For the final class projects, we were fortunate to gain hands-on experience this quarter using Radian6, a leading social media monitoring and engagement platform. Working in teams, students selected a brand to monitor and three competitors (i.e., a peer group). As you will see from the Slideshare presentation links below, the brands selected by the class ranged from airlines, sandwich shops, and frozen yogurt chains to NFL quarterbacks and private U.S. universities.

• Potbelly's: Sandwich Shops

• Red Mango: Frozen Yogurt Chains

• TJ Maxx: Discount Clothing Retailers

• Southwest Airlines: Large U.S. Airlines

• Netflix: Online Video Providers

• Michael Vick: NFL Quarterbacks

• DePaul University: Private U.S. Universities

Using the Radian6 platform, the teams set up their topic profiles and then monitored the social media conversations of their brands and their competitors to gauge the volume, tone, and topics of these conversations; which social media channels and influencers were driving these conversations; and based on this information, what actionable insights and recommendations they uncovered for their brands in terms of future communication strategy, as well as other functions within the organization (i.e., customer service, HR, management, product R&D, etc.).

This was a great experience and we are thankful to Radian6 for the opportunity to participate in their Higher Education program (Gen and the community managers provide great support and ideas). I highly recommend the program for any instructor looking to provide their students with practical hands-on experience setting up and conducting a social media listening program (and to help give them an edge with internships/job opportunities!). 

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Professor Matt Ragas
mragas@depaul.edu
College of Communication
DePaul University

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I. Summary of the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project 2011

  Smirnoff is the world’s number-one selling premium alcohol according to Smirnoff. With that in mind, that means there are people all over the world drinking Smirnoff at different occasions, places, and times. Smirnoff began to wonder how people used their vodka in different parts of the world. What kind of drinks did people make with it? Where did they go to drink it? Were they celebrating? What was the occasion? What other activities did they do while they drank Smirnoff? To answer these questions, Smirnoff began the Nightlife Exchange Project in 2010. Most alcoholic drinks are drank during the night when people go out so the project focused on nightlife around the world. Consumers would post about their nightlife experiences with Smirnoff and then Smirnoff would take the most interesting and exciting answers to create 14 giant parties around the world. Each party would celebrate another countries nightlife and consumers would get a chance to experience Smirnoff through the perspective of people from another country. This project was so successful in 2010 that Smirnoff is doing it again in 2011, but taking it up a notch

  Smirnoff has asked consumers to go to their Facebook page and submit their posts about nightlife. The “Nightlife Exchange” section will prompt questions about music, places, dance, food, drinks, and more to get the best perspective of how you celebrate your nightlife. You are also able to see other people’s posts and you can even “like” your favorite ones. Smirnoff will again be hosting gigantic parties around the world and if you participated in exchanging your ideas on nightlife, you may win an invite to the party in your country. 

  One of the biggest trends that Smirnoff noticed from last year’s project and parties, was that dancing is something people love to do around the world. That is why this year, the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project is teaming up with Madonna to find her next backup dancer. Madonna is the Queen of the dance floor and a global icon, just like Smirnoff. People submit an entry video of themselves dancing on Smirnoff’s website and the finalist get to perform in front of Madonna at the culmination of the project on November 12, 2011. 

II. Critique of the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project 2011

  This is a completely original campaign and Smirnoff is doing an excellent job of executing it. Smirnoff is relying heavily on the digital world for this project to succeed and because of that, they are trying their best to utilize all of their tools. 

  Facebook is a heavy player in this project. Smirnoff is posting information about the project on there as well as providing all of the tools necessary to enter the project and see what it is about. I enjoy that you can see others’ posts and what they are doing with their nightlife. You are even able to get ideas of what Smirnoff and other global fans are doing in their region by clicking on their country in the “Around The World” section of  Smirnoff’s Facebook. You can get ideas for new recipies, where to go out, what to do, and even what to eat when you do go out. This is a really creative idea and Smirnoff is even pushing it on twitter. They are engaging with people and tweeting them back about their ideas and various tweets regarding Smirnoff. It’s excellent that Smirnoff is having an open dialogue with it’s fans and consumers rather than using these platforms as just a monologue where only Smirnoff provides information. 

     A critique I have for Smirnoff is that they did not take advantage of mobile marketing for this campaign. Since this campaigns was done before, they have an idea of places that are popular and fun all across the globe. Smirnoff could have teamed up with FourSquare and used check-ins at these places to provide tips about Smirnoff, the project, or even perhaps made a special badge. Smirnoff has all of this information about locations where people drink Smirnoff and they did not fully take advantage of it. I really think that FourSquare could have been used as a great push to get people to buy Smirnoff, participate in the project, and become more connected to their brand. 

  With that being said, I still think that this is a fascinating campaign. I am intrigued to see how the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project 2011 culmination will go this weekend when the exchange parties all over the world occur and Madonna picks her next backup dancer. 

For more information about the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project 2011, visit any of these websites:

http://www.smirnoff.com/en-us/

http://www.facebook.com/smirnoffus?sk=wall

http://twitter.com/#!/Smirnoff

http://www.youtube.com/user/Smirnoff

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=smirnoff&f=hp

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See the full gallery on Posterous

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In 2004, right after Valentine’s Day Mattell split up Barbie and Ken seven years. This past February was the celebration of Ken’s 50th anniversary and the launch of “Sweet Talkin’ Ken” on Valentine’s Day. Mattell created a social media marketing campaign to reunite Barbie and Ken by using social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, and Youtube. The website www.barbieandken.com was the main site for the campaign in which users could vote if Barbie should “take Ken back”. This site interacted with users as they could vote users the “Love-o-meter” and give their opinion if Barbie should take Ken back. Using social media outlets such as Twitter, Facebook, and Foursquare, users could follow Ken and his journey to win Barbie back. Barbie’s Facebook and Twitter page would have updates from Barbie(@Barbiestyle) about the different things Ken (@OfficalKen) would to do try and get her back and ask followers advice as to what she should do.

 

"I think @http://twitter.com/BarbieStyle">BarbieStyle and I are perfect for each other. If you do too, vote YES for her to take me back!"

 

"So. Confused. Need to make my mind up already! Yes or no, do I get back together with @http://twitter.com/OfficialKen">OfficialKen?"

 

Not only did this campaign use social media, but before Valentine’s Day, Mattell released billboards in NYC and LA and a 2 page spread in US weekly with “Barbie I Want You Back- Ken” slogan on advertisements. A bakery in NYC also featured a Barbie Valentines Cupcake. Barbie then featured the cupcakes on her Facebook to show all her followers. Mattell also partnered with Dylan’s Candy Bar which featured Barbie and Ken candy and advertisements. Barbie’s YouTube page was also created where a video was posted showing Ken creating a match.com account to find the special one, Barbie. This campaign lasted from January to February 14th and Barbie’s Facebook page had a 34% increase of fans and 200% increase of interaction with users. On Febuary 14th #BarbieandKen was a trending topic in 15 cities, including Chicago. 

 

Critique of Barbie and Ken Campaign:

 

 Mattell did an excellent job in bringing Barbie back to life through the Barbie and Ken campaign. Barbie for the past seven years and has had no engagement with their fans, and Mattell needed something to bring Barbie lovers together. Barbie and Ken’s Facebook, Twitter, and Foursquare allowed for users to see what Ken was trying to do to win Barbie back and also allow users to respond to Barbie if whether or not she should get back with Ken.Barbie’s twitpic of the US weekly allowed for users to comment and interact with other followers, and Barbie.

 The barbieandken.com website was a great way to allow users to interact and vote if they wanted Barbie and Ken to reunite on Valentine’s Day. This was a creative way to see Ken’s “grand gestures” and link users to Barbie and Ken’s Twitter, Facebook, and Foursquare. The Foursquare account also allowed for the public to follow where Ken was checking in, such as the bakery shop for Barbie’s cupcakes. This was a unique way to let users see where "Ken" was going to try and get Barbie back. I think the social media coordinators for this campaign could have created a special deal for anyone who checked into the bakery to buy the Barbie cupcakes. 

 

 Barbie and Ken now share a Facebook and Twitter page since they have been reunited. I think that Ken should have remained a separate Facebook and Twitter page so that users could tweet and comment to Ken's handle. Barbie and Ken 2,699,026 people who “like” the Facebook page, 83,087 followers on Twitter, and 6,287 subscribers on Youtube. Twitter and Facebook are updated daily by “Barbie” or “Ken” and respond to comments. Overall, this campaign has helped sustain engagement with Barbie and Ken followers and allowed for users to follow a fun and engaging social media campaign in which Ken was trying to get back Barbie.

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The Mountain Dew “Rank Up Your Game” promotion began October 10 and runs through December 31.  The “Game Fuel” promotion allows players to earn extra experience points (XP) and bonuses in the new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. 

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Summary of Heinz’s “Our Turn to Serve” campaign

 Heinz Ketchup has teamed up with the USO and the Wounded Warriors Project (WWP) to honor U.S. troops and veterans by sending them digital “thank you” cards. With Veterans Day just over a week away, the “Our Turn To Serve” campaign was created as a means to raise funds to support the WWP’s cause, which is to aid injured service members, and to show appreciation for our soldiers. The USO will send out each note to a veteran or soldier to commemorate the holiday. The campaign started in late October and will run until November 11.

The promotion began in restaurants across America, as 20-ounce bottles were distributed to select eateries, displaying a “Support our troops” message on the labels. The backs of the bottles contained a QR code that, when scanned with a smartphone, would allow customers to write a “thank you” note to men and women in the military. The Heinz Facebook page is the central feature of the campaign because it requires more interaction with the brand to help the charitable cause. On the company Facebook page, “Our Turn To Serve” has its own tab on the sidebar and is the first thing someone sees when visiting the page. There, Heinz encourages visitors to “Like” Heinz Ketchup and/or send a “Thank You” postcard to donate money. For every “Like” Heinz receives, and for every “Thank You” note sent, Heinz will donate 57 cents to the WWP. The Facebook page also provides a link to the WWP’s website where people can make their own donations to the organization.

 When you click the link to the campaign’s website or to the digital “Thank You,” you are essentially led to the same site that has a similar setup to the Heinz Facebook page. By clicking the “Thank You” note button on that page, you are guided through a simple three-step process. First you must select a design for your postcard, then you create the actual message you want to send, which has a 200-character limit. The third step lets you preview your message and gives you a chance to have the USO send the note any veteran or you can choose to send it to someone you know.

 Apart from the digital “Thank You” opportunity, Heinz has also begun to sell special-edition bottles through major grocery chains that contain the “Support Our Troops” labels. The bottles also encourage consumers to visit the company’s Facebook page and the WWP site. Heinz’s Twitter page does not seem to place much focus on the campaign as of right now, but it did provide a link to the “Thank You” postcard website in one recent tweet.

 Heinz plans to donate up to $200,000 to the WWP from the funds raised by Facebook “Likes” alone, but in total, it will donate more than $300,000 to the nonpartisan organization. Heinz said that the company has a long history of helping veterans and soldiers, having converted its plant during WWII to produce parts for planes.

 Critique of “Our Turn To Serve” campaign

 I think that the main idea behind the campaign is fantastic. It gives people a chance to thank U.S. troops and veterans for the great service they do to our country in a manner that is almost too simple to reject. Converting Facebook “Likes” to donations is an affective way to get people to interact with the Heinz brand for a great cause. The thought of having a “Like” benefit something else besides the company itself has appealed to many people, which is evident in the positive feedback Heinz has received on Facebook.

 I also thought that the use of QR codes on ketchup bottles was very unique because it focused on the charitable cause while still promoting Heinz’s association with WWP. I noticed that fans like to post pictures of the special-edition bottles on Facebook. I think that Heinz should encourage people, either through Facebook or Twitter, to send pictures of the ketchup bottles that contain the QR code and campaign message as a way to create more engagement. It is a minor tactic, but it could be a good way to keep fans involved.

 Heinz is doing good a job of maintaining communication with fans and concerned consumers on Facebook. Looking through previous posts, it is clear that someone is monitoring the sentiment of fans on the page, as Heinz is quick to respond to people with issues concerning its products. Fans have been providing excellent feedback on the “Our Turn To Serve” campaign, but Heinz has only put up about two posts that address it. The campaign is very much present on Facebook, but I think that Heinz would benefit from reminding fans to inform their friends of the campaign or to send a “Thank You” postcard while they still have time.

 Heinz has also done well with keeping its Twitter page updated, tweeting at least once a day. Again, I must commend the person(s) in charge of the company’s social media because they provide timely customer service assistance. My only issue with their Twitter handle is that it has only mentioned the campaign once, so far. I think that Heinz should consider creating a separate Twitter page for “Our Turn To Serve” to devote more time and effort to raising awareness. I think that Heinz could reach more people via Twitter that would be willing to “Like” it on Facebook and make a donation to the WWP. A separate Twitter account would also allow Heinz to separate this campaign from the launch of its new Balsamic Vinegar ketchup. A lot of the tweets and Facebook posts from fans involve their interest in the new product, which could take some focus off of the campaign.

 The Heinz website makes it easy to find information about the campaign under “Promotions,” which is a plus. The website dedicated to “Our Turn To Serve” is very simple and straightforward, but in this case, I think it works because it facilitates the process of creating “Thank You” messages and getting additional information. As for YouTube presence, Heinz does not have its own channel. I think it should consider, possibly for next year, making a video promoting the campaign and making it available on YouTube. I think it would get a good response from viewers and could result in additional sharing via Facebook, Twitter, etc. More exposure can only help the campaign.

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Summary:

The ALDO Group is a Canadian corporation that operates an international chain of shoe and accessory stores.  Their “Shoes for Life” campaign for Fall 2011 is the first of its kind for the company, which usually does not advertise commercially.  The campaign surrounds ALDO’s 2011 fall/winter line of footwear for men and women, with the theme of the season being “Get Lucky.”  The campaign is casino themed, and invites customers to play three separate interactive games online (entitled “Rockin’ Roulette, Spin & Win, and “Magic Hat Trick”), with the chance to win 2 free pairs of ALDO shoes per year - for the next 25 years (hence the “Shoes for Life” title).  When a player wins all three games, the player automatically receives a coupon to save 15% on an ALDO purchase, and their name is entered into the drawing for the “Shoes for Life” winner.  The three games are completely chance-based, with the player needing to choose a “lucky shoe” from the fall/winter 2011 collection.  The campaign has its own website, which provides a richly interactive and visually pleasing experience for the viewer.  The brand’s Facebook page has an easy-to-spot link to the campaign website.  The company’s twitter, however, pays little mention to the campaign.

Critique:

As far as positive critique is concerned, I believe that this campaign is an excellent way to advertise the fall/winter 2011 collection, because the actual product is heavily incorporated into the content.  When playing the games, the entire footwear collection is literally passing before the player’s eyes, and the advertising is seamlessly blended into the experience.  Sometimes, I notice that campaigns like this fail to adequately incorporate the product.  Therefore, I believe that this is an area in which ALDO has excelled.  Also, the brand has an excellent engagement level on their social media sites.  Their Facebook page encourages users to upload pictures of their ALDO shoes to the page’s wall, and the ALDO account always comments on the content promptly.  The brand’s twitter is also expertly monitored, with several tweets per hour that engage and respond to customers.  As far as customer service is concerned, the brand is definitely capitalizing on social media to connect with customers and address any concerns or questions.  Finally, this campaign has been running since early September, which means that the brand has avoided the mistake that a great deal of company’s make when they launch a campaign that is far too short to actually pick up steam. 

It is important to note that this is ALDO’s first attempt at an interactive experience, which means that there are many things that they can improve.  First, there is a lack of adequate integration between their social media sites and the campaign site.  As I stated earlier, the actual campaign site is a completely different URL than the company’s official website, which can make it difficult to find if unaware of the campaign.  While a link to the site is provided on the brand’s facebook page, there is a lack of campaign promotion through the brand’s status updates and wall content.  Also, the brand’s twitter page does not mention the campaign. Since the campaign has it’s own website that is separate from the company’s official website, I believe that it would be fitting for the campaign to have it’s own twitter account that could be easily located from the company’s official twitter.  Also, I believe that the campaign has the potential to make better use of social media.  ALDO could have included a foursquare element, with special promotions available to customers who check into the “Lucky” ALDO store (which would change intermittently).  Also, an iPhone App would have been useful for making these games portable.     

Overall, I believe that this campaign was a good effort for the company’s first step into this type of advertising - and it is the advertising itself that I feel is the strongest element of the campaign.  The product is seamlessly showcased through the content of the websites, allowing customers to engage with the new shoe collection.  This makes for excellent promotion of the merchandise – which, ultimately, is the objective of this type of campaign.  

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Summary:

Toms Shoes is a nonprofit company founded in 2006 by young entrepreneur, Blake Mycoskie after coming home to the United States after a trip to Argentina. On his trip, he found that many children had no shoes to protect their feet. With every pair of shoes sold, a pair is given to a child in need. The company name “TOMS”, comes from the word tomorrow meaning, shoes for tomorrow. The canvas and cotton fabric shoes are made completely out of recycled materials, and have rubber soles. They even manufacture several vegan styles as well. Today, over 1,000,000 pairs of shoes in more than 20 countries have been given to children under the One for One movement.  TOMS are sold at over 500 stores nationwide and internationally.

In 2011, TOMS began selling eyewear with the same one for one concept. For every pair of sunglasses sold, a child in need will receive either prescription glasses, medical care, or sight-saving surgery. The company survival and growth relies on social media. The One Day Without Shoes and One for One Eyewear campaign are both social movements that are based on word of mouth and taking action. If you go to TOMS’ website, you are easily able to connect with their facebook page, Twitter handle, Youtube videos, and blog. The website is very user friendly and has a huge consumer interest. If you click on “Our Movement” page, you are given the option to share your TOMS story, where many users post pictures and stories about how they wear their TOMS and how they have helped someone in need, or their feelings on going shoeless for a day. You can also “Screen” the TOMS documentary, upload your TOMS pictures, and easily register for the One Day Without Shoes.

The company is very active on their facebook page. With over 1,00,000 likes, TOMS continues to update posts and asks people to put up their pictures of how they wear their TOMS, similar to the website. They also show a list of events that are taking place around the world, and how you can get involved. The latest campaign Movember, for men’s health, offers limited edition styles of TOMS to support the Movember Foundation. On their Twitter page, TOMS has a large group of 896,892 followers, and they often reply to their supporters.

Critique:

TOMS seems to be doing a great job with respects to social media however, I think that they could take it even further. In 2009, TOMS started a Vagabond Tour, sponsored by the Dave Matthews Band, to promote their One Day Without Shoes Campaign where Mycoskie and volunteers went to college campus around the U.S. to create awareness as well as hype about the movement. I believe young college students to be their target market for this social movement. With the One for One campaign, TOMS should make an effort to go to more college campuses.

Because education is such a large part of the movement, TOMS should take advantage of social media for its next One Day Without Shoes Campaign. Although they already upload photos and share stories via the website and facebook page, they should take it a step further and have a Twitter-chat for people who choose to partake in the campaign so that they can talk about it with others. They could break it up by geographic locations so that supporters not only upload pictures, but they can actually talk to other people around the world who participated. 

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Summary of  “Birding the Net”

Birding the Net is the National Audubon Society’s recent, social media campaign. It provides audiences, both new and old, with an opportunity to participate in bird watching . . . digital style. The campaign’s goal is to cultivate an interest in bird watching and create an awareness of Audubon’s many conservation, restoration, and education projects through this virtual bird watching game.  Prizes are offered to winners, including a trip to the Galapagos Islands. The campaign runs from October 10 through November 7, 2011. 

This campaign has been blessed by the goodwill of many. Jeff Goodby, co-founder and co-chairman of Goodby, Silverstein and Partners and a National Audubon supporter, is the mastermind behind the campaign.  The agency donated their time to develop and launch this campaign.  Other partners, such as Canon and Nikon donated prizes valued at over $25,000, and ad space was donated from over 100 major websites, valued at over $700,000.

The National Audubon Foundation coordinated the launch of this promotion with the release of the film, “The Big Year,” starring Steve Martin, Jack Black, and Owen Wilson.  This comedy, about three men in a bird-watching competition, opened in theaters on October 14.   An interview of “The Big Year” cast was conducted by Audubon CEO David Yarnold and is posted on Audubon’s YouTube channel.

To play the game, you must go to the "Birding the Net" Facebook page and “like” Birding the Net. You will then be taken to the "Birding the Net" app.  Now it’s time to find some birds!  There are over 30 species of birds, which are located on over 100 websites. Hints and links for websites that have the birds and bird cards can be obtained by following two guide birds on Twitter, @rufhummingbird, and @floridayscrubjay.  When you see a bird, simply click on it to collect the card.  The cards are multi-media and contain information about the species, audio clips of their song, and images.  The Facebook app automatically collects your cards and tracks your progress.  You can spot the same species more than once to acquire extra cards to trade with friends.  This trading is also easily manged through the Facebook app.

If this is not enough digital saturation, you can even get a virtual birdhouse to install on your website or blog from the Facebook app.  Simply select a birdhouse, enter the URL for your website, select the points where the birds land, and a script will be generated to add to your websites code, placing the birdhouse on your webpage.  You will have birds landing on your page in no time. 

Critique of “Birding the Net”

This campaign has done a great job integrating Facebook and Twitter, as well as utilizing YouTube.  “Birding the Net” is played via a Facebook app, but the clues for spotting birds and collecting cards are tweeted through two designated Twitter handles.  A video tutorial for how to play “Birding the Net” is posted on the National Audubon Society YouTube channel.  A brief promo clip of the campaign and the interview of cast of "The Big Year" are also available on this channel.

This campaign is perfect for generating conversation about Audubon and bird watching.  Tweets and Facebook posts are an efficient way to reach new audiences.  “Birding the Net” is estimated to have reached 5,000-10,000 players.

However, I was disappointed to discover that the “Learn More” icon below “The Big Year” ad on the Audubon website does not link to more information about the movie, but instead takes you to an Audubon membership website.  I think this cheapens an otherwise classy campaign. There are plenty of ways to integrate membership opportunities.  It immediately felt deceptive to me; so much so, that I even questioned that it may have been a website error.

Audubon has a sponsored Google ad for “Birding the Net” that directs to the Facebook app site.  I would have preferred the link to go to the Audubon splash site, which has much more visual appeal and easily links to the Facebook app site.  If they are going to spend the money for a paid ad, it should link to a page with a strong visual presence.

For a campaign that has such a well-designed digital aspect, the rest of it really missed the mark.  The campaign is far to short, at less than a month. For a campaign that has such potential to grow through social networking, it is ashamed not to capitalize on that opportunity. 

Audubon is very late promoting it.  It took 7 months to design the digital portion of this campaign; plans for campaign awareness should have been ready to go at the launch.  They just released an “Angry Birds” fans challenge on October 28.  This should have been released prior to or simultaneous with the campaign’s launch.  How many "Angry Birds" fans do they think they can reach in 10 days?  Those fans will just get rollng with the game as the promotion ends.  Another press release was published October 26, recognizing the supporters of the campaign. Considering that the campaign ends November 7, this seems ridiculous. 

The quality of the work is also inconsistent.  While the birding portion is state of the art, the quality of the YouTube videos, especially the "How to Play" tutorial is very amateur looking, and lacks clarity.

My overall opinion of this campaign is that is was a missed opportunity.  They had a great idea, and generous contributions, but they dropped the ball short of a successful campaign.   

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Summary
Chevrolet, a subsidiary of General Motors has recently launched a multi-tiered campaign this month to debut its new compact, the Chevy Sonic. Chevrolet took the launching of the Sonic quite literally by prompting the 2800 lb car to bungie jump off a 160 foot tower of shipping containers. The stunt was put together by Goodby Silverstein and Partners. Every time a visitor clicked on Chevy’s LetsDoThis website, the car would move a bit closer to the edge. 2.4 million clicks later, as you can see in the link below the car was launched off the tower.

http://mashable.com/2011/10/21/2-4m-web-clicks-prompt-chevy-sonic-to-bungee-j...

The premise of the “Let’s Do This” campaign is based on the idea of trying new things. The objective of the campaign is to engage 18-to-30 year olds through things like digital games, music, social-media and other things of interest to Millenials in order to emphasize that being economical and being fun are not mutually exclusive benefits. According to Matthew Scarlett, national advertising and sales promotion manager at Chevrolet "People of that age range are all about
discovering new things; they have a different mindset; they aren't afraid to take chances." To reach this target audience they developed an interactive social-media game that can be accessed thru both the LetsDoThis website and their official Facebook page. In order to participate in the game, users will need to document themselves doing various activities like working out in a grocery store or donating blood dressed like a vampire. Following their activity, participants would then share what they’ve just done on the “Let’s Do This” site or via the mobile app, thereby accumulating points and earning badges in order to potentially win a Sonic of their own. The campaign also has a mobile application component, “The Chevy Sonic Adventure,” on SCVGR (a location based program similar to foursquare, but tailored to location based activities), where players will use their phone to participate in races across the country. Beyond these promotions, Chevy has engaged in multiple digital partnerships as well. Pandora will offer custom mobile playlists tailored to the “Let’s Do This” badging system. Chevy Sonic will also be the exclusive advertiser when its target Pandora listener of 18 and older creates a station on their mobile device. The Sonic will also be featured in two “Funny or Die” short videos launching on Nov. 1 and 15. Beyond their online endeavors, Chevrolet is also “partnering with a well-known street artist and the Deep Local robotic engineers of Nike Chalk-Bot to build a robotic Sonic that will show up in major markets and create graffiti murals with serpentine robotic arms emerging from the car. All of that will happen on Google street view, another Sonic first," says Scarlett. There will also be a product integration program with “Conan,” the Spike TV Video Game Awards, and a partnership with Live Nation.

Critique
Overall I predict that this campaign will prove to be a huge success for Chevy. This campaign is very similar to Ford’s Fiesta campaign, which was probably the first campaign by a car manufacturer to utilize digital media exclusively to their benefit. This campaign did a great job of engaging its target demographic from all digital fronts, but I particularly applaud their use of the mobile apps. Having a Facebook page and website is a given for any decent campaign nowadays, but for them to create a location-based mobile app that actively engages the user is the direction advertising is heading. Being a Millenial myself I can say firsthand that creating these extreme stunt videos and partnering with “Funny or Die” is a great way to catch the attention of my generation. Although if I had anything I would like to improve about the campaign, it would be to create a larger presence on Twitter.

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Summary of Toyota’s “The Camry Effect” Campaign.

In honor of their 30-year anniversary of the Toyota Camry, Toyota created a campaign that allowed them to interact with their consumers. The campaign, called The Camry Effect, has the consumers tell their story about an experience they had in a Camry—whether it is a first kiss, family camping trip, or first speeding ticket—they want to know special moments and milestones their consumers have experienced. Toyota wants to see how one car has influenced millions of people’s lives. Their primary means of creating buzz is through their viral video, which plays as a commercial on websites such as Hulu, YouTube, and even as an ad on several video streaming websites. Another media that Toyota placed this campaign on is major syndicated television shows such as Two and a Half Men, Modern Family, and sport channels during major games in order to increase their reach as well as create an impression on as many different groups of people as possible.

As a symbol of the average American’s life, they are asking consumers to explain how something as basic as a car has become such a large part of American culture. Their website is inviting with a playful appeal; they list Camry facts, effects to date, links to Twitter, Facebook, and their YouTube page, and three different options for consumers to choose from: What’s the Effect, Create Your Effect, and Explore the Effect. When you are exploring the effect, you can click on several different bubbles—Camry Pride, Dependability, Longevity, Great Drives, Life Times, Road Trips, Memorable Moments, Customization, Connections, and Nascar, and it lists the number of entries per category, as well as allow you to read about the different effects Camry has had on the lives of many. They have a general Toyota Facebook page and Twitter account; both of which are active but are not centered on the campaign.

 The campaign aims as reaching a wide audience by listing a variety of experience one could have had with their Camry varying from college road trips, first kisses, first cars, tailgate parties, soccer practices, job interviews, etc. The Toyota Camry campaign helps create a dialogue between consumer and company in a matter that is both appealing and tasteful. Toyota created a user-friendly platform where the users share their feelings, and can share content they create. Toyota is hoping that through this campaign, brand loyal consumers will choose Camry as their next car purchase and hopefully convince other consumers to do that follow suit.

 

Critique of Toyota’s “The Camry Effect” Campaign.

Although Toyota has a Facebook page and a Twitter account, their Facebook page has more than one campaign going on per vehicle and their annual “Halftime Handoff” campaign. Additionally, with only 588,729 followers, Toyota has a moderate presence on Facebook, but could be significantly stronger for the size of their brand. One thing Toyota is doing great is their Facebook navigation.  It opens to a welcome page that introduces their current campaigns, news, sponsors, their new cars, their most recent tweets from Toyota, videos from their YouTube account, and their autobiography.

 

On their Twitter page, they do not mention the campaign even though Twitter would be a great way to connect with their audience and hear the stories they are asking for.  They do not have a strong enough Twitter presence as 68,800 followers is minor compared to other brands.

One thing that Toyota did well with their “Camry Effect” campaign is their reach; Toyota successfully planted their campaign on Hulu on the most popular shows according to Hulu; on Facebook; and several main web pages such as MSN and Yahoo. The websites visuals are appealing; it incorporates national landmarks with a “pixar-esque” style. The colors draw the viewers in and its format is easy to follow. Their website is also interactive, complete with scrolling facts, the number of entries, and several options. Their easy-to-navigate page has links to all their important sites—Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Toyota can improve their campaign by publicizing it on the Toyota Twitter account and offer incentives for those who participate. Additionally, on their homepage they do not display the campaign large enough for people to truly notice the banner advertisement for the campaign on the bottom corner of their page.

 

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Summary of Budweiser’s Campaigns

            After researching Budweiser’s use of social media tools and services for public relations purposes, I found they take full advantage of their Facebook site.  When looking at Budweiser’s website, you can choose from a few options.  One lets users create a Facebook event through their Happy Hour App.  It then allows you to choose from friends to invite and pick a place to hold the event.  After that, the event is immediately sent out and visible on Facebook.  When someone sees an event created, Budweiser instantly gets advertised.  When I went onto Budweiser’s official fan page on Facebook, there were even more options to choose from. There is the “Band of Buds”  event which gives fans a chance to gather a group of friends to compete to win a trip to Vegas and win $100,000.  When the group is created through Facebook, they must use their friends to get the most votes and “likes” by posting videos of their nights out creating challenges or games.  The top point earners will proceed to the semi-finals, then finals after that held in Vegas.  There are a lot of posts by team members on Budweiser’s wall.  This helped to show me that people are interested enough to check up on other team’s statuses in the contest.  There is a promotional “52 Weeks to Win” contest where fans are entered simply by “liking” the Budweiser page.  Every Friday, there are different giveaways selected at random. The last campaign I saw was the “Here’s to the Heroes” fundraiser for the organization Folds of Honor. It reads, “Help us honor America's Armed Forces with a salute at every game this year.”  Budweiser teamed up with the MLB to help support and donate to this organization.  They agreed to donate $100 dollars every time a home run was hit during a major league baseball game. I felt as though this may be the most successful way to create brand awareness.  Fans of the MLB will recognize Budweiser’s brand. It shows that the brand is willing to help donate money for a good cause. 

I also looked at Bud Light's Facebook fan page and saw it had even more followers than Budweiser's page.  It targets a younger crowd which may explain why there are more Facebook users interested. "Bud Light Fan Camp" allows users to make a team of four and compete in traditional and non-traditional NFL skills tests with a "Bud Light twist." The winners then get to compete in the 2012 Pro Bowl in Hawaii for the chance to win prizes.  The videos available from the site give much more of an explanation than Budweiser's "Band of Buds" campaign. It allows viewers to see how interactive the brand is with its fans.  

Critique of Budweiser’s Campaigns

                While I saw how Budweiser made effective use of the social media tool, Facebook, I was surprised to see there wasn’t an official Twitter page.  The closest to it was their @BudColumbus page.  It did give a few updates about the events posted on Twitter, but was coming from their brewery held in Columbus.  Their Facebook site allows for tons of interaction between users and shows many opportunities for fans of the company.  Budweiser, being one of the highest selling beer companies should definitely be active on Twitter and foursquare.  They would be able to give the same updates from Facebook for those that only have a Twitter page. For example, if a user “retweeted” or mentions Budweiser, they could receive some sort of discount or promotion. They could allow check-ins at Anheuser Busch breweries around the country through Foursquare and offer discounts or contests to those who do.  Their Facebook page could also give a little more explanation and notice of their events through videos. The one shown did not seem useful as an explanation.  Their campaign proves to be successful from seeing the amount of money given to the Folds of Honor organization alone. With over a million “likes” and fans on Facebook, this proves how popular the brand is on its own.  The campaign helps to get a lot of attention towards the brand but needs to bring more attention to the campaign itself. If I hadn’t checked their Facebook page, I may have never known Budweiser had all of these events and promotions.  While Budweiser teamed up with the MLB, Bud Light chose to with the NFL. Advertising then comes from two very well-known and popular brands. It makes a lot of sense seeing as people think beer and sports go hand in hand. From both campaigns, Budweiser is definitely making use of Facebook in a positive way.

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"How do you like your coffee?"


Summary of Seattle's Best Coffee 'Level System'

Being as straightforward as can be, Seattle’s Best Coffee’s ‘Level System’ gives the "Average Joe" the opportunity to select the right coffee that best provides for their needs using numbers instead of fancy names. ‘Level System’ comes with a selection of blends from a bright, crisp Level 1 to a bold, dark and intense Level 5. They come in unique, vivid colors with an appropriate number to best describes the characteristics of that coffee roast. In December of 2010, Seattle's Best Coffee came out with a campaign to promote their new 'Level System'.  Now after less than a year of their launch, Business Wire claims that Seattle’s Best Coffee's ‘Level System’ has taken recognition as one of the top products of the year by Progressive Grocer magazine. The ‘Level System’ has outpaced others in the premium coffee category with its great tasting variety of different blends.

At their website, SBC shows how each Level has its own personality to it. For example, Level 1 is mild, light and crisp and is best for easy going. Level 2 is bright, lively, easy drinking for the spontaneous. Level 3 is balanced, smooth and full of flavor for the "ready for anything" drinker. Level 4 has a chocolatey taste best described as rich, elegant, and complex. Last but not least, Level 5 is bold, dark and intense for the attention seeker.

Critique of Seattle's Bet Coffee 'Level System'

As well as with their YouTube account, I found their campaign to be very creative. They created an improv show called "Declare your Level" where they took 24 hours to describe each level and also performed skits based on actual SBC drinkers. If you like their Facebook page, they give you a coupon for a $1 off a 12 oz bag of your preferred coffee level. They also have a quiz you can take to find out which coffee level best suits you which I thought was a great interactive tool. I also found that their Facebook is also used for Level giveaways. They do have a strong Twitter following with over 10,000 followers and use this as a great way to discuss with their customers about the 'Level System'.

I found they didn't have any FourSquare presence and thought that with their new alliance with Burger King and Subway, they could have people check into their coffee shops and share that information with their friends.

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Summary of Chobani Champions Campaign

The first Greek yogurt targeted toward kids, Chobani Champions launched its campaign early October. What makes Chobani Champions different from regular Chobani is its size; it is pre-portioned in 3.5 ounce cups, each containing 100 calories. In addition, it is made with 2% milk and is available in two blended flavors: Honey-Nana and VeryBerry. Through Big Spaceship Agency, Chobani Champions has become an integrated marketing campaign spanning mobile and social media.

Being a Chobani Champion means being “imaginative, active, courageous and caring.” These four elements are clearly integrated in their “Champlify” mobile app. Available for iOS and Android, it encourages activities between parents and children though exercise, creative challenges and acts of kindness. Champlify also includes an AR viewer which allows customers to scan AR codes under the lids of packages unlocking trophies. On top of this, another app can be downloaded to track the Champlify bus. This bus tour stops at communities across the United States, building play areas for 1 million children this year. The Chobani Champions site offers links to download both of these apps, as well as provide videos about the tour.

Although the campaign is created for kids, Chobani is finding that adults, not just parents, are also falling in love with the product due to its tastefulness. Therefore, building a dialogue with adults through Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Foursquare is a critical objective.

Critique of Chobani Champions Campaign

After stating that establishing a conversation through social media is a critical objective, I expected to find mass amounts of digital elements for the campaign. I turned to the Chobani Champions website to find more information but there was only one link to Facebook. Minus the fact that I had to click on a different Facebook section to find the Chobani Champions division, the Champions Facebook page is appealing. It is colorful and allows for users to easily click on “learn more” and “get the app now” links. One downfall is that there is no conversation wall dedicated to Chobani Champions. How is Chobani Champions supposed to establish a relationship with customers? The wall for Chobani shows a great customer and company relationship but not so much for Chobani Champions. Instead, a new “Like” page dedicated entirely to Chobani Champions should have been developed. Discussions, photos, information and recipes focused on Champions products would have attracted more customers. Moreover, the website’s link to Facebook would have led me directly to Chobani Champions Facebook, not the original Chobani one.

Sadly, no links to Twitter, Youtube or Foursquare were found on the Chobani Champions site. I turned to the Chobani homepage and came across multiple digital elements. First off, Chobani’s twitter is awesome; it is covered with tweets, replies, hashtags, and photos. It would be to their advantage to promote the Champions campaign on the page, but there was no mention of it whatsoever. Secondly, Chobani’s Youtube is very entertaining. It contains over 169,000 uploaded videos but only two of them are dedicated to the Champions campaign.

Lastly, customers can also friend Chobani on foursquare to unlock badges and follow the Chobani Chomobile. Again, there is no mention of Chobani Champions and there is no Chobani Champmobile! As you can see Chobani Champions lacks the social media that Chobani has. If Chobani were to build a twitter, Facebook, and foursquare specifically for  Champions and give it as much attention to it as they do to the original Chobani, the Champions campaign would have been more successful.

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Summary of Wendy’s “Dave’s Hot N’ Juicy Cheeseburgers” Campaign

The recession has caused many stores and restaurants to go out of business. But for The fast food industry the recession has worked to their advantage. The reason is because families know at a fast food restaurant they can get more food for their dollar. With so many different fast food restaurants to choose from, fast food restaurants are pressured to stand out from the rest.In 1984 Wendy’s launched its “Where’s the Beef?” campaign.

Wendy’s “Where’s the Beef?” campaign, up to this day is still Wendy’s most successful slogan. Wendy’s recently came out with a new burger line called Dave’s Hot N’ Juicy Cheeseburgers, named after Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas. With this new image of Wendy’s it seemed like a perfect time to bring back the famous slogan “Where’s the beef?” and with the new Dave’s Hot N’ Juicy Cheeseburgers Wendy’s confident enough to answer it with “Here’s the Beef”. 

When Wendy’s promoted their “The Baconator” it was a huge failure. In order to not repeat history, according to the Kantar Media unit of WPP, “Wendy’s spent $19.9 million in 2010 on ads for the new French fries and $22.1 million in the first half of this year.” Wendy’s is expected to spend double of what they spent last year on print ads, commercials, radio commercials, etc.

In order to give the public a free taste of their new Dave’s Hot N’ Juicy Cheeseburgers, Wendy’s launched a “Tour of America” on their facebook page, where Wendy’s travels to 26 different cities across the country. At this event Wendy Thomas makes an appearance and free cheeseburgers and prizes are given to the public.On Wendy’s Tour of America facebook page it lists the different cities the tour includes and they option to RSVP for the event is available.

 Critique of Wendy’s “Dave’s Hot N’ Juicy Cheeseburgers” Campaign

Bringing back the question, “Where’s the Beef?” during the launch of Wendy’s new “Dave’s Hot N’ Juicy” campaign was a great move. Wendy Thomas said the new cheeseburger line, “would’ve made Dad say, ‘Here’s the beef!”

By launching Wendy’s Tour of America it allowed the public to taste Wendy’s burgers for free before purchasing it at their local Wendy’s. The problem with Wendy’s "Tour of America" was they did not advertise it much. The "Tour of America" is advertised on Wendy’s homepage and on some free coupon sites. When the link for the Tour of America is clicked on it redirects to Wendy’s facebook page. Just it is not a regular facebook page, but instead it is a facebook app. In order for the Application to work Adobe reader has to be installed into the computer. If it is not installed the app will not work. On Wendy’s facebook app a map of the different cities Wendy’s has visited or will visit is laid out. Wendy’s stopped in Chicago on Oct. 5^th at Northwestern University. Only 19 people attended according to facebook. Wendy’s choice of location was not very smart. Downtown Chicago would have been a better location because a variety of different people are there. The advertisement for this tour does not have much reach. But on the other hand Wendy’s is doing an amazing job with their Twitter account. Wendy’s twitter team is fast at tracking when someone tweets about Wendy’s and there is a lot of interaction going on. They give out free gift cards daily and seem to make their customers happy. Wendy’s has 39,536 followers on twitter. That is more than their other competitors such as Burger King, Carl’s Jr. and Arby’s.

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