Case Study: Orkut

Are you familiar with the social media platform Orkut? Probably not….

Orkut was Googles first social networking platform. It launched in 2004 and lasted for about 10 years before shutting down in 2014. This particular platform was most popular among its Brazilian users as research showed that 90% of the page views were accessed by users in Brazil. This is a staggering number considering just how many members they had. Within 4 months they had 50,000 communities and after just one year this grew to about 1.5 million.

Orkut used a community style structure – how did this attract the changing role of the digital consumer?

There are several ways that Orkut was able to speak to these people. Below are just a few:

The platform was community based so they could find people with like minded interests and ideas
It let users connect with people they knew as well as people they looked up to
It has an invite only membership which made it feel prestigious
The interface was user friendly

Another reason as to why this attractive platform for digital consumers was so popular amongst the Brazilian population is because of Brazil’s strong online presence. They are ranked as one of the strongest markets for online retailers and fifth largest online market in the world.

Knowing and understanding how to make a proper marketing action plan is critical in having a successful business venture. The steps needed for this plan include the following items laid out below. Which do you think Orkut succeeded in and which do you think they fell short?

Goals
Target audience
Social media choice
Resources
Policies
Monitoring
Activity Plan

Where Orkut succeeded in this list is through steps one through 5. They had clear goals, and established target audience, their social media choice was their own platform, they were able to find and use good resources and had established policies. This is what allowed them to grow so quickly and become such a favored platform in Brazil.

Now its important to look at where they fell short. What is most important to you when using social media platforms?

Orkut clearly showed they were able to successfully use a marketing action plan but they did fall short in some key areas as discussed. One of the most important areas they seemingly did not perform well was in the monitoring of the platform. When you use social media aren’t you looking for the platform to evolve with what is trending? Orkut unfortunately failed at doing so. They attracted a large number of consumers early on but then fell short in continuing to satisfy their demands. Through research it was determined that Brazilians are attracted to platforms with online video. This is something that was not easy to do with Orkut. Had they paid attention to the changes of interest in their target audience and addressed this would they still be around today? Had they had a detailed activity plan in place allowing them to really establish a timeline for monitoring their performance would people have stayed interested? It makes you wonder where other platforms such as Facebook would be today.

Mahoney, L. M., & Tang, T. (2017). Strategic Social Media: From Marketing to Social Change. Malden: Wiley Blackwell.

Case Study: Weixin

Social media has become part of every day life. True or False?

The answer to this question really depends on the social media platform and how well it knows its audience. Don’t you find that the more a social media app changes and offers more aspects that impact your life, you are more willing to use it? Weixin, a popular Chinese networking app, was able to gain success in its market due to continually getting to know its audience. By really getting to know their target audience and what they would need in their everyday life, Weixin was able to become part of peoples everyday routine.

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Weixin was able to become part of the Chinese people’s daily life by integrating technology into their customs and behaviors. One example of this is the “Red Envelope” campaign they initiated. Red Envelope is a traditional custom where people can send a red envelope of money to family and friends during the holidays. By allowing the individuals to virtually send this envelope by linking their bank account they were able to make the idea of giving a little more exciting.

Would this idea work in other countries?

While Weixin was able to become popular in China, I do wonder if they would be as successful in other countries. If they took the time to follow the steps listed above, I think they would be able to make it work in another market. That being said, one study has shown that very few companies are able to make it in a global market. Even if you get to know your audience there is a chance that that audience won’t be willing to leave a competitor.

Weixin’s features fit into their audiences needs in several ways. Some examples include

Finding their audience’s needs: by developing apps such as the Red Envelope and a separate app which will help find cabs, they honed in on what was missing in the social media app marketplace.
Inputting themselves in peoples daily lives: Their app allowed for individuals to share photos, videos and messages all from this one particular platform. Their examples included sharing photos of a new baby as well as exchanging news.
Their target audience was young smartphone users: the interests of this target group is to have everything all in one location. Being able to share all information through one platform gains loyalty.
They utilized a user friendly interface. By making the app straightforward and uncomplicated they were able to appeal to a larger number of users.

Weixin gained substantial success in a fairly short amount of time. By using the tactics previously mentioned they were able to gain 300 million users in just 3 years. This is a great example that other companies who are just starting can learn from. Success in the appeal you have to your target audience and Wiexin was able to show that.

Bergero, A. (NA). WHAT IS B2B MARKETING VS. B2C MARKETING? HOW TO USE THEM TO YOUR ADVANTAGE. Retrieved from https://www.socialtools.me/blog/en/what-is-b2b-marketing-vs-b2c-marketing-how-to-use-them-to-your-advantage/

Mahoney, L. M., & Tang, T. (2017). Strategic Social Media: From Marketing to Social Change. Malden: Wiley Blackwell.

Breast Cancer Meme Case Study

You have cancer.

This is a phrase that approximately 268,000 people, both men and women, will hear next year. That is a staggering number and something that we should be doing more to help decrease. Each year in October people all across the country take part in trying to bring awareness to this terrible disease by participating in different Breast Cancer Awareness activities. Some of these activities include social media memes. These types of campaigns on social media can include posting hidden messages as your status such as simply your name and what color bra you are wearing at the time of posting. The idea is that people will begin to wonder what all of these status’s are about and google it. These posts would look similar to what is shown below.

What is the issue with raising awareness in this way?

There was confusion as to what the posts were about
Once people figured it out the campaign was sexualized
So you have people talking about breast cancer…. But then what?

If you were one of those 268,000 people who’s lives are changed next year, would simply talking about it be enough? The individual below did not think so.

This breast cancer awareness meme didn’t do enough and fell short of the mobilization and impact it could have had. A better way to promote the cause as well as invoke action would be to add just a little blurb at the end saying “Once you figure it out do the same and DONATE”. The truth is, some people won’t donate and will simply post again, but some people will… and every little bit will help find a cure for cancer.

What more could people do than simply following these campaign instructions?

Don’t you find that when you hear a story that makes you feel emotional and connected you are more willing to step up and help? If it speaks to you, you want to do more. The creation of emotional real life experiences for users is one of the biggest indicators of mobilization success. Getting people to act one what they are seeing.

Posting personal stories and asking others to also post their stories might get people to act on it – it will drive people to want a cure for the disease so nobody else has to experience what those individuals have. This will hopefully promote mobilization and donations. Cyberactivism is just this – it is the idea of using internet based styles of communication in order to promote, create or manage activism.

Companies can incorporate this type of awareness creating brand authenticity. If companies promote and donate and encourage individuals to do the same, they are showing that they are supportive of their audience and clients. There are some companies that are already doing this by donating their sales and selling products that promote breast cancer awareness. One of these is the company Aerie. Below is one of their shirts they sold and promoted. By promoting and donating their sales they are creating brand authenticity.

Next time you see a social media campaign such as this will you consider doing more than simply reposting a vague message? Will you be part of the solution? Will you support brands and businesses who are trying to do just that?

Warby Parker – Case Study

Online based businesses and businesses using social media for their marketing are common place now in 2019, but that was not always the case. In 2010, a group of classmates from the University of Pennsylvania decided to break the mold of business and advertising by opening an eye glass shop, Warby Parker, by utilizing only online distribution. They marketed the idea through YouTube videos and social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Below shows business objectives and how to attain and measure using social media.

Image result for social media marketing how to — https://blog.hootsuite.com/how-to-create-a-social-media-marketing-plan/

Social media technology was a great help in carrying out the new business model for Warby Parker. How many times have you seen an advertisement scrolling Facebook, or a “how-to” video on YouTube that just made you want to try the product? Sometimes it’s what you are looking for and didn’t know the actual product existed or it’s something that you didn’t know you needed until you saw it. Since Warby Parker didn’t have any overhead costs associated with their business they were able to spend more time and money on creating solid products.

Aren’t you more likely to purchase products you see your friends like? Social media allows word of mouth marketing to play a role in their alternative business model also. Nielson reported that 92% of people believe suggestions from friends and family more than advertising. By asking people to post pictures of themselves wearing their glasses on their own social media they were gaining the trust of thousands of people over time. If the company were to use more traditional media environment, they would have faced several challenges. First, they would not have been able to launch their company with only a $2500 investment. This could have potentially increased the cost of the glasses they were selling, as well as impacted the reach the company had with a lower budget.

One of the things Warby Parker had to do in order to be successful was reduce dissonance for consumers that might want to switch. One of the things that would have been conflicting to consumers is having to purchase the glasses without trying them on. This is something we are all so used to – can you imagine wearing something everyday, that changes your entire face and look, without once seeing how it looks on? In order to combat this issue Warby Parker created YouTube videos showing how their business was different but also how to use them. One of the other things the company did to reduce dissonance was to allow the consumers to order up to five pairs of glasses and then return the ones that they didn’t like. Aren’t you more willing to purchase products if you know the returns are simple and easy? This is exactly what the company was going for.

While the business model was new to consumers they were able to be successful. They sold over 500,000 pairs of glasses and also began donating pairs for every one that was purchased. By using social media they were able to gain a following and interest with a much smaller investment and budget than would have otherwise been needed. As companies continue to follow this model we as consumers, are able to get really awesome products for lower costs than the big brick and mortar stores. This is something that gets me excited, does it excite you too?