Communication is an incredibly important component for any successful company’s strategy as reiterated by Argenti, Howell and Beck in The Strategic Communication Imperative. I agree 100% with this notion. In order to achieve an effective communication plan, companies must follow these rules:
- CEO must agree with this notion and have an understanding of the importance of communication in driving strategy
- Must work as one instead of operating as soiled business units
- Must be honest and straightforward with the public
- Must understand which messages are relevant for each channel (Argenti, 2005).
How to apply strategic communications in your IMC plan
How can a company apply this strategy to marketing, advertising, and social media? The key, as mentioned above, is to understand which messages are relevant for each specific channel and then learn how to integrate those messages across channels in order to form one cohesive story for your company.
For example, Budweiser is a great example of an authentic company that never shies away from its traditional message while still keeping up with the times. They created a new strategy this year called “The Perfect Beer for Whatever Happens” to target Millennials.
As usual, they ran a few ads during the Super Bowl since beer and football compliment each other. One of the commercials was a heart-warming tale called “Puppy Love” which followed the journey of a dog and its separation from the iconic Budweiser Clydesdale (Schultz, 2014). This commercial was able to integrate this message across social media in various ways. It flashed the clever hashtag #bestbuds at the end of the commercial prompting people to tweet about the company. They also posted the video on YouTube, and two days after the Super Bowl, the commercial already has over 42 million views. On Facebook, they have encouraged people to post photos of their #bestbud, engaging consumers while still promoting their tag line.
How social media can play a role in an organization’s overall strategy
As Qualman mentioned in Socialnomics, “The more ingrained social media was within a company, the closer it came to an ideal structure— one in which virtually the entire company was involved; yet it was organized communication” (Qualman, 2012, p.267). For evolved companies, social media can be an amazing tool to gather feedback from consumers, have two-way conversations, launch new campaigns and address controversial issues.
Sources:
Argenti, P., Howell, R., & Beck, K (2005). The Strategic Communication Imperative. Retried from MIT Sloan Management Review website: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~opa/communicators/fall08/reading/Sloan_MIT_Strat_Comm_Imp.pdf
Schultz, E. (2014, January 15). A-B InBev's Super Bowl Plans Include New Bud Light Tagline. Retrieved February 4, 2014, from http://adage.com/article/special-report-super-bowl/a-b-inbev-s-super-bowl-plans-include-bud-light-tagline/291081/
Solomon, M. (2013, December 12). Consulting Starbucks: How To Set Your 2014 Customer Experience And Corporate Culture Goals. Retrieved February 4, 2014, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/micahsolomon/2013/12/31/a-customer-service-goal-for-2014-courtesy-of-starbucks
Qualman, Erik (2012-11-09). Socialnomics: How Social Media Transforms the Way We Live and Do Business (p. 267). Wiley. Kindle Edition.
Great post Amanda! I loved your example of the Budweiser commercial, I didn't see it, but I will be watching it. I think the hashtag and everything was a great idea, especially since so many people are pet lovers.
ReplyDeleteThe Starbucks blog is another great idea. I noticed it when I was doing research for the social media paper. Having consumers contribute ideas such as new flavors and then actually incorporate some into the business, is a great way to keep customers engaged and a creative way to make them feel involved in the business.
If a company chose to do only one form of social media, what form do you think it should be? Why?
Hey Andrea, that's a great question. I really think it depends on the type of company. I know B2B companies tend to be more successful on Twitter and Linkedin, but if we're referring to B2C companies, I would have to say Facebook. The reason for this is that Facebook has over a billion users, infinitely more than Twitter or Linkedin. Also with Facebook Connect, companies have the power to integrate their content across various other sites - allowing them to market to consumers even when people aren't on Facebook.
DeleteIf you had to pick, which social media site would you choose?
-Amanda
Hi Amanda. I, too, loved that Budweiser commercial. It definitely had the most "awww" factor of the night.
ReplyDeleteI also think you are right to point out that they both engaged consumers in a way that's meaningful and identifiable with their public personality.
So, you used two very large, very marketing savvy choices in your post. How do you convert your ideas to a smaller organization? Remember, most people work in small businesses with staffs drastically smaller than huge consumer brands have. What factors should be considered in moving to social media in those instances? What would you advice organizations to be certain to do? What should they be certain not to do?
Mike
Hey Mike, you bring up a great point. I would have to say that a great reason to move to social media is the power of making connections with people that you would never have met outside of the digital sphere. For example, when we host webinars, we promote tweet chats or Google hangouts after the webinar is over. This allows us to communicate with prospects/clients on a more personal level that we couldn't achieve through a live webcast with hundreds of attendees.
DeleteAlso, what better way to spread the word about your company that a free platform that millions and even billions of people use? Obviously, if you don't have the resources or bandwidth to update the social media sites then it may not be a good idea to move to social media. Otherwise, if you have a dedicated person who can make sure the site is fresh with updated content, social media can be a powerful tool.
-Amanda
Amanda,
ReplyDeleteI think you hit the nail on the head with the mention of social media being a two-way conversation. This element of social media makes brands "seem more like people, rather than large corporations trying like hell to sell you products or ideas" (Petronzio, 2013). We learned the first week of this course, and in other courses in the IMC program, that consumers are wary of advertising, so social media helps to alleviate this issue.
Starbucks is a great example of a brand using social media to have two-way conversations and to crowdsource content. Most airlines, JetBlue in particular, do a great job of having conversations with followers on social media, no matter if the sentiment is positive or negative.
Can you think of any brands who are not effectively using social media?
Kait
Reference:
Petronzio, P. (2013, May 12). Why brands want to have a "two-way conversation" with you. Mashable. Retrieved from: http://mashable.com/2013/05/12/two-way-conversation/
Hey Kait, thank you for the feedback. Currently, I would say Apple does not effectively use social media. They rely on an archaic strategy that people will just talk for them, so they don't need to start the conversation. While this is true in some instances, they don't have the power to address problems or controversies in a real-time setting. Instead, days will go by and then sometimes they will host a press conference to apologize i.e. when the iMaps app had issues a few years ago.
DeleteApple is a great example! I wrote about their lack of social media in my first ever class in this program. They get along without it in terms of sales, but it does show a lack of interest in engaging with their incredibly loyal fan base.
DeleteAmanda - great summary of the reading and awesome examples of 2 brands utilizing social media. I too love the Budweiser commercial and shed a few "awe" tears after watching it. One thing I noticed that Budweiser did leading up to the SuperBowl was that they released a video of the commercial a week prior to game day which spread pretty fast in the Facebook and Twitter worlds. Aside from being an adorable and memorable commercial, what other ways do you think the brand could have used social media to build on the "best buds" theme and drive consumers to purchase intent?
ReplyDeleteHey Tara, I think Budweiser could have developed a contest to garner more attention to the campaign and get people engaged. For example, they could have asked people to tweet a photo of yourself with your #bestbud or share a story of how Budweiser brought you and your best friends together.
DeleteHi Tara and Amanda -
DeleteReading your posts made me think of another issue that might be in play with Budweiser. Again, great ad, my favorite of the night.
However, they had other, very different ads (Schwarzenegger!). Why the dueling identities? How do you think the company's approach marries to Lesson 4 from Argenti, Howell and Beck, where communicators need "to meet short-term needs but stay focused on long-term issues that will affect the company" (p. 89)?
Mike
I think you have some great examples of successful communication programs that teach a good lesson in best practices for strategy that effectively communications with a company’s many audiences. Starbucks was one of my clients at the last agency I worked at and we worked on the 10th anniversary of My Starbucks Idea. This website was created to allow consumers to communicate directly with the brand and see immediate action. Do you know that splash sticks, pumpkin spice latte and soy options are all consumer ideas? This is a really interesting approach to communication because Starbucks is giving consumers multiple platforms on which to communicate, and the company is just listening. “Not communicating” or “listening” can also be a strategic part of a communications plan. After they listen, they act, and then they communicate the new product releases as a result of this program. Do you think My Starbucks Idea is widely known? Do they need to do more to communication and drive awareness for the program?
ReplyDeleteI agree that Budweiser is another company that successfully creates memorable, creative campaigns that are supported by a consistent communications strategy. Today, it’s harder than ever to keep a clear message because of the many social platforms carrying it as well, some of which are limited to a certain amount of characters or are supported by audiovisual aspects. Hash tags, such as the #bestbuds one used in this example, are a really efficient way of threading all of the platforms together to keep consistent messaging. I think Budweiser showed how well this can streamline communication efforts, and I think we will start seeing more of that from other campaigns as well.
Kristen,
DeleteTwo great points in your response here that I had not yet thought of myself.
1. "'Not communicating' or 'listening' can also be a strategic part of a communications plan." This is a really important point. We focus a lot in our conversations in class about more push than pull techniques. Both are equally important. Very good to remind us.
2. "Today, it’s harder than ever to keep a clear message because of the many social platforms carrying it" Again, well said and I think you are right that the shared hashtag is a good attempt at stringing the ads together.
Mike
Kristen,
DeleteI am a coffee queen and Starbucks feeds my caffeine obsession, but I can honestly say I don't know much about the My Starbucks Idea. I've heard of it and assumed what the program was based on the name, but have never really done much digging about what the program entailed. I think a really simple way they can be spreading awareness for this program is advertising it on their cups, or even those cardboard cup-holders. Why not have something colorful and eye-catching right on the cup you are holding / drinking from to direct you to their website, Facebook page, Twitter feed, etc. to keep current on new flavors, options and suggestions. It's similar to how Chipotle use all of their packaging (cups, napkins, bags, etc.) to reinforce their mission.
Tara
Hey Kristen, you ask a lot of great questions. Since I am a brand advocate for Starbucks, I am aware of MyStarbucksIdea.com. I definitely think they could drive more awareness to the campaign in a few ways:
ReplyDelete-They can send a mass email letting consumers know about the blog and share how specific consumer ideas came to fruition from the blog
-They can integrate the blog with social media in a few ways. They can add a tab to their Facebook page that highlights specific consumer ideas. They can also do something similar to Dunkin Donut's "Fan of the Week" where they spotlight a specific idea each week. This might encourage more people to share ideas with the prospect of being chosen.
-They can promote the blog in stores like they do when they run specific promotions. They can incentivize people with a $5 Starbucks if they share their idea and show it to the barista.
Hey again Amanda!
ReplyDeleteI am just going to start off by saying I love that you incorporated that Budweiser commercials into your post because that was in my top 5 favorites of the commercials that aired. I am not saying it specifically had anything to do with beer but it was adorable and stayed with Budweiser's strategy of using animals as their focus. It kept me intrigued in how the commercial was going to end and being that it used the iconic Clydesdale horses I knew exactly what it was for. They seem to have a solid strategy that is working for them.
Starbucks is also a great company to bring up. They utilize social media greatly. I never even heard of the mystarbucksidea.com website. I just looked through it now and I think that it is a fantastic idea. I love that it breaks the suggestions down by category and tells you exactly how many there are. They even have a "most recent updates" sections so you can read the latest ideas. This really opens up their communication with customers and allows them to use the internet to gain as much knowledge about what the customers want. To me this seems like a very smart strategy and as a Starbucks junkie I have to say I think this is a great idea.
Are there other companies that have a whole site dedicated to customer reviews and ideas? This is the first one I have seen that is set up like this.
-Michele
Michele,
DeleteClorox, like many CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) companies, has an interesting program that allows people to share new ideas called Clorex Connects. You can join as a consumer, inventor or partner, and it is tied to a sweepstakes where you can win a small fortune for your idea. Of course they are smart about having the right legal lingo to own your idea without owing you anything further should it the idea be developed ;)
Like Starbuck's idea program Clorox has created an organized platform that makes the user feel like a contributor to the brand's success. An interesting thing about their site, they show a list of contributors, but they also feature the identities of their Community Admins who are available to assist users with questions. The Community Admin feature is a great example of engagement because it humanizes the brand and the program. I also feel it's an example of the brand communicating to a niche target on a unique platform that integrates social media.
http://cloroxconnects.com/pages/home
Tara
Hey Michele, I often wonder why more companies don't follow Starbucks' idea blog. Hershey's has something similar, but it's not as user friendly. http://www.hersheys.com/contactus/ideas/idea.asp
DeleteA blog is an easier way to communicate, and you can view other peoples' ideas. Hershey's concept seems one-sided. You can send your idea, but you cant get feedback from other people because you're only sharing it with them.
Taking this in a little bit different direction: What do you each think of third-party review sites like Yelp and Angie's List? I have never used Angie's List and have visited Yelp only a few times, but it seems to they have created a solid platform that uses the social power of consumer-to-consumer engagement without attaching itself to any one brand or set of brands?
DeleteResearch has validated the idea that consumers today find more credible the information produced by fellow consumers than that produced by the brand-owner (Mir & Zaheer, 2012).
What do we think is the future of services like this? Currently, they seem to be popular in large population centers? Is expansion on the horizon?
Mike
Reference:
Mir, I. & Zaheer, A. (2012). Verification of social impact theory claims in social media content. Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce,17(1), 1-15. Ottowa, CA: Array Development.
Hey Michael, that's a great question. I've never used Angie's List, but I regularly use Yelp and Trip Advisor when I'm looking for a restaurant or hotel review. I like that they're integrated with Facebook, so I can view my friends' comments and see where they traveled.
DeleteI might not exactly trust a stranger's comments, but if I trust my friend's judgement, I'm more likely to visit/not visit a specific place based on their review.
I think these type of websites have a lot of potential in the future to expand on areas outside of Metropolitan cities. Local businesses benefit from it too because it's free publicity, and they can see how people view their business. Based on the reviews, they can make changes or add specific things that people recommend.
Yelp and Angie's list are great sites to bring up. Although they are not directly linked to the company you can still get reviews and ideas. My questions with those would be if companies actually look at them and take away from them like they would from an actual company site. I know some companies venture out and review other sites and what people are saying about them but I feel that they do not take as much from it as they may from their own company site.
DeleteThoughts?
I haven't used Angie's list, mostly because you have to pay a membership fee use it and there's far too many free resources out there. Food for thought, the businesses who list on her site also pay to be there so while there's a sponsored recommendation it loses a little of the review authenticity.
DeleteLike Amanda, I am a huge TripAdvisor fan. I don't plan a trip without researching reviews on their site. I have a method to my madness - look at the review rating recap to determine percentage of poor/fair reviews and go straight to the negative review statements. It's fairly easy to get a good feel for what are true issues vs. someone being nit-picky or a travel snob. A good business reviews this site and responds to those negative posts accordingly. Regarding Yelp, I've recently begun using that site but there isn't nearly as much feedback there. However, their site is building and gaining more coverage.
As covered in some of our reading, I do think these types of sites will continue to grow and expand. TripAdvisor essentially went from being a blog to a service whose ratings earn businesses awards and recommendations - think AAA 4-star ratings, TripAdvisor has "winner of the year" type of awards.
Michelle,
DeleteI would bet on it that companies watch those sites, at least the large, socially active ones. My personal belief on these review sites is that you usually get the two extremes to post -- those who had a really bad experience and want to voice it, and those who are real advocates. Like most things, the beauty (or truth in this case) probably lies in the eye of the beholder.
Tara - good point about questioning the authenticity. I had not considered that.
Mike
Hi Amanda,
ReplyDeleteAlong with everyone else that seems to love the Budweiser ad, I too 'felt' the connection with this ad, and how the "best buds" theme transcends to the feeling they want to convey of their beer being your best football bud. I think Budweiser is one of the few alcohol beverage companies who utilizes ads that use very few product shots, while still maintaining their message. This shows they have a very strong brand presence, and a unique image tied to the Clydesdales.
On a side note, Budweiser ads always remind me of when I was a kid. Being from the Midwest, we went to a local fair and the Budweiser Wagon and Clydesdales were there, and we could pet them and take pictures, etc. It was really fun to see them, because at that time, the Clydesdales appeared huge to me because I was so small. I still have the pictures today!
As for Starbucks' My Starbucks Idea campaign, I think Tara had the greatest ideas ... by placing the information about this campaign on the cups and cup holders, even those that do not frequent Starbucks often (such as myself) would know about the campaign, and would have the opportunity to participate. This may be the right setting to gain those 'infrequent' Starbucks customers interest, and with their input as to what they like or want, it could expand the customer base.
Nice post, and great blog!
Hi Dawn,
DeleteThanks for visiting team 2. I am willing to be we are all still pretty small compared to a Clydesdale.
You've touched on something interesting here...the long-term play by Budweiser with its Clydesdales. I learned after reading your post that the Clydesdales were introduced in 1933 -- when August A. Busch, Sr., was given a team of Clydesdales with a wagon by his sons to celebrate the end of Prohibition. The also sent a team of horses to New York City, where they drew crowds as they clip-clopped their way to then-Governor Al Smith, who as given a case of beer as thanks for leading the charge to end Prohibition.
Our readings emphasize this week the need to focus not only on short term gain, but on long-term strategy and benefit. This has to be one of the longest-term strategies in place in America today!
Mike
Reference:
Anheuser-Busch Companies LLC. (n.d.) Budwesier Clydesdales. Retrieved from http://anheuser-busch.com/index.php/our-heritage/budweiser-clydesdales/
Hi Mike,
DeleteWow, that would mean that Budweiser had already been using the Clydesdales as part of their branding for close to 40 years when I saw them! Not that is impressive, given the fact that people still come out to see the Wagon and Clydesdales whenever they are used for a promotion or special event. I recall seeing them in one of the holiday parades a while back too.
Thanks for taking my memories, and providing more information!
Amanda,
ReplyDeleteI liked your example of the Budweiser commercial as a way that the company integrated their message across multiple platforms. Including the iconic Budweiser Clydesdales, which are synonymous with the brand, has been a staple in the company’s Super Bowl advertising. Pairing the Clydesdales with puppies (who doesn’t love puppies) was also a good way to attract the attention of women.
As Scott describes, smart marketers understand buyers, and many build formal “buyer personas” for their target demographics (2013). What a better thing to share with your bud than a beer? As you mentioned in your post, this commercial was able to integrate Budweiser’s message across social media in many different ways. Using the hash tag Best Buds at the conclusion of the commercial was a great way to integrate social media and assist the campaign in going viral. Using YouTube to post the commercial also helped spread the spot to various audiences.
Budweiser was clever on so many levels with this spot. They produced a sincere commercial that tugged at the heartstrings and captured the attention of so many other consumers who normally would not buy their product. They definitely took the gold in advertising at this year’s Super Bowl.
References
Scott, D. M. (2013). The new rules of marketing and PR: How to use social media, online video, mobile applications, blogs, news releases, & viral marketing to reach buyers directly (4th ed.). Wiley: Hoboken, NJ.
Hi Travis,
DeleteI agree the sincerity/authenticity of this spot was really the attention-grabber. I'm interested to know what you think of the series of spots Anheuser-Busch did for Bud Light. They were really different.
Why do you think that was done that way? It seems unlikely that light beer drinkers are more fun and Budweiser drinkers more sentimental. To what should we ascribe the different modus operandi?
Hey Amanda,
ReplyDeleteYou picked two great examples in Budweiser and Starbucks as two companies that have really gone the extra mile in connecting their messaging through every possible communication channel. When someone thinks of the Starbucks or Budweiser brands, it’s very telling that what pops into people’s minds is something very similar to the companies’ marketing and advertising.
This is because they enhance their messaging through their social media channels as well, extending the conversation about their products in a way that allows the narrative to keep the general IMC plan of each organization. The Starbucks blog you mention is a great tool for the company to allow them to hear consumer voices and integrate it appropriately into retail locations around the country. However, it is definitely something that they should be finding ways to promote more in-store as I hadn’t known about this until you mentioned it.
I think you mention a lot of great ways above to implement this idea so it’s more widely known and used. Even doing something as simple as printing something about it on the end of the receipts or having the baristas mention it briefly as they hand you your coffee would be greatly effective in raising awareness. I definitely like your idea of implementing it into their Facebook page. In fact, this may be a more useful place for such a blog as Facebook already provides a community with rapt attention already on the brand.
I thought the Budweiser ad was also a great commercial that really got at the heart of what the Internet does best: adorable animals becoming unlikely friends. The focus of these Super Bowl ads is, of course, to gain as much attention as possible, with the end result being, hopefully, to go viral. However, do you think the ad does enough to draw attention to the Budweiser beer? It’s definitely attention grabbing and allows for great interaction through the hashtag but if one where to see #bestbuds on their Twitter feed, would they instantly get that connection to Budweiser?
Nash,
DeleteI like the interpersonal suggestions you mention here (communication via barista, etc.). We so often focus on the technology-based social media that we lose sight somewhat of the human-based social interaction.
Thanks for posting.
Mike