An Instagram Video Success Story

Michael Kors is an example of a recent Instagram marketing success story. As this article explains, they recently unveiled longer video ads (the new “Marquee” tool) -- breaking the ground for all other brands. And it worked, as proven by “increased awareness,” “ad recall,” and ultimately more site visits. They also made sure to then market to the Instagram consumers on Facebook, showing an integrated approach across the two platforms.

I have talked about Instagram/Facebook video marketing before on the blog (e.g., regarding Macy’s holiday campaign), so I found it super exciting to see how well this can work through this Michael Kors example. The article notes how this brand has been known for being an “early adopter” of social media (including Instagram) marketing. So, it will be very interesting to see how other brands follow their lead and continue to use the tool moving forward as well.

http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/michael-kors-bet-big-instagram-marquee-ads-and-its-paying-168493

- Allison Kuncik

Navigating Reddit

Recently in class we have discussed the power of Reddit. This article looks at that directly. It explains how brands tend to be scared of Reddit – perhaps because of failures cited in the article like that of REI. But what experts, like the firm Ghost Influence, say they are doing wrong is to explicitly marketing on Reddit, which backfires – rather this form recommends that on Reddit, companies “unbrand their marketing.” A good successful example cited is GoPro. There is also a list of 5 recommendations for Reddit marketing listed, which I found compelling.

I thought this article was really interesting in light of our recent class lectures and discussions. Also, I have gone to Reddit before to get advice on products and what to buy, so it is interesting to think about a company being involved in that conversation. I tend to be more interested in what actual users have to say (which some of the article commenters seem to agree with). But, given what a critical forum it is, it also seems like it would be a missed opportunity for the brands themselves to not get involved in the conversation. But of course, as the article highlights, how they get involved is very important.

http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/marketing-reddit-scary-these-success-stories-show-big-potential-168278

- Allison Kuncik

Macy's on Social Media

 Is this the Miracle on the Instagram Feed?

Building off of what we discussed about social media in class, Macy’s provides a great example of social media marketing this holiday season. As explained in this article, they have a variety of Instagram and Facebook advertising plans in place. What’s more, they are using Facebook and Instagram together very effectively, to “re-target” people on Facebook who saw their Instagram ads. Specifically, they are using video ads, shown differently on Instagram and Facebook (e.g., shorter videos on Instagram, longer on Facebook), as described and shown in the article (watch them! I may or may not have teared up a bit…). The article also specifically describes some of the formats/platforms they are using like Canvas and Marquee.

I found it to be a super interesting read that puts to life how brand strategies are evolving in our social media world. I particularly think it’s interesting how they are using video and how they are linking Instagram and Facebook. Definitely check it out! I’ll be on the lookout for these ads this season!

http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/how-macys-will-target-its-facebook-and-instagram-ads-holidays-168243

- Allison Kuncik