Tag Archives: social media

The Bees on my Vine!

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Companies like Sephora, Gap, General Electric and Volkswagen have been posting 6 second short clips on the new social media tool, Vine. One of the recent additions is Burt’s Bees, a personal care products company dedicated to promoting Earth friendly skin and body creams.

The brand made a series of clips around literary themes like Little Women, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Moby Dick, The Scarlet Letter, Julius Caesar, Gulliver’s Travels and Metamorphosis.

https://vine.co/v/hXXmjUL6Z1X ,https://vine.co/v/hXH2z96bMEF

How did they film it?

Classic Burt’s Bees products were actually costumed into the characters. Stop motion was used to film on an iphone. The clips then were tweeted to Burt’s Bees followers.

What is with the literary theme?

Burt’s Bees felt that these novels were classic and timeless just like their products. Everyone enjoyed these tales and they hoped that this would also apply to their products.

Why on Vine?

The company wanted to test out Vine as a new platform to reach its consumers. They already have Instagram, Facebook and Twitter platforms.

I personally think that the clips were kind of funny and weird but they weren’t something amazing or evocative.  I could not figure out the connection between classic novels and their classic products. It seemed to me that they were just doing it for fun. I also felt that the company was just trying to inject a bit of humor to their brand and nothing more. Maybe Burt’s Bees can improve their vine clips to be more informative and evocative of that feeling of natural and wholistic beauty…

On the other hand, vine clips which I really love are Cadbury and Etsy. Links below!

https://vine.co/v/bQPPxZKQD0t

http://www.practicalecommerce.com/articles/57256-10-Brands-on-Vine

http://mashable.com/2013/09/06/vine-brands/

Some more Burt’s Bees Vines:

http://digiday.com/brands/burts-bees-vines-the-classics-in-six-seconds/

What do you think of the #6SecondClassics? Yay or Nay? Feel free to share any vine clips of popular brands which you think are noteworthy!

Twitter Wars

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In this digital age, wars are not only fought with bullets and guns and bombs and missiles but with words. Words can make or break the reputation of a company in a single comment of a disappointed customer or a tweet from an overly zealous fan. Twitter feuds, in particular, have become a popular issue because they show a ‘fun’ and different side of the company. The tweets stray away from the usual promotion messages and playfully make fun of other brands. It is very entertaining to see the hashtags and the creative tweets these companies come up with. I have gotten a list of the top 5 Twitter feuds from Mashable.com.

http://mashable.com/2013/10/12/twitter-brand-feuds/

I especially love the Kit-Kat vs. Oreo one. Could not have thought of a better way for Oreo to retaliate than eating the Kit-Kat of the tic tac toe.

 

 

I believe that consumers love this kind of friendly banter because it gives a human personality to the brand. Instead of being seen as too corporate, these tweets soften the image and use good old humor to connect with its fans.

Which companies would you like to see battle it out on Twitter? Feel free to comment!

Additional Sources:

http://www.ragan.com/Main/Articles/4_lessons_from_brand_feuds_on_Twitter_46486.aspx

 

Vine and Instagram Video: More than just for Laughs?

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Vine and Instagram have been the popular hype right now for posting anything and everything that gets people to fall from their seats and click that ‘like’ button. Even with Vine’s 6 second video limit, people have come up with the most creative ways even though weird to demonstrate some specific skill may it be dancing on top of the treadmill with your group of friends, or riding a bike through a cliff and landing on the sea. Instagram’s video feature has also been able to attract its users with its 15 second video record time.

 

The question is, is there more to laughs, showing off and likes for Vine and Instagram Video? Can businesses be able to market themselves effectively and communicate to  customers in just 6 or more seconds of video?

I believe that with the right approach and careful analysis of what to video and post about, Vine and Instagram videos can potentially be valuable to start up businesses.

Here are some of my thoughts on what works and what doesn’t:

-Humorous Interaction pays off.

Getting users to comment on your video and share their thoughts creates a two way communication between the user and yourself. It is always a plus if the videos show some aspect of humor around the business. In addition, the funnier it is, the higher the chance that consumers will remember the brand and share it to their friends, family, coworkers.

-Practice makes perfect.

Creating exceptional 6-15 second videos is no easy task. It is important that the execution of these videos are well thought of and show some good preparation. Users can clearly tell if these videos are just hastily made.  It also doesn’t hurt if you incorporate something fun or quirky about the company culture or its employees.

– Don’t be afraid to show off!

Post something that makes your consumers want to learn more about the product, service or company. Make the videos engaging and beautiful through deep messages or memorable interactions.

It is especially important to establish a connection with consumers by showing them that you care about whatever they’re going through and that you are up to date with what is happening in the real world.

– Harness the Power of the Hashtag!

Harness the use of hashtags in order to attract more curious consumers to your Vine or Instagram. Make them creative, unique and fun. Too much hashtags though can make consumers confused and set them off.

Here are some businesses which I find have exceptionally utilized Vine and Instagram Video. Feel free to check them out and comment! 🙂

Vine: Animate and Create, Wheat Thins, Orange France, Malibu Rum

Instagram: Topshop, Lululemon, Swarovski, Dove

These links also showcase some of their videos. enjoy!!!

http://www.practicalecommerce.com/articles/4103-6-Retail-Brands-Using-Instagram-Video

http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/34144/How-15-Real-Businesses-Are-Getting-Creative-With-Vine-for-Marketing.aspx

http://blog.sumall.com/journal/use-instagram-video-business.html