Facebook Offer by Gold’s Gym

I was scrolling through Facebook on my phone when I came across an offer by a gym located in the UBC village. As someone who loves all things healthy, it naturally caught my eye and stood out from the cat videos and other posts I had been seeing on my News Feed.

It was then that I discovered Facebook’s new function: targeted offers. It turns out that this gym targeted people within a 4-mile radius or so, as well as those who have shown interest in health and fitness. For example, I have done many searches on healthy eating, kickboxing, zumba, etc. Facebook also knows I go to UBC, so that’s probably how I ended up with this cool little offer in my feed. As this offer was so well-targeted in addition to time-sensitive, I naturally jumped on the offer and went to check out the gym. After trying out the classes and being personally introduced to the facility by the sales rep there, I began seriously considering joining.

This is a smart way for businesses to leverage social media to drive traffic into their stores and acquire new customers. As a customer myself, I understand that people are more likely to join a fitness facility after they’ve had a chance to try it out themselves. Especially with the booming of so many fitness companies these days, an attractive Facebook offer is one solid way to stand out. In this offer in particular, I can see that women are being targeted. The picture is of a fit woman, and classes such as zumba, spinning, and yoga were emphasized in the text of the offer. Good move, Gold’s.

Not surprisingly, after I clicked on this one, a range of other offers started popping up in my feed, with everything from kickboxing studios to yoga memberships. Thanks to the appropriate targeting, I was not annoyed at all. In my mind, I thought, “Sweet!!”

What a great reason to be on Facebook. And what a great time to get fit!

I came across this photo on a friend’s Facebook page. Unsurprisingly, the ad was receiving mad likes and shares. Even friends who usually resist ads were voluntarily spreading this one, taking in the inspiring message and perhaps registering in their minds that Nike is a top-notch, professional brand for sports gear.

It then hit me how powerful subtle marketing can be. The ad is centered around an inspirational quote, and rather than having the name “Nike” loudly boasted all over the poster, only a small logo resides in the bottom corner with their signature motto. In fact, the name “Nike” doesn’t even appear anywhere.

This subtle branding technique portrays the brand in a positive light, guiding customers to associate Nike with the words  “motivational” and “inspiring.” As I found in this article after further research, subtle marketing is actually a pervasive tactic that has proven to positively influence customers’ purchasing habits.

It’s not surprising to find that people generally more readily accept an ad that comes packaged as a meaningful piece of inspiration. Social media platforms like Pinterest and Twitter are especially effective in promoting these inspiring pieces. Even my own Pinterest board is filled with cool quotes, many of which were spread by companies that sell a certain lifestyle, product, or service.

Post by Women’s Health Mag

Facebook post by an organic foods company. Caption: We choose a healthy and responsible new world. #local #organic #promiseofanewday

If you are ever in need of a deep quote or life motto, simply search #inspirationalquote, #MondayMotivation #quoteoftheday, or any of the thousands of other relevant hashtags/accounts on Twitter.

YESTERDAY YOU SAID TOMORROW- Just do it.

Heck, who could resist a quote like that?

Time and time again, I’ve found myself getting hooked by “limited edition” or seasonal goodies that companies launch when the holidays arrive. For the fall there was the infamous Pumpkin Spice Latte courtesy of Starbucks, and now as we move into winter, the festive cups of the holiday season have debuted in the stores along with “Christmas flavors” such as Peppermint Mocha. The Christmas wave doesn’t stop at Starbucks though.

In the past two weeks, everywhere I went – be it the shopping mall, the dollar store, or the neighborhood supermarket – traces of “seasonal” marketing have arrived. Suddenly I found myself in a wonderland of red, green, and gold Hershey’s chocolates, snowflake m&m’s, “winter fragrances” by beauty shops, and “winter” ice-cream flavors. It occurred to me that these constant launching and relaunching of holiday lines and fun new flavors are one of the key things that keep customers pumped. They give customers a reason to keep checking back. They keep customers excited about getting a piece of what’s new and what all the recent buzz is about. Most of all, they keep customers engaged.

The rise of highly visual social media platforms such as Instagram, Pinterest and Tumblr have tapped into our emotions and helped fuel holiday sales.

Thanksgiving Instagram post by Starbucks

Christmas themed Instagram post featuring Starbucks

There are even Tumblr websites specifically dedicated to seasonal moods such as http://autumncozy.tumblr.com/ (it’ll make you feel all warm and cozy, guaranteed)!

So what about you? How are you leveraging social media this holiday season?

Social media is incredible. It provides us with so many tools, resources, ideas, connections, inspiration,… but when manipulated a certain way, it also has power to negatively impact us.

#thinspiration #fitspo #thighgap #flatstomach #goals #bikinibody #booty

I see myself as healthy with a good appearance, but as I scroll through Instagram and Tumblr and see all these edited images of people, I cannot help but have insecure thoughts.

Photoshopped, slimmed, shaded

With the rise of highly visual social platforms, it’s become harder to resist images that indirectly lead us to certain thoughts. So many Instagram accounts filled with perfect images of people or images of 100-calorie diet plates have become idolized by millions of followers. Many women in particular have been fed unrealistic expectations for their bodies, leading to triggering thoughts related to binge-eating, anorexia, bulimia, orthorexia, etc. To my disgust, some companies have even preyed on individuals’ insecurities to sell diet products and body-slimming gear.

I have to remind myself time and time again that living a healthy lifestyle, listening to my body, and taking care of my mental well-being are far more important than trying to mold my body to a certain external appearance. So my challenge for companies today is: how will you sell your products? Will you drive positive change in society, or will you put people down?

I love my oatmeal.

As an avid oatmeal fan (yes, we do exist), I have come across Quaker multiple times while hitting the shops for this hearty hot cereal. As I scrounged the aisles at my local supermarket the other day, I was hooked when I found that Quaker produces “kids’ oatmeal” in addition to their classic versions. This new kids line boasts fun flavors such as Cookies n’ Creme, Chocolate Chip and even “Dino Eggs” (which I have yet to find out the intriguing details about).

However, as I inched closer to inspect the options, I was struck by how off the packaging was for the Chocolate Chip.

To my surprise, I found myself face-to-face with a dark box displaying a dreadfully black background, “KIDS’ INSTANT OATMEAL” in boring, official adult font, and just an overall unappealing look. The only visible attempt to spice up the box was a title in semi-bubbly letters. But even that was unable to salvage the overall “dead” look… as if the idea of oatmeal itself were not unappealing enough to kids already.

Where are the bright colors and fun chocolate chips (other than the puny ones sitting lifelessly around beside the bowl)? Where is the lively milk being splashed into the cereal? Where is the energy? As far as could be observed, the packaging of this product did not look the least bit exciting to an adult – never mind to a kid.

In order to pique the interest of the product’s target audience, Quaker should take steps to tailor their packaging more to kids. The two boxes below for Cookies n’ Creme, for example, are much more suited for kids.

Vibrant colors, funky fonts, lively cookie bits splashing around in milk, and unconventional positioning all combine to communicate a much more “fun” image. Kids will most definitely be more readily attracted to an oatmeal that doesn’t look drab and boring.

Packaging may not be everything there is to a product, but it sure plays a key role in influencing whether a product can sufficiently reach out to its target customer.

I stumbled across this article which got me thinking about why I, like so many others, have a special soft spot for Starbucks. Thinking about it now, when we hand over a ridiculous $4 for a cup of coffee, what we are buying is really not coffee, but a package of “the Starbucks Experience.” Starbucks has taken its brand and shaped it into an enticing token of luxury and sophistication, and traces of their branding technique can be found in practically every corner of the coffee shop.

For example, the article brought up the point that Starbucks stores have no rigid edges; everything is rounded, creating a welcoming atmosphere, and they use the tiniest round tables which have “no empty seats” so individuals feel comfortable going alone to sit down and have a study session without looking lonely. In addition, I’ve noticed that Starbucks has even developed their own language for coffee, using fancy vocab like “half-caf” and “grande valencia latte” to give a sense of high-class sophistication that adds to Starbucks’ atmosphere as a coffee society for the elite.