For our final project in Social Media and Innovation we had to come up with a creative way to explain or relay social media and what it is all about. Being an advertising major I decided to look at social media as if it were a brand and I was advertising the brand. So I put together a few advertisements and a mock website that the consumers would go to. Both of these hopefully explain social media...
Kin is a new phone that Verizon has put out. Looking at the phone it does not look like anything extraordinary or much different from others. What truly makes the difference with the Kin phone is the marketing campaign they have created centered around social media. Kin's marketing is based off of real life and the integration of social media in each of our lives. Kin's Facebook page is probably getting most of the attention, because of a series of real life interactions that are posted on this page. Kin's advertising campaign is composed of real life situations caught on video called "The Journey". The phone company connected with a girl named, Rosa, gave her a Kin phone and sent her on a journey to connect face to face with her social network. So as Rosa travels across the country and finally meets her social network each meeting is filmed and posted for viewers to watch. I really am amazed at this integration of real life, social networking and a product. They have advertised this "experiment" on television and I believe it is highly effective with the108,467 facebookers who "like" Kin's page. It strongly shows how influential social networking is in our lives. It is true that there are people that we have never been face to face with yet they highly effect our social existence. The makers of Kin have realized that social networking is here to stay and is a huge part of our everyday lives so they centered a phone and a marketing campaign on the effect of social media on us personally. It is intriguing and entertaining to watch and represents not only real life, but the Kin phone very well. They also stay connected to their fans on Facebook, they are constantly commenting on people's comments and suggestions.
When learning about social media I think there is a point where it just clicks and you realize, "I cannot not do this". My parents are photographers and have a business on the side. It is both of their dream to run this business full time and quit their day jobs. Recently my dad heard of a photographer who never advertises, she only has a strong facebook and social media presence. This was their clicking moment. As much as I had urged them to be on facebook, twitter, and in the blogging world it wasn't until they heard this that they were sold.
In the past few weeks I have gotten nonstop emails, calls and texts asking how do you set up this and what should I do about that. They have finally bought into this lego-like affect that connects and expands to build something huge and far beyond one person or element, social networking.
I was home recently and was driving through Piqua, a neighboring town to where I live in Ohio. Piqua might have it's attractive points, a corner or two, but for the most part it's far from Mayberry. I passed an old rootbeer stand that looked so pathetic if it didn't have an open sign you would think it was shut down. Then I was immediately amazed when their sign that would normally list specials I would think said, "find us on facebook". So I took that challenge and was a bit amazed at what I found. This tiny rootbeer stand in a small town has almost 1,000 fans and is continually growing. This facebook fan page is nonstop updated with status updates on how business is going and what specials they have going on. People have been tagging them in their status updates and telling their friends to become fans also. People who live in other states are posting things like, "Cannot wait until my next visit to Piqua. So I can have my Spanish hot dog, and a frosty Rootbeer!".
Just through their simple sign, directing people to facebook, they have identified their fan base and can now adjust their servics to meet the customer and community needs. Advertising is a huge bonus also. Small town word of mouth is still used I am sure, but this expands that idea and reaches much farther than it would. Through these two examples I have seen recently it seems that this idea of social media and networking is clicking all over the place.
Since it’s beginning in June of 2005, Etsy has become the world's most vibrant handmade marketplace. Etsy is an online marketplace for buying and selling all things handmade and Vintage. Etsy allows anyone to search online, find and purchase handmade items, supplies, vintage items and art made and supplied by Etsy sellers.
Unlike other online marketplaces, Etsy clearly emphasizes the importance of being not just a company, but also an online community. This is what the starters of Etsy believed in. Etsy was founded by Rob, Chris, Haim and Jared in 2005 out of Brooklyn, New York. They largely give opportunities for networking between sellers to sellers. This connection inspires creativity through visual learning with how-to’s, tutorials, and conversations between established and potential sellers. According to Etsy.com, Etsy’s mission is to “enable people to make a living making things, and to reconnect makers with buyers.”
Communities are even built on a smaller level by the Street Team application. Sellers and creators can connect online to other sellers in their state or city and interact not just through forums, blogs and conversations, but in person with weekly or monthly creative meetings. The online marketplace is no longer impersonal and cut in dry, when the only interaction made is leaving feedback or verifying an address. I believe that online shopping is headed in a way that creates a personal seller to customer relationship and with this trust is established. Social media is heavily used in Etsy's online community and its extensions. It has proved that it is working greatly as the word spreads and more and more decide to participate on Etsy.
After a long avoidance of actually starting a blog. I find I have given in. I plan on learning much, pushing myself to express my ideas and thoughts more and expand my creativity.
Creating is my passion. Graphic Design, Stage Design, Jewelry making and designing are my current obsessions.
