Can I get paid to post on Insta, too?!

A recent article in AdAge caught my attention due to its linkage with our last class on Thrillist. We talked about the challenges of combining e-commerce with editorial content, and now we’re starting to see publishers putting sponsored content on Instagram and Snapchat, and also paying other influencers to feature their products on social media.

The article first talks about Wired Magazine and Victorinox. A recent ad campaign the magazine was doing with Victorinox was done in partnership with Bethany Olson and Cory Staudacher, a recently engaged couple known for chronicling their adventures on Instagram . “What you're seeing is publishers embracing the broader media ecosystem and finding ways to create new and innovative ways to capture people's attention and retain it over time," said Adam Shlachter, chief investment officer at DigitasLBi.

Victorinox gave the couple clothes for their recent travels, including a trip to Victorinox's headquarters in Ibach, Switzerland. The couple posted content on their Instagram accounts, tagging the Victorinox brand. Some of these images will also appear in print ads in the December issue of Wired. In addition to the free gear, the couple was also paid for doing these posts. The program has generated more than 65,000 "likes" on Instagram and about 500 comments since its October 6^th launch.

InStyle magazine is also planning on doing something similar. The magazine will run custom ad campaigns on its main Instagram and Snapchat accounts. Beginning on December 8^th on InStyle’s Instagram feed (which has more than 671,000 followers), the magazine will share one post each day for five days highlighting a luxury accessories company's product. In addition, “Style in Snap” will be a campaign that InStyle will launch on Snapchat. This campaign will feature short videos for 20 days featuring 20 advertisers, including Jimmy Choo Fragrance, Chantecaille, Sisley and Aeffe. The magazine will then give these 20 items away as prizes. Along the same lines, Teen Vogue partnered with Keds to launch an Instagram contest where fans would post pictures of their outfits.

While I think these campaigns and contests drive engagement and allow brands to interact with publishers’ reader base, there are definitely risks similar to what we talked about in class. Some readers might be upset about the promotional nature of these posts, so publishers will have to be careful about maintaining their voice and brand image.

Mercedes-Benz allows Instagram users to create Custom Cars

Before social media, automobile manufacturers used websites to promote car customization.  Now, Mercedes-Benz is allowing car configuration on Instagram to promote its new car, the GLA, among millennial consumers.  Mercedes-Benz is introducing Build Your Own GLA, a program which lets users create their own custom versions of the car on Instagram (@GLA_Build_Your_Own).  

Instagram users choose their preferences among different components, such as color, wheels, roof, and grill options.  Users can easily navigate from one component to the next, through different accounts, and step-by-step by tapping on their mobile screens. There are 132 possible unique configurations of the car.

“Instagram has been a very important platform for Mercedes-Benz and continues to grow in popularity among the younger millennial consumer that we are trying to introduce the brand to,” said Mark Aikman, department manager, digital marketing and CRM at Mercedes-Benz USA. “‘Build Your Own GLA’ allows us to talk to them where they are and provide them with an interactive experience within Instagram. Instagram is also a very visual platform, and we fortunately sell very aesthetically appealing products that work well on it,” Aikman added. He added, however, that the key was to always come up with great organic content suited to the platform itself, since even though Instagram has ads now, they can’t be redirected to another landing page. Through this GLA campaign, Mercedes-Benz will be looking at engagement metrics such as overall likes, comments, and additional followers.

Mercedes-Benz isn’t the only automaker with innovative digital campaigns recently.  Acura allows fans to custom cars entirely on Twitter. Lexus developed an Oculus Rift motion simulator to give users a virtual test-drive.  Chrysler gives users virtual factory tours.

It is interesting to see how different types of consumer companies adapt to the changing millenial preferences of how they consumer content.  Brands are now embracing social media to connect with their customer, no matter how young or old.  Mercedes-Benz's Instagram campaign is a strategic marketing tactic that targets millenials and introduces them to the luxury automaker.  The best way to measure the effectiveness of the campaign will be to see how many sales of the GLA are attributed to this digital campaign.


Source: http://digiday.com/brands/mercedes-benz-lets-users-build-custom-car-instagram/