Social Media and the 2009 Christmas Rush
This year is one of recovery for the retail industry as we enter “Black Friday” in the US, named as such because this is typically the day retailers generate enough revenue to get into the black or so I’ve heard. Anyway, I thought I would supply a quick list of examples on how some major brands are investing heavily into social media this Christmas season as opposed to 2008. There is a distinct increase in social media activity ahead and here are three examples.
First up is Starbucks:
Here’s a post from Econsultancy.com that outlines what Starbucks is up to. Below is an excerpt. According to Starbucks VP Chris Bruzzo, Holiday 2009 is all about scaling up Starbucks’ Holiday 2008:
It’s like we’ve taken the version 1.0 of last year and now we’re really doing it at scale and going to a lot more places where our customers already are. People are saying this is going to be a big year for social media and we’re a microcosm of that. Whereas last year it was a curiosity, this year it’s a core part of the program.
Some of Starbucks’ specific online efforts worth noting include:
- Facebook holiday photo uploads and branded virtual goods.
- A Flickr page encouraging consumers to upload holiday pictures of themselves.
- A branded playlist on Pandora, additional integration in Pandora’s iPhone app and traditional ad placements on the Pandora website.
Coca Cola:
In an article by Mediabiznet, an explanation is given as to what the beverage company is describing as their “largest social media campaign ever.” 206 countries, 365 days, 1 mission
Expedition 206, as it will be called, will send three 20-somethings to 206 countries and territories where Coca-Cola is sold. The trio set off on their 275,000 mile tour from Madrid on 1st January 2010, stocked with laptops, video cameras, smartphones and other gadgetry, in order to document their search for happiness to the masses.
Their journey will be tracked online via www.expedition206.com as well as Facebook, Flickr, YouTube and Twitter. Fans following the trio will be able to weigh in on what the trio should do and who they should see at each destination.
BestBuy:
It’s no secret that BestBuy has been pushing further into the social web than probably any other electronics retailer to date with their Blue Shirt Nation experiment at the core.
They’ve decked out their Facebook page with a Christmas theme as a start, offering gift advice, a “hint helper” to let friends and family know what you want for Christmas, a Secret Santa area, and a smattering of “Christmas carol videos.”
The New York Times reports that BestBuy is building a large TV commercial campaign around their “Twelpforce” Twitter account, said to be manned by 2500 BestBuy blue shirts with the claim that “no knows more about electronics than BestBuy employees.”
