October 15th, 2009 by Richard Lee
Social Media Success Stories – BlogWorld Expo 2009
Social Media Success Stories – BlogWorld Expo 2009
Speakers:
Samantha Gammell (Oscar Mayer / Kraft), Justin Levy (Caminito Argentinean Steakhose), Brian Wiegand, Frank Eliason
This session explores Social Media case studies and success stories
Frank Eliason
Comcast Cares
- Twitter handle: @comcastcares
- Passionate not about products, passionate about customers
- Passion is important
- Look at Zappos, passionate about company culture, employees, brand, and passionate about customers! or Gary V being passionate about wine.
- Tie results to purchases
- One Tweet Resolution = resolve problems quickly
Facebook = great place to meet with people you already know
Facebook = not a great place to meet people you don’t already know (compared to Twitter)
Samantha Gammell
Oscar Mayer / Kraft
- Better engage consumers and expand customer interaction
- Weingermobile has been around for 22 years
- Using HotDoggerBlog.com as a microsite to engage customers
- 20,000 visitors a month
- 2600 followers on twitter (@HotDogger / @Wienermobile)
- Good traffic to their YouTube page too
- Great sentiment, people love the WeinerMobile!
Justin Levy
Caminito Argentinean Steakhouse
- Partner in a Steakhouse in Boston
- Initially losing 10% to 20% a month
- Justin’s Chef/partner spent 80% on marketing budget on small town newspaper
- Targeted Google = Up 20% in profits (actually up 40% to overcome 20% loss)
- Targeted Google SEO = Up 20% in profits
Brian Wiegand
JellyFish.com
- 18 months only, 100% social media, no paid advertising, sold to Microsoft
Alice.com
- Launched 15 weeks ago
- Sell Toilet Paper and everyday essentials online (You wouldn’t think but there is a lot of energy around these products, but there is!)
- Prices are the same as Walmart
- Always free shipping, combined with a Netflix feel
- Gather Social Data: i.e. She’s a great mother, what type of diapers she uses; She’s beautiful what type of make up does she uses
- Reach out to Mommy Bloggers
Panel Q&A:
- Be the first, the leader of an industry
- Comcast, Dell, Cirque = great examples
- Social Media = Humanize your brand
- Don’t just create corporate policies, but also provide tools, rules and methods for your employees to deal with Social Media
- My job isn’t to build Twitter – My job is to meet customers where they already are
- Go to where your community is already are
If you could do over:
Brian Wiegand:
Hire a little better, who already understand social media (more experience and knowledge – not everyone is a fit, don’t force it.)
Samantha Gammell:
Make sure you have the resources and people. If you start, you can’t stop. Make sure you have the time and money to staff it.
Justin Levy:
Wished we used Twitter, like KojiBBQ, tweet events, locations, drive customers
Frank Eliason:
Frank’s only statement was to ask everyone to use the #beatcancer hastag 6pm today to support the cause.
[Note: as a result of all the organizers, speakers, attendees and supporters of BlogWorld Expo, the hash tag #beatcancer not only raised money but also helped make this initiative reach a world record at #bwe09 for largest social media push in in a 24 hour period!]