Sunday, February 18, 2024

Navigating the World of Social Media Influencers

In this rapidly evolving digital media world, the rise of social media influencers has revolutionized marketing strategies and consumer behavior. A recent episode of CBS News' 60 Minutes, titled "The Influencers" offered an in-depth exploration of this phenomenon. The segment provided an extensive overview of the influencer landscape and their substantial influence, featuring key insights from prominent figures such as Logan Paul, Zach King, Amanda Cerny, and Andrew Bachelor.

A significant lesson from the episode was the immense influence employed by social media influencers. These individuals, skilled with technology, have amassed vast followings on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat. For instance, Logan Paul alone has over 30 million followers across various platforms, competing the audience reach of major films and television shows.

What distinguishes influencers is their capacity to engage and establish personal connections with their audience. Through authentic and relatable content, they have cultivated dedicated followings that place trust in their recommendations and viewpoints. This level of trust makes influencers invaluable assets for brands seeking to target specific demographics and foster consumer engagement.

In terms of marketing tactics, influencers leverage their personal brand and creativity to produce compelling content that resonates with their audience. They utilize a variety of approaches, including humor, magic, or lifestyle-oriented content, to attract the interest of their followers and seamlessly integrate branded material into their content channels.

From the consumer's perspective, influencer marketing blurs the boundaries between advertising and entertainment. Instead of inactively receiving marketing messages, consumers actively search for and interact with influencer content, establishing authentic bonds with their preferred personalities.

 References:

Whitaker, B. (2016, October 23). The Influencers. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/60-minutes-kim-kardashian-logan-paul-social-media-influencers/


Sunday, February 4, 2024

Crafting Connections with Whirlpool's 'Every day, care' Campaign

Shifting Perception

Whirlpool listened to its consumers’ needs through research and realized that consumers found home chores with appliances to be thankless, repetitive, and unfulfilling. However, the studies revealed that these mundane chores held a significant value for both families and society at large. Whirlpool set its goals on changing this negative perception by emphasizing the meaningful impact of everyday care and household chores on the well-being of families and their contribution to society. This shift in perspective formed the basis of Whirlpool's "Every day, care" campaign, focusing on portraying chores as acts of love with the power to make a positive difference. 
In order to achieve its goal, Whirlpool dedicated itself to discovering numerous real-life narratives centered around 'Every day, care' directly from genuine consumers. The campaign, which stands as the brand's most extensive one to date, greatly depended on word-of-mouth promotion to establish an essential groundwork for its comprehensive strategy. The brand’s use of authentic storytelling encompassed Everyday, care campaign which leveraged Crowdtap to build a community of 17K advocates who shared authentic stories through text, images, and videos in social media platforms (#EveryDayCare). From this, more than 44K pieces of user-generated content (UGC) were collected, forming a rich informational web of real experiences. This campaign became a rousing success as the brand built emotional connections with its audience. Whirlpool connected with consumers emotionally and strengthened trust with its consumers, which in turn transcended the notion of a mere transactional connection with its consumers. As a result of the campaign, there was a 12% increase in unit growth and a 6.6% rise in sales compared to the previous year, outperforming industry standards (#EveryDayCare). Whirlpool helped its consumers realize that their consumers are heroes of their own daily routines. That use of house appliances is in effect contributing to the betterment of family and society.

Social and Consumer Experience

Whirlpool's strategy for social and consumer engagement played an important role in the campaign's success. They accomplished this by first focusing on transforming the social and consumer experience by shifting the brand-consumer conversation from product-centric to emotional, ultimately aiming to engage consumers beyond the point of product complaints and make them feel like they are part of a larger conversation and experience. The strategy and execution of the campaign incorporated various elements to enhance the social and consumer experiences. Whirlpool established a dedicated microsite (whirlpool.com/everydaycare) to serve as a central library for real stories, creating a platform that encouraged visitors to actively contribute to the conversation (#EveryDayCare). The microsite featured a curated grid of user-generated content (UGC), showcasing the diversity of consumer experiences and perspectives (#EveryDayCare). The campaign’s success can be attributed in part to this curated site as the microsite acted as an engaging space, fostering interaction and participation in the campaign. Whirlpool also executed a comprehensive paid, earned, and owned media strategy that spanned various channels, including new broadcast media, digital media, and social promotion which resulted in “inspiring a broader wave of consumers to get in on the conversation” (#EveryDayCare).

Handling Digital Media Followers

Whirlpool effectively managed the social and consumer experience by strategically handling its digital media followers. Utilizing Crowdtap, the company built a community of 17,000 passionate advocates who openly shared their sincere "Every day, care" stories using diverse mediums such as text, images, and videos. This method not only produced authentic and relatable content but also led to a surge of genuine stories across earned, owned, and paid channels, establishing a solid foundation of authenticity for the entire campaign. With the curation of over 44,000 pieces of user-generated content (UGC), Whirlpool presented a varied collection of consumer experiences and perspectives. The brand's focus on cross-promoting the finest UGC across different channels, including social media and television spots, ensured active engagement from digital media followers. This user-centric approach effectively transformed followers into contributors, fostering a dynamic and captivating brand narrative. Whirlpool's paid, earned, and owned media strategy, combined with an amplification approach, successfully exposed digital media followers to a diverse range of content, integrating them as essential participants in the storytelling process.

Opportunities for Efficiency Improvement


To boost the campaign's effectiveness, Whirlpool might consider integrating more interactive elements into the microsite, serving as the central hub for stories. For instance, incorporating features like forums or live chats could offer digital media followers opportunities for active engagement with both each other and the brand, nurturing a more dynamic and engaging experience. They can also establish a schedule for regular events or updates that would guarantee digital media followers to stay consistently engaged, promoting an ongoing and interactive dialogue between the brand and its audience.

Effective Strategies Still in Effect

According to Julia Cannon from Digiday, Whirlpool is effectively utilizing influencers to enhance awareness of its Care Counts Laundry Program (Cannon, 2023). This program, which is running for close to ten years, seeks to influence communities throughout the United States by providing washers and dryers to schools that do not have access to these facilities (Cannon, 2023). The brand strategically partners with influencers deeply invested in the subject matter. Leveraging these trustworthy influencers, Whirlpool aims to authentically communicate the positive outcomes of the Care Counts initiative, reaffirming its commitment to making a positive impact in communities. According to Julia Cannon, the chosen influencers for the campaign have a history of engaging with communities and participating in public speaking events, aligning with the brand's goal of supporting the development of children (Cannon, 2023). Whirlpool's approach is audience-centric, selecting influencers whose followers demonstrate an interest in educational topics.

Ethical engagements in social media play a central role in Whirlpool's effectiveness. The brand's collaboration with influencers is rooted in authenticity, aiming to establish genuine connections with students, parents, and individuals interested in their products at a personal, human level. By having influencers share the story and impact of the Care Counts initiative, Whirlpool engages in ethical and transparent communication (Cannon, 2023). The focus on influencers who are deeply invested in the subject matter contributes to the credibility of the campaign, building trust among the audience. This ethical engagement fosters a positive brand image and resonates with socially conscious consumers.

References:

#EveryDayCare – whirlpool, DigitasLBi and Crowdtap. The Shorty Awards. (n.d.). https://shortyawards.com/8th/everydaycare-whirlpool-digitaslbi-and-crowdtap-2

Cannon, J. (2023, November 14). Why whirlpool is tapping influencers to boost awareness of its in-school laundry program. Digiday. https://digiday.com/marketing/why-whirlpool-is-tapping-influencers-to-boost-awareness-of-its-in-school-laundry-program/#:~:text=Whirlpool%20is%20enlisting%20the%20support,to%20schools%20lacking%20these%20facilities.

Sunday, January 14, 2024

A Typical Day Surfing Net Turf for Digital Doubloons

In today's digital age, a significant portion of my daily life revolves around various online platforms and applications. From staying informed with the latest news to finding inspiration for creative endeavors, digital media plays a central role in my routine. I invite you to navigate a typical day, exploring the sites and applications I frequent, my reactions to different forms of digital media, and how these platforms cater to my needs.

Most Visited Sites and Apps

Three of my most visited sites and apps are google search engine, YouTube and Spotify. I normally use the news feed of google for my quota of daily news. I use Spotify for music and audiobooks. I usually start my day by listening to my favorite music and end the day listening to audiobooks. Sometimes I am inspired by the newsfeed of google, YouTube feed and my playlist of Spotify. I become inspired to create designs, poetry and stories.

Reactions to Digital Media

Mostly, I have positive reactions when I use digital media. However, when I am interrupted by unnecessary information in the middle of my focused searches, I become irritated by such distractors.

Digital Media Satisfies Needs
Most of the time, I use either the google search engine or YouTube. I find the content generated by both to be informative and helpful. Whenever there are tasks, I am completely ignorant of, I find helpful information in YouTube on how to tackle such tasks. For instance, recently I was stymied on how to properly clean the grout of my titles for them to look brand new. Naturally, I googled “how to clean the grout of my tiles without harmful chemicals,” and I found a clear solution to my query—which worked! I normally, always find my needs to be met in the digital media I use. It is rather difficult to recall an instance when the digital media has failed me. That being said, don’t fail me now DM!

Email Interactions 
I receive emails from multiple companies, most of which I file in my spam folder. However, there are those that pique my interest. Emails which contain interesting topics, products and information normally catch my attention. Topics that are brief and yet interesting; products that will facilitate and enhance my life or the lives of my loved ones are some of the reasons I pay attention to such emails. There are some emails that contain information which is pertinent to my pet cat. I always keep an eye out for such information as I want to facilitate for my pet to have a healthy, happy and long life.

Observations on DM in Marketing
Today’s use of digital media marketing is tailored to individual preferences. For instance, my YouTube feed is very different to my friends’ and family members’ feeds. They all differ in terms of individual interests. I personally think that this feature has both positive and negative outcomes. It is positive in terms of product and service positioning that enable the consumer to consume, invest or purchase products that will enhance their lives. For instance, if a person is interested in healthy weight loss and searches of ways to accomplish their goals using search engines such as google or YouTube, their recommended feed would expose them to variety of weight loss products, services and affiliates of those as well. However, I also believe that such tailored feeds also limit a person from exploring information to which that person is not exposed or has no notion, thereby, limiting that person’s knowledge of the world events which might be crucial. Also, sometimes, even before I know what I am looking for, I get recommended information which makes me feel eerie because it makes me feel like the digital platform I am using know more about me than I would care for it to know. I view this as a violation of privacy.
 

As I navigate through the digital landscape each day, the sites and applications I visit become not just tools but important parts of my routine. Positive interactions shape my creativity, while occasional annoyances remind me of the ever-evolving nature of these platforms. From tailored marketing to personalized emails, the digital realm caters to individual preferences, offering both convenience and, at times, raising concerns about privacy. In this interconnected world, my experiences with digital media continue to shape and enhance different aspects of my life, creating a dynamic and evolving relationship that mirrors the constant evolution of technology.