Social Media Case Study

By Cassandra Dillhoff

Introduction:

Successful marketing campaigns in the current socioeconomic climate rely on companies’ ability to remain relevant in a rapidly changing environment. Today one of the most effective modes of communication between company and consumer is social media, which is why marketing on these platforms is critical. This requires knowledge of the platform(s) to be used, and how they are most effectively utilized. Through this understanding the company may communicate their product, promotions, and even customer service and this transaction holds value for all stakeholders. (Tuten and Soloman). This paper evaluates two separate companies’ use of social media marketing through social media campaigns before comparing and contrasting them. First however, it is important to understand what constitutes a social media campaign. Everyday posting, communication, and general presence on a platform does not constitute a campaign as it is maintenance work designed to cultivate a relationship with the consumers. Social media campaigns are a marketing strategy that approach or support a business goal on social media. The platform or platforms used are unique to the audience of the company and the efforts product measurable results that are tracked to assess success (BigCommerce). Therefore, when a company pursues a social media campaign appropriately, there are specific benchmarks they want to hit in terms of various aspects of reach. Examples include consumer feedback, increased engagement with the marketing efforts or their specific website, or to positively impact sales numbers. All campaigns are utilized to improve company image and relations with their unique consumer base. Success relies on understanding of these measurable goals and outcomes as they will provide valuable feedback on what adjustments the campaign may need to make. Effective social media campaign managers will understand how to set realistic goals and measure their posting analytics to achieve them. If this work is not done, then regardless of initial success the efforts will fall short in the long run. With this background knowledge in mind a lot may be learned from existing successful campaigns. Two examples of long-term campaign success are the Office Depot/OfficeMax “Elf Yourself” and Coca-Cola Company’s “Share a Coke”. By delving into the background of these companies and their creation of these social media ventures the dos and don’ts of a successful social media marketing campaign will become clear.

Case Study #1 – Office Depot/OfficeMax’s “Elf Yourself”:

In early December of 2006 Office Depot/OfficeMax’s “Elf Yourself” social media campaign came to life. To best understand the campaign however, it is important to first take a look at the evolution of the company. OfficeMax is an office supply retailer in America, founded in 1988 on April 1^st in Cleveland Ohio. The founders were Bob Hurwitz and Michael Feuer. On February 20, 2013 OfficeMax was announced to be merging all stocks with Office Depot and became a subsidiary of Office Depot.  Office Depot, Inc is now the largest chain of office supplies in the United States of America, supplying its consumers with everything they might need for their home or corporate office. Office Depot’s history began in 1986 when it was founded by F. Patrick Sher, Stephen Doughtery, and Jack Kopkin. They became the company’s “chairman and chief executive officer, the president, and executive vice president respectively.” (Office Depot).

In early December of 2006, Office Max released one of the most well-known advertising campaigns to date, “Elf Yourself”. Initially this endeavor was merely a seasonal celebration by the company but as consumer engagement exploded the campaign took off past initial expectations. OfficeMax did not create this social media campaign on their own, their success is shared with a handful of other companies who put their own efforts in. Some companies of note on this list are the Evolution Bureau (EVB), Toy, JibJab, and OddCast. Each company added to the experience, from creation to present.

Consumers may generally expect a social media campaign to be about them, and with good reason. A typical campaign is set to sell a product or to raise positive brand awareness and the success is measured largely by the engagement of the company’s target audience. However, the “Elf Yourself” campaign does not push merchandise or even highlight the company. Positive brand awareness was factored in to the goals, but their consumers were not the intended audience. “When Bob Thacker, CMO of OfficeMax, was asked what his primary goals were in implementing the Elf Yourself viral video campaign, where viewers can upload photos and create elves of themselves or their friends or colleagues, or rolling out the world’s biggest rubber-band ball, as certified by Guinness World Records, or his recent YouTube Penny Pranks, he said it was all tied to building corporate self-esteem, recognizing that his employee base was a critical influencing factor in how successful the business was” (Davis 95). The goals of Bob Thacker are worthwhile as office supplies generally aren’t associated with fun and frivolity. Elementary school supply shopping may have been exciting as a child, but overall office supplies may be described as mundane. Bob Thacker further stated, “With Elf Yourself, for example, the objective was really to brighten the brand, give it a face, make it charming and soften up people towards accepting the brand” (Davis 95). Based on the numbers from their findings, 43% of users remembered OfficeMax and 37% of the 43% were positively influenced by the campaign to think higher of the company as well as be encouraged to shop there (Davis 95). These statistics are important because they indicate how the campaign performed.

To best understand the success however, it is important to look at how this campaign began. December of 2006 marked OfficeMax’s Elf Yourself website launch. The campaign has come a long way since then, adapting the content each year since and regularly bringing in a large number of participants. Outside of the holiday season the Elf Yourself website displays a to-the-second countdown to the next holiday Elf Yourself season. There is an option to sign up for a notification of the elves’ return and links to downloading the related apps. Each year the campaign evolves and draws in a new wave of involvement. Throughout the years this campaign has persisted, the users have consistently praised the efforts of the company and as a result the brand recognition and positive reputation grew. The only marked public discontent happened in 2008 when JibJab decided to add a registration requirement for using the Elf Yourself website. This resulted in a sharp drop in website traffic. In response the requirement was removed the following year and was replaced by the addition of social elements. Overall, the Elf Yourself campaign has been one of the most successful and long running campaigns of a United States company. Beginning with a humble website and evolving to a popular hashtag where users share their videos, Elf Yourself has done an amazing job of transforming and promoting a positive brand image. This campaign is an example of a successful social media campaign fluid enough to withstand the trials of an ever-evolving society.

Case Study #2 – Coca Cola’s Share a Coke:

Similar to Office Max, Coca-Cola is deeply rooted in American consumerism. The Coca-Cola company has humble beginnings, starting as a single soda fountain item. Coca-Cola as a new beverage was introduced to the world at Jacob’s Pharmacy on May 8^th, 1886. This combination of carbonated water and a soon to be revolutionary new syrup was a massive hit. Dr. John Stith Pemberton was the genius behind the new syrup fueling the start of the massive success that is the Coca-Cola company. Jacob’s Pharmacy sold about nine Coca-Cola drinks a day for 5 cents a glass. In partnership with Dr. Pemberton was Frank M. Robinson who worked as a bookkeeper. Frank suggested the name based on the aesthetic appeal of the two Coca-Cola Cs and how they might perform positively in advertising. The trademark Coca-Cola script was in fact Frank’s unique handwriting. Dr. Pemberton underestimated the possibility for the success of Coca-Cola and sold bits of his company over the years. Shortly before passing in 1888 he sold the remainder to Asa. G. Candler, who eventually gained control of the entire company.

Years passed and the success of the company grew, and advertising evolved past the days of oil cloth signs on store awnings. To keep up with the progression of society, Coca-Cola made the appropriate changes to stay current. Lucie Austin was the Coca-Cola South Pacific marketing director in 2011, which is when one of Coca-Cola’s largest advertising campaigns was born. The internal name for the campaign was “Project Connect” due to its goals of connecting with the Australian youth and initiating real life connections in person and virtually. When the campaign was officially launched it was labeled as “Share a Coke”.

The transition from conception to execution went well and soon the “Share a Coke” campaign was off and running. As mentioned, the “Share a Coke” marketing movement began in Australia as a way to draw in young adults and drive sales over the summer. It was noted by the marketers that Australia isn’t fond of big egos and due to the Coca-Cola company size, they were running the line already. “Share a Coke” removed the Coca-Cola name from the bottle and replaced it with common Australian names. Suddenly the product was about the consumer and consumer connection, which resonated well with the population. After the success in Australia, the rest of the world became enticed by the marketing campaign and “Share a Coke” began to spread. New Zealand was the first to pick it up after Australia, and then it moved to Asia. In 2012 the campaign left the Cannes Lions festival with seven awards and the whole world became smitten. Soon everyone was reaching out to Australia for advice on launching their own “Share a Coke” ambitions.

Clearly it can be seen from the worldwide spread of the “Share a Coke” campaign, that the marketing venture was a successful one. However, the impact of this campaign has continued throughout the years and remains a relevant topic in today’s society. When it first launched people were smitten with the personalized connection they had with a major, respected company. Consumers were also pleased with the connections they formed with each other. As time passed the campaign grew instead of fading, with new twists being made over the years and adaptive marketing techniques. Today people applaud the success Coca-Cola had with “Share a Coke” and how they were able to inspire consumers to create their own online media and connections in reaction to it. The call to action of the campaign brings people together with Coca-Cola and leaves consumers excited about how it will resurface next.

 Analysis:

The habitual resurrection of Office Max’s “Elf Yourself” and Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke” campaigns is perhaps the biggest factor the two have in common. In regard to Office Max’s “Elf Yourself”, the campaign began in early December of 2006 and has returned yearly since. Visiting the “Elf Yourself” website today presents the viewer with a countdown to when the elves will return this coming holiday season. Similarly, Coca-Cola’s 2011 “Share a Coke” campaign has repeatedly found new life through twists in the campaign that keep it new and exciting with a touch of the beloved familiar that brings comfort. Each of the two have found different ways to add new flair to their existing ideas both through internal innovation and an efficient evolution with marketing, especially when it comes to social media. The fact that they have both been such long run, relevant campaigns, is due to their intuitive consumer engagement methods. “Elf Yourself” is a great example of a company properly utilizing social media and growing with the evolution of technology. For both companies, these campaigns generated hashtags to draw their audiences together to bond over their shared experiences, create media, and bring new people in. “Elf Yourself” calls for the user to provide close up images of faces which are then placed upon the bodies of dancing elves that perform a variety of choreography. At the start of the campaign back in 2006, there was but a lone elf, but as the concept expanded and time progressed more were added. The “Share a Coke” campaign doesn’t require media to engage but sharing media of experiences with the newly named product are encouraged to create connection.

Though these campaigns have some strong similarities when it comes to engagement and long-term sustainability, there are also some key differences that set them apart from each other. Office Max is an American company, and while “Elf Yourself” may have some out of country fans, it is not a global campaign. “Share a Coke” on the other hand is a campaign that began in Australia before spreading worldwide. Coca-Cola and Office Max are both America-founded companies, but Coca-Cola grew to expand outside of the United States while Office Max did not. Another factor that sets the two apart is their product. Office Max is an office supply retailer, which covers a lot of different hard goods. The Coca-Cola company however is known for their array of beverages, and their campaign focused on their original product, Coca-Cola. With such a wide variety of office products available, it is less often that consumers bond over preferred items or brands from Office Max. Coca-Cola however evokes strong opinions from the general public, especially when someone says they prefer Pepsi. Even if someone doesn’t enjoy Coca-Cola itself, the company supplies a wide variety of other carbonated and non-carbonated beverages to choose from. In other words, Coca-Cola has more focused content than Office Max.

Though the product comparison between the two campaigns played a role in their effectiveness, it was not what pushed one ahead of the other. In the end, between these two campaigns, the Coca-Cola “Share a Coke” campaign was clearly more successful. What it comes down to is word of mouth. Both campaigns put a lot of stock in their consumers to spread word of their positive interactions with and impressions of the campaign. Office Max’s “Elf Yourself” is a popular campaign and has been going longer than “Share a Coke”, but there is no obvious connection between the company and the campaign. Those who are aware that “Elf Yourself” is an Office Max creation may view the company more favorably and therefore be more inclined to shop there, but with no obvious branding the general population may overlook the source of the entertainment. In Office Max’s case this makes sense, as the promotion was meant for the employees more than the public, but as the years continued, they would have benefitted from making their company’s ties to the event more well known. “Share a Coke” clearly promotes the Coca-Cola company globally, making it easy for consumers to understand what they are being encouraged to buy. One way that Coca-Cola achieved this success was through strategic use of geographic segmentation. “Geographic segmentation refers to segmenting markets by region, country, market size, market density, or climate” (Tuten and Solomon 38). More specifically, Coca-Cola segmented their market for this specific campaign by country. The reason this was so critical was because the campaign was based on consumers connecting with the names on the cans, and that varies from country to country. Furthermore, it is important to reiterate that this campaign began in Australia, and the marketing team based their initial concept off of cultural opinions there. Australians will spurn a company with too big of an ego, so Coca-Cola took their name off the soda and made it about the consumer.

Conclusion:

Coca-Cola outstripped Office Max with their “Share a Coke” campaign by paying close attention to segmentation and impulses, but both produced effective and long-standing campaigns. Though Coca-Cola the product has existed for quite some time longer than Office Max the company, they have both adapted well to a changing world and an evolving marketing environment. Understanding the roots of these companies and the drive behind some of their most influential campaigns explains a lot about their success and pitfalls. Both can be learned from however, as their different approaches were the result of different needs. Coca-Cola was seeking to connect with its young adult audience in Australia and drive summer product sales, and the “Share a Coke” campaign achieved that and then grew to surpass the initial goals. “Elf Yourself” was meant to change company image and bring cheer to their employees. This campaign also went past what it was expected to as the public took hold of it and the popularity grew. Both were successful in what they sought to achieve, but Coca-Cola delivered a more effective social media marketing strategy that would bring in old and new fans alike.

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