Introduction
It is necessary to mention that the role of the Internet and social media in marketing has been increasing over the last few years. Many professionals in the area have focused on the development of approaches that would help to maximize the profits. Worldwide Beverage Innovations is a company that was selected in this case. The company is specialized in the development and promotion of unique drinks, and it is quite profitable at the moment. However, its strategy has several weaknesses that must be addressed. The development of a promotional campaign that would utilize a social media platform would be highly beneficial. Peer-reviewed journals and the literature on this subject matter will be examined to ensure that proposed solutions are justified and are based on evidence.
Selection
It would be appropriate to develop a new flavor of the beverage, and focus on the product during all stages of the campaign. One of the primary reasons this selection is reasonable is that it would help to attract current and past customers at the same time.
The individuals that have tried the drink in the past may be interested in what the firm has to offer. It is hard to argue with the fact that new products make clients excited, and it is reasonable to focus on the design of the bottle and overall presentation. Also, it will be rather colorful to ensure that it captures the attention of users that see the posts via Instagram. Another reason that needs to be mentioned is that the standard flavors are already well-known and liked by customers, and it is an outstanding opportunity to establish the reputation of a new drink.
Purpose
The primary goal of the campaign is to increase the level of interest in a particular product, and the company overall. The products have gained enormous popularity. However, the problem is that the client base is rather stable, and opportunities for expansion are not explored. The firm is trying to expand in other regions, and this marketing strategy should help to facilitate the development. The primary target market is young people in the age group from 21 to 30.
The product is aimed at individuals that like to engage in a variety of activities and value their leisure time. Their attitude towards this type of drinks is mostly positive, and they prefer such aspects as quality and taste the most.
Customers demonstrate various kinds of behavior, but a significant percentage is loyal to the brand and makes purchases quite often. One of the needs that the Instagram will help to address is that many clients would like to influence the opinions of their friends regarding this product. Furthermore, they will have an opportunity to share the photos and show that the beverage is popular among many consumers. The approach is reasonable because one of the studies has shown that social factors play a critical role when it comes to buying intentions (Gunawan & Huarng, 2015).
Contest
The competition will focus on original and unique pictures that would include a new product. Only one entry from an account will be accepted each week to ensure that the contest is fair. A particular hashtag will be required to participate and receive awards. Captions that describe the benefits and qualities of the beverage will also be appreciated. The central purpose of the contest is to make clients engaged in the development of the content related to the brand and to increase the rating of the firm’s Instagram account. The photographs made by winners will be printed on billboards with all the hashtags and usernames also available.
Therefore, the contest seems like an outstanding opportunity to gain the popularity and significant numbers of followers on the social media. Moreover, it would be appropriate to introduce a website that would have polls to engage the customers, and the most attention should be devoted to fairness. Preventive measures should be taken to avoid any complications related to questionable results. The creativity of the photographs is the most valuable aspect in such contests. For instance, an individual may take a selfie with a product while he or she is skating or yachting. An appropriate caption would also help to grab the attention of the company and users that rate the pictures.
Metrics
It would be reasonable to keep track of overall sales to determine the impact that the campaign has on the behavior and decision-making of customers. Many companies offer well-developed Instagram analytics instruments, and the expenses used on the purchase are justified because the information that can be collected and analyzed is critical. The most attention should be devoted to trends and hashtags. Moreover, specific techniques such as coding should be utilized to look for the information on the Internet and determine if the campaign has managed to draw the attention of media (Dhaoui, 2014).
Engagement levels will be measured in this case. Therefore, such indicators as likes, shares, and traffic should be examined and evaluated, and it will be possible to determine correlations and relationships between particular factors. It is imperative to develop an assessment schedule to ensure that reports can be provided promptly and other issues related to time constraints are avoided.
Benefits
One of the core benefits of the campaign is that it that the range of products is aimed primarily at the same demographic that uses Instagram, and it is a critical factor. One of the unique aspects of this platform is that users share the necessary data themselves, and the company does not have to utilize enormous resources to attract the attention of consumers. One of the recent studies has shown that the experience related to food is enhanced if a person takes a picture beforehand.
Therefore, it is reasonable to focus on the incentives that would promote consumer-generated images (Coary & Poor, 2016). Such findings are rather intriguing, and more research on this subject matter would be beneficial, but it is hard to argue with the fact that this approach is beneficial to the company in the long-term. It is suggested that social media campaigns help to develop trust in the brand, and it is vital to the company at the moment (M. Barker, D. Barker, Bormann, & Neher, 2012).
Conclusion
In summary, it is possible to state that the campaign that has been developed is quite efficient, and should be considered by the enterprise. One of its primary weaknesses is that it is not original, and other enterprises in this sector have utilized similar techniques, but the fact that unique prizes are offered is critical. Overall, the development of the campaign should not take too much time or resources, and profits are expected to be significant.
References
Barker, M., Barker, D. I., Bormann, N. F., & Neher, K. E. (2012). Social media marketing: A strategic approach. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
Coary, S., & Poor, M. (2016). How consumer-generated images shape important consumption outcomes in the food domain. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 33(1), 1-8.
Dhaoui, C. (2014). What social media content is best to engage consumers? A content analysis of Facebook brand pages. In F. Bowen (Ed.), Computer-mediated marketing strategies: Social media and online brand communities (pp. 134-156). Hershey, PA: IGI Global.
Gunawan, D., & Huarng, K. (2015). Viral effects of social network and media on consumers’ purchase intention. Journal of Business Research, 68(11), 2237-2241.