tweet. They know how hard it is to be creative sometimes. They know your brand put a lot of thought into that tweet.

But the quick, quirky, consistently (kinda) funny response to their response?

Now that's confirmation. That's proof that you're worth engaging. 

Create. Listen. Create. Enjoy. Move on. 

All in the same voice. 

"What You Don't See, So Far From Your Home..."

From Curatoria 

"What you don't see,

So far from your home, 

Is transparency coming, 

and coming on strong." 

The #1 ranked worst charity in America: Kids Wish Network 

"Where dreams really do come true." 

Of the $127 million raised last year, just 2.5% went to direct cash aid. $110 million went to solicitors. 

I can see it in the meeting now: 

Boss: "We need to be on Social Media. Paul, start a Facebook page. Get on that Twitter, and Pin-thingy."

Paul: "Sure, what do you want me to post?" 

Boss: "The kids, Paul, the kids. Whatever the Make-A-Wish Foundation is doing, do that." 

Paul: "Ok, so we'll let people donate right there on the page. And, post pictures of kids everyday?" 

Boss: "Brilliant, ahh. Kids are gonna love this." 

For brands in full control of their perception on Facebook, and I mean tight control over how they present themselves, the end-product is almost always the post. 

Happy kids. Smiling faces. Dreams come true. 

Efficiency? Reality? Behind the scenes? 

Nah. 

The Facebook page for Kids Wish Network looks as though everything is running smoothly. 

Disney World, Taylor Swift, Green Bay Packers! 

If all you're trying to do is define your brand, you can do it. Decide what it is that defines a particular perception, and share it. 

Happy kids. Smiling Faces. Dreams come true. 

But...

If you're trying to improve efficiency, max out the return on your soliciting efforts, why lie? Why put on a mask?

You need help. You are struggling to hammer in the point of your existence: making dreams come true for children. 

But they won't use Social Media to improve, to keep donators informed, to be transparent and as a result create transparency between the funders and the children being given a dream. 

They won't use Social Media as a strategy. 

They'll use it as a defense mechanism. 

Happy Kids. Smiling Faces. Dreams come true. 

2.5% 

With transparency coming on strong, the future is bleak for those who be unveiled (to the masses) as inefficient mediums to achieving goals catalyzed by donations. 

Growth? Future? Awareness?

Good luck. 

From Popular to Pathetic to Popular Again

 Curatoria

Some of you are present on the planets of many, 

Others only invited to the planets of few, 

Not much awareness if there's none of Consuma.

To get where you want, 

The reach of a giant, 

Knock on some doors, 

Do not fear the knocking.

Girls do it.
Women do it.
Boys do it.
Men do it.

People want to be followed by more people than they follow. How many people happen to have 1 or 2 more in their followers than following?

Brands do it. They want to be popular too.

But, what if you're not popular? Should you look popular anyway? Do people pay for popular?

To build communities you first need to build awareness. To build awareness you to get in front of your customers. We were having trouble building a customer base from Pinterest. The owner of the business wanted to be popular. Fair enough.

"Let's follow only people that have created boards similar to the product you offer."

"You're not marketing, you've just followed a bunch of people. I'm having a hard time understanding what you're doing."

"I need access to the people first, the people passionate about the solution your products bring. To build a Pinterest page worth visiting we need to bring in the people that think it's worth contributing to."

Short term, this means not being popular.

Long term, it means your brand has a chance to become a beacon of the passion shared among many.

People see the beacon, the one your brand stands for, and come to it. As more come, the beacon gets brighter. As the beacon gets brighter, you become more popular.

Don't be afraid to sacrifice personal popularity in the name of community building.

People are out there spending time and effort curating boards and pages to solutions and results your products bring. They will not be mad if you let them know about how your products can help through beautiful pictures.

If you build it, they might come.

If they come, you better be gooey. 

Brand Perception on Facebook

 Curatoria

The Duck

"How they percieve you is of utmost importance, 

The perception remembered far into their future. 

Present yourself well, 

Appropriately, 

Present yourself well and your goal will be reached.

Do you want to be caring? do you want to be tough?

Dress for the occasion and influence thoughts."  

Here's a restaurant I managed while bussing tables. Doing big things with water pitchers. The restaurant had a great employee for Social Media. Kristen was funny, engaging, and creative. Plus, she was the day bartender. She had known the owners for years and been with the restaurant since the beginning. Better candidates can't be trained.

The restaurant was undergoing a re-branding process with its 2 sister restaurants. The Events and Catering business was (hopefully) going to blossom into the major source of income for the business. ConshyGirls was to be the cohesive brand for 3 successful restaurants in an up and coming business center just miles form a major international city.

The Facebook page was looking great. Ranked 100 in Restaurant/Cafe worldwide by Meltwater's Likealyzer. 

Problem was, Google Analytics showed just 12 page views coming from Facebook ever. Not good. Granted, the website presence wasn't very good, it was under construction and needed a makeover. Still, 12 isn't worth the effort. If they weren't going to the site, but were engaging on Facebook, the challenge was capitalizing on Facebook.

If Events and Catering was to be the superstar of the new brand, we had to get inquiries and information out on Facebook.

This is where ShortStack came in.

Check out the custom apps, inquiries going straight to our Events and Catering Manager, a custom tab for one of our bartenders with a funny, short video promotion an event, and a tab we made for the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in accordance with our ongoing partnership.

As Social Media Manager, if I couldn't bring people to the site, I had to focus my efforts on the perception the brand's pages give off until we had valuable site content to pull them towards.

With the help of Shortstack, Southern Cross now gives a behind the scenes look, an option to speak directly with our Events Manager, and all the information they need to get involved with a great cause.

Moving forward we have plans to integrate Facebook into promotions across new and beautiful websites. Until then, Southern Cross' brand perception is top notch compared to competitors.






Tools
Shortstack.com : Contests, Promotions, Tabs
Pagemodo.com : Contests, Promotions, Tabs
Picmonkey.com : image resizer (111 x 74) for Facebook Tabs

Pinterest Rich Pins

Monetizing an Intimate Community, While Keeping it Intimate: Pinterest Rich Pins

1 board with Rich Pins, 5 with rich content. 

Curatoria

The Green goo was coming, 

There was nothing they could do, 

Curites had to deal and the deal was coming soon. 

"Please, Duck, keep our planets happy, 

I don't want that green gooey shit being stinky."

The Duck listened, "Your wish is my command, 

You'll barely even notice this green helping hand. 

If you do want it, 

The product they stew, 

This green that I add will bring wants to fruition. 

To Consuma you'll go, 

With questions I'm sure, 

On Consuma you'll choose if it's the right choice for you."

Pinterest Rich Pins are possibly the most non-discrete, beautiful way to sell Social users on pricing. Complimentary Google Image Search for 40 million examples.  Rich Pins are relatively new, and can be tricky to setup if not technical.

I have a client running a passion-based business that's worried her marketing on Pinterest will annoy the community. "I love Pinterest, and I don't like being marketed to on there. Facebook it's ok, because people don't really care about it anymore." We talked, and she was ok adding the Rich Pins. They aren't too flashy and are only shown on 1 of her 6 boards.

Pinterest allows you to add the Pins 2 ways. 1) through oEmbed 2) through Semantic Markup. For the non-technical person, Semantic Markup is your choice, as it involves copying, pasting and a few extra clicks.

As with everything on Pinterest, setup is very simple.

What's not to simple is understanding the environment. Is it alienating my followers?

Here's my logic, and the e-commerce client with a passion for her community agreed.

We're not pushing prices down their throats. They clicked on a board we clearly defined as products. Once there, they continued to inquire about a product we sell by clicking on a picture of it. If they were satisfied with the large, pretty image, they could click out and continue to sift. However, we understand you have some interest in this product. After all, you inquired about it by clicking. No rush, but if you're interested this is the price and product information. You can get it just here on our site. It's just a soft whisper, a helping hand.

It's nice to humanize, but you are a business. People don't expect you to be human. You're there for a reason. Keep the wheel turning and make your time on the networks worth it for the service or product you need to sell to continue doing what you love to do.

Facebook's Offsite Pixel

Curatoria

Green Goo is given with a text and a twist, 

Targeting helps it to get a fine rest. 

Curites come in and embrace it with love, 

Back to consuma they go with their goo. 

 They give it to you and walk away happy, 

Green goo sent to you in a green gooey basket. 

The basket unique so you know where it's from, 

Proof that the planets bring gooey returns. 

Facebook Return On Investment Tool: Offsite Pixel

In Facebook's Power Editor, marketers can create conversion pixels to track how much money is being made from Facebook users.

Here's how it works:

1. You run a Facebook Ad. For a number of reasons, you customize the Ad to meet your liking. Images, text, custom targeting.

2. Facebook creates a conversion pixel for the Ad. You assign a value to the pixel, say $10.

3. You place the conversion pixel (a little bit of code) in the <head> tags of the order confirmation page.

4. When a user clicks through the Facebook Ad, purchases something, and lands on the confirmation page with the bit of code in the <head> tags, Facebook adds $10 to the Ads Campaign return.


More Help:
John Loomer
Social Media Examiner
John Loomer Tutorial Video

Why it's important:
http://allfacebook.com/return-on-investment-in-facebook-eludes-cmos_b32241