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Top 3 Social Media Case Studies to Inspire You in 2024

Discover three successful case studies on social media marketing from top brands and learn how to create one. Benefit from their strategies and mistakes to ensure the success of your next campaign.

Social media is every marketer’s safe haven for branding and marketing.

And why not?

More than 50% of the population is active on social media, and more are signing up with every passing second.

In a recent poll by HubSpot, 79% of the respondents have made a purchase after seeing a paid advertisement on social media .

This isn’t just a happenstance.

It’s the constant efforts that these brands put behind their dynamic presence on social media, that counts.

But how do they captivate their customers’ attention for this long despite the budding competitors?

Well, that’s something that we’ll reveal in this blog.

We shall assess 3 different case studies on social media marketing by top brands who are best in their niches. Their game is simple yet effective.

How effective? Let’s take a look.

Social Media Case Study 1: Starbucks

Starbucks and social media are a match made in heaven. Being one of the sensational brands online, they are stirring the social media world with their strong presence.

They brew the right content to elevate the experiences of their coffee lovers. But how do they nail marketing with perfection every single time? Let’s find out.

Starbucks in Numbers

Starbucks mastered the advertising transition from offline fame to online undertaking. They use each social media with a varied goal to target pitch-perfect reach. Drawing in more customers than ever before, they strike the right balance in content across multiple platforms.

Key Takeaways

Though not every company has a Starbucks budget to promote and spend lavishly on social media marketing, here are some quick takeaways that will undoubtedly help.

1. Chasing Trends

Be it any event, brands must take the advantage to showcase their viewpoints and opinions. Successful brands like Starbucks jump into the bandwagon and leave no stone unturned to make their voice count in the trending list.

Here’s one such social media campaign example from Starbucks.

Starbucks is a firm believer in LGBTQ+ rights. When the pride wave surged, Starbucks came forward and reinstated its belief through the #ExtraShotOfPride campaign.

Starbucks joined hands with the Born This Way Foundation to raise $250K to support the LGBTQ+ community. Throughout the social media campaign, they shared quotes and stories of various Starbucks employees cherishing the pride spirit.

2. Less is More

Social media is not about quantity but quality. Starbucks follows the “less is more” principle to maintain the quality standards, even in the caption. Spamming followers’ feeds with constant posting is a big no-no. Starbucks shares 5-6 posts per week on Instagram and 3-4 weekly posts on Facebook .

Creative and crisp! That’s what defines a Starbucks caption. This post with 111+k likes is no exception. Nothing is better than a minimalist post with a strong caption.

3. User Generated Content is the King

Ditch the worry of creating content every day when you can make use of user generated content. Starbucks makes sure to retweet or post its loyal customers’ content. User generated content postings starkly improve brand credibility.

Look at this Facebook post made out of customers’ tweets. The new Oatmilk drink got the appreciation shower by some, and Starbucks couldn’t resist but share it with others. It saved them efforts on content brainstorming, plus they got free PR.

4. Building Rapport

Building rapport with the audience is an unsaid rule to brand fame. Social media has now taken the onus of dispensing quality service by aiding brands in prompting faster replies .

Starbucks is always on its toe to respond to customers actively solving concerns, expressing gratitude, or reposting. That kind of proactive service definitely deserves love and adoration.

5. Loads of campaigns

Starbucks is known for its innovative social media campaigns. Be it a new product launch or any festivity around the corner, Starbucks always turns up with a rewarding campaign.

In this social media campaign example, Starbucks introduced #RedCupContest with prizes worth $4500 during Christmas of 2016. A new entry came every 14 seconds.

The grand total of entries was a whopping 40,000 in just two days. Indeed Starbucks knows how to get the most out of the festive fever.

6. Content mix

Last but not least, the content mix of Starbucks is inspiring. They create tailored content for every platform.

The official youtube channel of Starbucks comprises content in varied hues. From recipes to even series, Starbucks is the ultimate pioneer of experimenting.

Even on Instagram, they use all the features like Guides, Reels, and IGTV without affecting their eye-popping feed. Starbucks also follows the design consistency for its aesthetic content mix.

Starbucks has proved time and again to be a customer-centric brand with their unrelenting efforts.

Social Media Case Study 2: Ogilvy & Mather

Ogilvy & Mather needs no introduction. Founded by David Ogilvy, the ‘Father of Advertising’ in 1948, the agency continues the legacy of revolutionizing marketing long before the advent of social media.

The iconic agency helps several Fortune 500 companies and more make a massive impact on their audiences worldwide.

Ogilvy & Mather knows its game too well and never fails to astonish. Not just high-profile clients, Ogilvy nails its marketing with perfection every single time.

Keep on reading.

Ogilvy & Mather in Numbers

They use social media to target pitch-perfect reach. Drawing in more hype than ever before, they know how to strike the right balance and bring out emotions with their heart-warming campaigns.

Not every company has David Ogilvy’s legacy or even affluent clients to boast of, but here are some quick takeaways that will undoubtedly help you become a pro marketer.

1. Integrating Values

Ogilvy stands apart from the crowd, creating trends. They leave no stone unturned to communicate values.

Proud Whopper is one such social media campaign by Ogilvy that was an instant hit on the internet. People were offered whoppers in rainbow-colored wrappers, with a note that said, “Everyone’s the same on the inside.” This was to reinstate the importance of LGTQ+ rights.

The campaign got 1.1 billion impressions, $21 million of earned media, 450,000 blog mentions, 7 million views, and became the #1 trending topic on Facebook and Twitter.

Ogilvy made a remarkable #Tbt video to honor this momentous event showcasing their supremacy in creating impactful campaigns.

2. Quality over Quantity

Ogilvy believes in the “ Quality supremacy ” to maintain their high standards, even in post captions.

Arbitrary posting isn’t a part of their agenda. They share 5-7 posts on Instagram and Facebook weekly.

Direct and very precise. That’s what defines an Ogilvy caption. This post is no exception. They have exhibited the success of their client work by describing the motive behind the campaign and sharing the ad they created for raising awareness.

3. Adding Credibility

Won awards? It’s time to boast! Because that’s the most authentic way of establishing trust among your clients. It bears proof of your excellence.

Look at this pinned Twitter post. Ogilvy won the Global Network of the Year by the very prestigious London International Awards. It also earned Regional Network of the year for Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Europe.

What better than this to give its audience an idea about Ogilvy’s roaring success and undoubted potential?

4. Being Innovative

Building rapport with the audience is an unsaid rule to brand fame. And that’s why you need to tell stories. Social media has become an indispensable medium to spread your stories far and wide.

Ogilvy shares its historical tale of existence and how it has adapted to the challenges of the changing world. The team extensively talks about their adaptation to the latest trends to stay on top always.

5. Brainstorming Uniqueness

Being unique is what propels you on social media. People are always looking for brands that do something different from the herd. So your task each day is undeniably brainstorming unique content.

KFC wanted more of its customers to use its app. Well, Ogilvy and KFC decided to hide a secret menu in the app, which was a mass invitation for the download without being salesy at all. Results? Downloads up by 111% at launch!

6. Inspire Your Peeps

Inspiration is everywhere. But how do you channelize and mold it as per your brand guidelines? The renowned brands move their audience, filling them with a sense of realization. Who doesn’t seek validation? We all need quotes and inspiration to live by.

Ogilvy has dedicated its entire Pinterest profile to inspiration. The profile has numerous insightful infographics that encourage you to pursue marketing when your spirits run low. And that’s how it brings out the very essence of being the marketing leader: by inspiring its followers.

Got some good ideas for your branding? We have created templates and tools to help you execute them hassle-free. Tread on further and download the Trending Hashtag Kit for 2024 to get into action.

Social Media Case Study 3: PewDiePie

YouTube king with 111 Million subscribers on PewDiePie Channel, Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg, has defied all norms. One of the most prolific content creators of the decade, Felix was on the list of World’s 100 Most Influential People by Time Magazine in 2016.

Needless to say, he is still relevant to this day and has a massive following on social media. Not just for branding, the Swedish YouTuber leveraged social media to give himself a new identity and opened doors to fame and a successful career.

What was the cause of this extraordinary trajectory?

Let’s find out.

PewDiePie in Numbers

PewDiePie likes to keep his social media raw and unfiltered. That’s why subscribers love to have a glimpse of his everyday life and follow him on other social media platforms as well. Here’s a quick snapshot of that.

Felix took the early bird advantage and started creating content when it wasn’t even popular practice. We can’t go back in time, but we can definitely learn a lot from his social media success.

1. Start Now

If you are still skeptical about making the first move, then don’t. Stop waiting and experiment. It’s better late than never.

Social media is in favor of those who start early because then you create surplus content to hold your audience . You quench their thirst for more quality content.

PewDiePie started creating videos in 2011 and live-streamed his gaming sessions with commentaries. It was something new and completely original. Ever since, he has continued to make thousands of videos that entertain his audience.

2. Gather Your Tribe

Being a content creator, PewDiePie knows his act of engaging his audience very well. He strives to build lasting connections and encourages two-way communication. As a result, his followers like to jump onto his exciting challenges.

Felix treasures his gaming community. He frequently asks his followers to take screenshots and turn them into funny memes . He gives them tasks to keep them engaged and amused .

3. Collaboration and Fundraising

Once you reach the stage and gain popularity, people want to see more of you with their favorite personalities. That’s what Felix does.

He collaborates with multiple YouTubers and brands and puts out exclusive content for his followers. He also goes for multiple fundraising campaigns to support vital causes and social wellbeing.

Here’s one such social media campaign example. PewDiePie supported the CRY foundation and raised $239000 in just one day to bring a positive impact for children in India. He thanked all for their contribution and taking active participation towards a noble cause.

4. Keep it Real

Felix likes to keep his content fluff-free. You get to witness raw emotions from an unfiltered life. This instantly appeals to the audience and makes the posts more relatable .

Apart from that, he also uses storytelling techniques to narrate his experiences, adding a very personalized touch to each of the videos.

Here’s a video of Felix where he and Ken from CinnamonToastKen discuss what can be possibly done with a million dollars around the world. The topic is quite intriguing.

More than 3.8M people have watched it and 216K of them liked it as well, proving that you need not always sweat to create complex content. Even the simplest ones can make the cut.

How to Write a Social Media Marketing Case Study

Many small businesses struggle when it comes to social media marketing. But guess what? Small businesses can slay the competition with a powerful tool: A case study on social media.

These social media case studies are success stories that prove your hustle is paying off. Here’s how to weave a case study that showcases your small business wins:

Building Your Brag Book

• Pick Your Perfect Project:  Did a specific social media campaign drive a surge in sales? Highlight a product launch that went viral. Choose a project with impressive results you can showcase.
• DIY Interview:  Don’t have a fancy marketing team? No worries! Record yourself talking about your challenges, goals, and the strategies that made a difference.
• Data Dive:  Track down social media analytics! Look for growth in followers, website traffic driven by social media, or engagement metrics that show your efforts are working.

Now that you have all the ingredients, it’s time to cook a brilliant case study

Crafting Your Case Study

• Headline Hunt:  Grab attention with a clear and concise headline. Mention your business name and a key achievement (e.g., “From 100 to 10,000 Followers: How We Grew Our Bakery’s Social Buzz”).
• Subheading Scoop:  Briefly summarize your success story in a subheading, piquing the reader’s interest and highlighting key takeaways.
• The Business Struggle:  Be honest about the challenges you faced before tackling social media. This will build trust and allow other small businesses to connect.
• DIY Social Strategies:  Share the social media tactics you used, such as engaging content formats, community-building strategies, or influencer collaborations.
• Numbers Don’t Lie:  Integrate data and visuals to support your story. Include charts showcasing follower growth or screenshots of top-performing posts.
• Simple & Straightforward:  Use clear, concise language that’s easy to understand. Bullet points and short paragraphs make your case study digestible and showcase your professionalism.

Remember: Your social media marketing case studies are a chance to celebrate your achievements and build businesses. So, tell your story with pride, showcase your data-driven results, and watch your brand recognition soar

Social media campaigns are winning hearts on every platform. However, their success rates largely depend on your year-round presence. That’s why being consistent really does the trick.

To excel further at your social media marketing, use our FREE Trending Hashtag Kit and fill your calendar with everyday content ideas.

On downloading, you get 3000+ hashtags based on each day’s theme or occasion. You also get editable design templates for hassle-free social media posting.

What are you waiting for? Download now.

Frequently Asked Questions

🌟 How do I start a social media campaign idea?

Here’s how you can start a social media campaign:

• Finalize your campaign goals
• Brainstorm personas
• Pick a social media channel
• Research your competitors and audience
• Finalize an idea that’s in trend
• Promote the campaign
• Start the campaign
• Track the performance

🌟 What are the different types of social media campaigns?

Different types of social media campaigns are:

• Influencer Campaigns
• Hashtag Challenges

🌟 Why is social media campaign important?

Social media campaigns have various benefits:

• Boost traffic
• Better Conversions
• Cost-effective Marketing
• Lead Generation
• PR & Branding
• Loyal Followers

🌟 What are some of the best social media campaign tools?

Some of the best social media campaign tools are:

• SocialPilot

🌟 What are the top social media sites?

The top social media sites are:

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Sparsh Sadhu

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15 Marketing Case Study Examples With Standout Success Stories

Some marketing campaigns leave a lasting impression. We’ve gathered insights from CEOs and marketing leaders to share one standout marketing case study that resonates with them.

Tomas Laurinavicius

Table of Contents

Dove’s real beauty campaign impact, oatly’s bold brand strategy, rockervox’s tax credit success, local bookstore’s community engagement, coca-cola’s personalized brand experience, dropbox’s viral referral program, authentic influencer marketing for cpg brand, airbnb’s “we accept” social impact, amul’s topical and humorous campaigns, axe’s “find your magic” brand refresh, squatty potty’s humorous viral video, old spice’s viral humor campaign, red bull stratos’s high-flying publicity, maple dental’s seo success story, dollar shave club’s viral launch video.

Some marketing campaigns leave a lasting impression.

We’ve gathered insights from CEOs and marketing leaders to share one standout marketing case study that resonates with them.

From Dove’s Real Beauty Campaign’s impact to Dollar Shave Club’s viral launch video, explore fifteen memorable marketing triumphs that these experts can’t forget.

• AXE’s ‘Find Your Magic’ Brand Refresh

One marketing case study that has always stayed with me is the Dove Real Beauty Campaign. It really struck a chord when it launched in 2004, challenging the beauty standards and celebrating women’s diversity. What made it stand out was the “Real Beauty Sketches” video, where women described themselves to a sketch artist. Seeing the stark contrast between their self-perceptions and how others saw them was incredibly eye-opening and touching.

What I found so compelling about this campaign was its message of self-acceptance and empowerment. Dove didn’t just try to sell products; they took a stand for something much bigger, and it resonated deeply with people. Using video storytelling was a genius move as it made the message more impactful and shareable. I believe Dove showed how brands can make a real difference by addressing important social issues in an authentic and meaningful way.

Nicole Dunn , CEO, PR and Marketing Expert, Dunn Pellier Media

As a content and brand marketer, Oatly’s brand strategy always inspires me. They are a textbook example of comprehensive brand-building.

Their visual style is instantly recognizable—bold, disruptive, and often filled with humor, making oat milk a statement and something you’d be proud to display on your shelves or socials.

Their tone of voice is witty, sometimes cheeky. They’ve even printed negative feedback on their packaging, which really just shows how they court controversy to spark conversations and enhance their brand’s visibility.

And there’s a strong story behind Oatly, too. They promote sustainability and aren’t shy about their environmental impact, which has simply helped them grow an enthusiastic community of environmental advocates. Clever in endless ways, such that tons of oat milk brands have followed suit.

Wisia Neo , Content Marketing Manager, ViB

One standout marketing case study that sticks with me is the implementation of our RockerVox Restaurant Bundle, aimed at optimizing cash flow through targeted use of employer-based tax credits. The power of this case study lies in its immediate financial impact on the client, a local restaurant chain that was struggling to keep its doors open in the wake of the pandemic.

By integrating the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) and other relevant tax schemes into their payroll setup, we enabled the restaurant to reclaim a significant amount in tax credits. The real game-changer was not just the financial relief but also how it was achieved. We combined this with StaffedUp’s Applicant Tracking System, which improved their hiring processes and decreased employee turnover. This holistic approach led to a sustainable improvement in their operations and cash flow.

What made this case study so great was its tangible results. The restaurant saw a cash flow improvement of over 100%. This wasn’t just a number on a report—it meant being able to invest back into the business, enhance their services, and ultimately, keep their community fed and employed. This approach of integrating technology with financial strategy can be adapted by other businesses striving for similar resilience and growth, especially in times of economic difficulty.

Philip Wentworth, Jr , Co-Founder and CEO, Rockerbox

Certainly, one particularly impactful marketing strategy I led at FireRock Marketing involved a small local bookstore that was facing steep competition from online retailers. Our challenge was to increase foot traffic and reinforce the store’s brand presence in a highly digitalized market.

We initiated a campaign called “Local Pages, Local Stages,” where we leveraged digital marketing alongside community engagement. The bookstore held monthly events featuring local authors and artists, which we promoted heavily through targeted social media ads, email marketing, and local influencer partnerships. This multifaceted approach tapped into the community’s growing interest in supporting local ventures, enhancing visibility significantly.

The outcomes were remarkable. Over the campaign’s six-month duration, in-store sales increased by 40%, and the bookstore saw a 65% rise in attendance at events, which also boosted ancillary revenue from merchandise and cafe sales. Additionally, social media engagement metrics increased by over 150%, reflecting greater brand awareness.

This case study sticks with me because it exemplifies the power of combining digital strategies with community-based marketing to create a sustainable growth model. It shows how businesses can use holistic, integrated approaches to effectively adapt to new consumer behaviors and competitive landscapes.

Ryan Esco , Chief Marketing Officer, FireRock Marketing

A memorable marketing case study is the “Share a Coke” campaign by Coca-Cola. Initially launched in Australia in 2011, this campaign personalized the Coke experience by replacing the iconic Coca-Cola logo on bottles with common first names.

The idea was to encourage people to find bottles with their names or those of their friends and family, creating a more personal connection to the brand. The campaign was an enormous hit and was quickly rolled out worldwide, incorporating more names and even terms of endearment in different languages.

The brilliance of this campaign lay in its use of personalization, which tapped directly into the social media trend of sharing personal moments. People enthusiastically shared their personalized Coke bottles on various social media platforms, significantly amplifying the campaign’s reach beyond traditional advertising media.

This strategy boosted sales and reinforced Coca-Cola’s position as a fun and innovative brand. The “Share a Coke” campaign is a powerful example of how traditional products can be revitalized through creative marketing strategies that engage consumers personally.

Sahil Kakkar , CEO and Founder, RankWatch

For me, a standout marketing case study that really sticks with me is Dropbox’s referral program strategy back in their early days. By offering free storage space for every successful referral, they incentivized existing users to spread the word organically, resulting in exponential growth at virtually no acquisition cost.

What made this case study so brilliant was how elegantly it aligned product experience with viral sharing. Users had a vested interest in sharing Dropbox since it directly expanded their own cloud storage. This created a self-perpetuating cycle where better product engagement fueled more referrals, which then improved engagement further.

It was an ingenious lever that capitalized on the inherent sharing dynamics of their service to ignite explosive growth. The simplicity and potency of this growth hack is what truly resonates as a paragon of effective guerrilla marketing.

Ben Walker , Founder and CEO, Ditto Transcripts

One marketing case study that has always stuck with me was a campaign I led for a major CPG brand a few years back. The goal was to increase awareness and trial of their new line of organic snacks among millennial moms in a crowded market.

We developed an influencer seeding strategy focused on relatable mom micro-influencers on Instagram. Instead of just sending products, we worked with the influencers to develop authentic content that told real stories about the role of snacking and nutrition in busy family life. The photos and videos felt genuine, not overly polished or promotional.

Engagement was through the roof—the content resonated so strongly with the target audience. By the end of the 3-month campaign, we increased awareness by 45% and trial by over 20%. The CPG brand was thrilled, and the case study became an example we still reference today of the power of influencer marketing done right. Authenticity wins.

Gert Kulla , CEO, RedBat.Agency

One marketing case study that stuck with me was the Airbnb “We Accept” campaign, launched in 2017, focusing on social impact. This response to the global refugee crisis aimed to promote inclusivity, diversity, and acceptance within communities worldwide.

What made this case study remarkable was its ability to leverage the Airbnb platform to facilitate connections between hosts and displaced persons, providing them with temporary housing and support.

Airbnb demonstrated its commitment to using its platform for social good and making a tangible difference in the lives of those in need. This aligned with its mission to create a world where anyone can belong anywhere.

At the end of the day, Airbnb’s “We Accept” campaign was a compelling case study showing brands how to address social issues, promote inclusivity, and drive positive change in communities worldwide.

Peter Bryla , Community Manager, ResumeLab

One standout marketing case study that sticks with me is the “Amul” marketing campaigns by Amul, the iconic Indian dairy cooperative, make for excellent and impactful case studies as well. Here’s why Amul’s marketing stands out:

The Amul Girl – The mascot of a mischievous, friendly butter girl has become one of India’s most recognizable brand icons since her inception in 1966. Her presence on topical ads commenting on the latest news and pop culture trends has made Amul’s billboards a long-standing source of joy and relevance.

Topicality – Amul’s billboards and newspaper ads are renowned for their topicality and ability to humorously comment on major events, celebrity happenings, and political developments within hours. This real-time marketing has kept the brand part of daily conversations for decades.

Humor – The not-so-secret sauce is the brilliant use of puns, wordplay, and satirical humor that Amul consistently delivers through the eyes of the Amul Girl. The healthy, inoffensive jokes have earned a cult following.

Longevity – Very few brands can boast an equally iconic and successful campaign running for over 50 years, still keeping audiences engaged across multiple generations. The long-running property itself has become a case study in sustaining relevance.

Local Connect – While achieving pan-India recognition, the puns often play on regional language nuances, striking a chord with Amul’s Gujarati roots and building a personal connection with local consumers.

The impact of Amul’s long-running topical billboard campaign is unmatched—it has not only strengthened brand recognition and loyalty but has also made the cooperative a beloved part of India’s popular culture and daily life. Creativity, agility, and contextual marketing at its best!

Yash Gangwal , Founder, Urban Monkey

Axe (Lynx in the UK) had created a problematic brand image from past marketing efforts. Their focus on ‘attraction is connected to conquest’ hadn’t dissuaded men from buying their deodorants, but had a toxic effect on perceptions of women. Research conducted on brand equity showed that brand equity was declining, with this perception of the brand aging poorly and desperately needing a refresh to continue allowing the brand to be relevant for the future.

That led to a superb partnership with creative agency 72andSunny Amsterdam. Unilever was able to tap into an entirely new philosophy for its brand:

Empower men to be the most attractive man they could be – themselves.

With that idea in mind, 2016 saw the launch of the AXE ‘Find Your Magic’ commercial, a stunning celebration of the diversity of modern masculinity. The campaign also saw the release of a new range of premium grooming products and a supporting influencer marketing campaign featuring brand ambassadors, including John Legend.

While not all parts of the creative were successful, the campaign drove more than 39 million views and 4 billion media impressions in the first quarter after the launch. But most critically, AXE saw a 30+% increase in positive perception of their brand.

This campaign will stand the test of time because it combines several important and brave initiatives:

• A forward-thinking mentality that the brand image you have today may not be suited for a future world
• A broader understanding of what your customer base looks like – women also play a big role in men’s choice of deodorant
• A big and bold attempt to change the way your brand is perceived – and succeeding with flying colors.

Yannis Dimitroulas , SEO and Digital Marketing Specialist, Front & Centre

One standout marketing case study that sticks with me is the campaign for Squatty Potty. The brand created a humorous video featuring a unicorn pooping rainbow ice cream to demonstrate the benefits of using their product. This unconventional approach garnered widespread attention and went viral, generating millions of views and shares on social media platforms.

The success of this campaign can be attributed to its creative storytelling, humor, and shock value, which made it memorable and engaging for viewers. By thinking outside the box and taking a risk with their messaging, Squatty Potty was able to create a unique and effective marketing strategy that resonated with consumers.

This case study serves as a reminder that creativity and originality can set a brand apart in a crowded marketplace, ultimately leading to increased brand awareness and customer engagement.

Carly Hill , Operations Manager, Virtual Holiday Party

The Old Spice ‘The Man Your Man Could Smell Like’ campaign remains etched in my memory. Its brilliance lies in its humor and creativity. By featuring a charismatic spokesperson and employing absurd scenarios, it captured viewers’ attention and went viral.

The campaign seamlessly integrated across platforms, from TV to social media, maximizing its reach. Its cleverness and entertainment value made it unforgettable, setting a benchmark for engaging marketing strategies. The case study showcases the importance of storytelling and humor in capturing audience interest and driving brand awareness.

Dan Ponomarenko , CEO, Webvizio

A marketing case study that has made a lasting impression on me is the Red Bull Stratos Jump. This campaign was for Felix Baumgartner’s record-breaking jump from the edge of space, sponsored by Red Bull. The goal of this campaign was to create buzz and generate brand awareness through this extreme event.

The reason why this case study stands out to me is because of its successful execution in capturing the attention and interest of not just extreme sports enthusiasts, but also the general public.

The live broadcast of Baumgartner’s jump on various channels and social media platforms garnered over 52 million views, making it one of the most-watched live events ever. Red Bull’s strategic use of real-time marketing, storytelling, and high-quality visuals made this campaign a huge success, resulting in a significant increase in sales and brand recognition for the company.

This case study serves as a great example of how a well-planned and executed marketing campaign can effectively reach and engage with a wide audience.

Brian Hemmerle , Founder and CEO, Kentucky Sell Now

One standout marketing case study that resonates with me is the SEO transformation for Maple Dental. This campaign dramatically improved their local online visibility, leading to a substantial increase in new patient appointments. The integration of Google Maps SEO proved to be a game-changer, emphasizing the power of local search optimization in attracting nearby clients.

What made this case study exceptional was the measurable impact on the clinic’s business. For instance, the campaign led to a 230% increase in phone calls and a 223% increase in website visits. Such clear, quantifiable results showcased a direct contribution to business growth. These metrics are vital for demonstrating the return on investment in digital marketing efforts.

Additionally, the use of a targeted approach to enhance Google Maps visibility was particularly compelling. By optimizing their presence on Google Maps, Maple Dental saw a 250% increase in monthly maps impressions, which directly correlated with increased patient inquiries and visits.

Ihor Lavrenenko , CEO, Dental SEO Expert

One case study that always comes to mind is Dollar Shave Club’s launch video in 2012. It was called “Our Blades Are F*cking Great,” and let’s just say it got people talking! This video was hilarious and totally different from those fancy shaving commercials we were used to seeing. It spoke directly to guys, poked fun at expensive razor prices, and offered a way to get awesome blades for much less.

Additionally, it told everyone to check out their website. It was short, catchy, and made a huge impact. This is a perfect example of how a creative and funny video can grab attention, make people remember your brand, and get them to become customers.

Perry Zheng , Founder and CEO, Pallas

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Viral Marketing Case Study: Stanley’s TikTok Marketing Triumph

Stanley tumbler viral marketing case study.

In a world where social media can turn a single moment into a global conversation, the power of viral content in shaping brand perception is undeniable. The Stanley Tumbler viral moment was seen when a TikTok video by @danimarielttering captured a remarkable event: her car caught fire, and amidst the devastation, a Stanley tumbler emerged unscathed. Showcasing the product’s durability, the surprising survival story set the stage for an exemplary response from Stanley and produced social media brand success. Exploring the strategic nuances of Stanley’s reaction and drawing parallels with the viral Ocean Spray incident, let’s find key lessons for marketing directors and social media managers, serving as a real-life viral marketing case study.

Leveraging Viral Content

Achieving over 3.1 million views, 1.1 million likes, 102,000 comments, and 52,000 shares, the TikTok video by @danimarielttering quickly captured the internet’s attention. Its extraordinary reach is a testament to the power of viral content in today’s digital landscape. Skyrocketing Stanley’s visibility, the incident highlighted the potential of social media as a platform for organic brand promotion. Similarly, the Ocean Spray TikTok case , where a simple video of a man skateboarding and drinking cranberry juice went viral, demonstrates how unplanned moments can become pivotal marketing opportunities. Both cases underscore the importance of being prepared to leverage unexpected opportunities to amplify brand messaging and connect with a broader audience.

@danimarielettering Thirsty after you catch on fire? @Stanley 1913 is like no problem i gotchu #fyp #carfire #accident #stanleycup ♬ original sound – Danielle

How to Leverage Viral Marketing Moments

Recognizing the unique opportunity presented by @danimarielttering’s video, they quickly reached out with a gesture that was both generous and astute: offering to replace her car. Going beyond standard corporate communication, this move showcased Stanley’s commitment to customer satisfaction and its product’s reliability. It also highlighted the importance of timely and empathetic responses in today’s fast-paced digital world, where brands are expected to engage with their audience in real time. Enhancing brand reputation and setting a new standard for customer engagement, such responsiveness demonstrates how brands can effectively use digital platforms to connect with audiences and build lasting relationships.

Empathy and Authenticity in Viral Marketing

A masterclass in empathetic and authentic brand messaging was displayed by Stanley’s response to the viral incident. By offering to replace the woman’s car, they not only acknowledged the customer’s ordeal but also reinforced confidence in the product’s durability. Deeply resonating with the audience, this human-centric approach reflected genuine care and empathy, qualities highly valued by consumers. In today’s market, where customers increasingly look for brands that align with their values and demonstrate social responsibility, such gestures of goodwill can significantly enhance brand loyalty and trust. Contrasting with traditional marketing tactics, the approach focuses on building a genuine connection with the audience and showcasing the brand’s values in action.

Leveraging User-Generated Content for Authentic Viral Marketing

Highlighted by the incident is the power of user-generated content as a marketing tool. Stanley’s strategic use of @danimarielttering’s experience to showcase their product’s durability is a prime example of how brands can leverage real customer stories to authenticate its claims. Validating the brand’s messaging and fostering a sense of community and customer involvement, the approach is crucial for building brand loyalty in the digital age. Providing a level of authenticity that cannot be achieved through traditional advertising, user-generated content comes directly from the experiences of real customers. Particularly effective on social media platforms, this form of content is highly valued for its authenticity and relatability.

The Ripple Effect of Viral Marketing

Significantly boosted by the viral incident was Stanley’s brand awareness, showcasing the expansive reach and impact of viral marketing. The surge in engagement following its response not only increased the brand’s visibility but also demonstrated the potential of viral moments to enhance a brand’s market presence. Serving as a powerful tool in the digital marketing arsenal, the ripple effect allows brands to reach new audiences and gain exposure in a way that traditional marketing methods cannot match. Recognizing these opportunities and responding in a way that aligns with the brand’s values and resonates with the audience is key.

Social Media Crisis Management

Stanley’s handling of the situation is a prime example of effective crisis management and opportunity seizure. Turning a potentially negative situation into a positive narrative, it not only mitigated any potential damage but also used the opportunity to reinforce the brand’s image. Agility and creativity in crisis management are highlighted by the strategic response, demonstrating how brands can use unexpected situations. Further engaging with the community, the CEO of Stanley created a stitched response on TikTok, showcasing effective leadership and a commitment to open communication.

@stanleybrand #stitch with @Danielle Stanley has your back ❤️ ♬ original sound – Stanley 1913

Brand Responsiveness in Viral Marketing

Likely to have a lasting impact on Stanley’s marketing strategies is this incident, emphasizing the importance of adaptability and readiness to capitalize on unforeseen opportunities. In a rapidly changing digital landscape, brands must be prepared to pivot strategies in response to viral moments, using them as opportunities to enhance a brand image and connect with an audience in meaningful ways.

Offering invaluable lessons in adaptability, empathy, and strategic social media engagement, the Stanley Tumbler incident, paralleled with the Ocean Spray TikTok phenomenon, highlighting the importance of being prepared to leverage viral moments for brand success. 

Social Media Viral Marketing Response Checklist

• Monitor Social Media Regularly: Stay alert to potential viral moments.
• Act Quickly: Time is of the essence in responding to viral content.
• Show Empathy: Humanize your brand with a compassionate approach.
• Leverage User-Generated Content: Use authentic customer experiences in your messaging.
• Maintain Authenticity: Ensure your response aligns with your brand values.
• Engage Directly: Use social media platforms for direct interaction with your audience.
• Evaluate Impact: Assess the response and adapt your strategy accordingly.

Q: How important is the speed in responding to a viral moment on social media?

A: Speed is crucial. A timely response can capitalize on the moment’s momentum and maximize its impact.

Q: Can any social media viral content be beneficial for a brand?

A: Not all viral content is beneficial. Brands must assess each situation carefully to ensure alignment with their values and public image.

Q: How can small brands leverage social media viral moments?

A: Small brands can leverage viral moments by being agile, authentic, and engaging directly with their audience to build a strong community presence.

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Top Social Media Case Studies and Lessons to Learn

Social media case studies provide practical, actionable insights for your online marketing campaigns. They can highlight what works and what doesn’t. By learning from the experiences of others, you can refine your strategies to boost engagement and increase social media conversion rates for your business. 

As of 2024, the average internet user spends 143 minutes daily on social media. This high level of engagement presents a significant opportunity for brands to connect with potential customers. And adopting the best practices and strategies demonstrated in successful social media case studies can help you achieve this. 

In this blog, we’ll be exploring examples of social media case studies and their valuable lessons. So be sure to glean insights from them to ramp up your social media marketing game. 

Social media case studies of best social media brands

Using the right social media strategy can be a game changer for your brand as it will help you reach your audience effectively. Let’s look at a few success stories: 

#1: Spotify

In 2013, Spotify introduced its "Year in Review" feature. The company realized it had a treasure trove of streaming data. While the graphics were on-brand and less quirky than today’s versions, they still captured the audience’s attention.  

Fast-forward to 2016, Spotify rebranded these data stories as " Wrapped ." Each year, Spotify Wrapped introduces new and fun features based on users’ listening habits — from identifying your unique “audio aura” to categorizing you into one of 16 “listening personality types.”  

Why this campaign?    The campaign taps into users' love for content personalization and nostalgia, allowing them to reflect on their past year in music and share their unique listening habits with their friends and followers. This annual tradition has become a highly anticipated event. It generates buzz and drives customer retention and new sign-ups.  

What did they do?    Spotify collates vast amounts of listening data and presents it with eye-catching graphics that are instantly shareable on Facebook, Instagram and X. This enhances shareability and personalization, contributing to the viral success of Spotify Wrapped. 

How did it help?    Spotify Wrapped's social media metrics highlight its viral success. The campaign generated significant engagement, with more than 156 million users interacting with their personalized Wrapped summaries in 2022. What’s more, the first three days after its 2022 launch, Spotify Wrapped generated over 400 million tweets/X posts, highlighting its strong shareability and user engagement on social media platforms. 

What to take away?  

• Embed shareability for virality: Spotify Wrapped is highly shareable. The content is perfectly optimized for social media. The app even encourages you to share your Wrapped summary. Crafting personalized content that people are excited to share is a successful social media strategy , as active participation naturally follows when you engage your audience. 
• Create rituals: While Spotify Wrapped's format remains consistent, it gains more traction on social media each year. Annual campaigns, particularly those towards the year's end, establish a sense of ritual, and consumers are conditioned to anticipate them. Ritualized content gives your audience something to look forward to, year after year. 
• Jump on that bandwagon: Making brand-specific versions of popular content is a fantastic way to participate in the conversation. For instance, SEMRush used the Wrapped format to create unique content tailored to its audience. 

Deep Dive: How to adopt trends and broaden your channel coverage mix (while staying on brand)  

#2: The Barbie Movie 

The 2023 film Barbie brought the beloved Mattel doll to life in a dazzling, contemporary adventure. Starring Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie, the movie seamlessly blends fantasy and reality as Barbie embarks on a transformative journey from her idyllic, pink-hued world to the real one. 

Why this campaign?  The Barbie marketing campaign was a masterclass in leveraging nostalgia, contemporary pop culture and innovative social media promotion strategies. It generated a massive buzz and captured the imagination of audiences worldwide. 

What did they do?    Warner Brothers and Mattel collaborated to create a multifaceted campaign. This included vibrant teasers, interactive social media content and high-profile brand partnerships. Here are the specifics:  

• Shared behind-the-scenes content, trailers and other promotional materials on all social media platforms 
• Engaged influencers and celebrities to create inspired memes and generate excitement 
• Created a sense of community by reflecting the diversity of its audience   
• Barbie-themed Malibu DreamHouse listed by Airbnb 
• Barbie-styled clothing line launched by Forever21 
• Barbie-themed meals offered by Burger King in Brazil 

• Utilized innovative tactics like a selfie generator to keep fans engaged 
• Benefitted from the unplanned "Barbenheimer" phenomenon 

The simultaneous release of Oppenheimer and Barbie really captured the public’s imagination. It sparked an unexpected cultural phenomenon known as "Barbenheimer." Christopher Nolan's intense biographical drama "Oppenheimer" explored the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer and the creation of the atomic bomb, while Greta Gerwig's "Barbie" was inspired by the iconic doll. The stark contrast between the two films captivated both audiences and the media.  

The phenomenon was fueled by social media buzz, memes and fans' enthusiasm for the unique cinematic experience of watching two drastically different films back-to-back. This boosted box office numbers for both movies and created a shared cultural moment transcending typical movie-going experiences. The playful rivalry and the combined marketing efforts led to unprecedented social media engagement , making "Barbenheimer" a standout event in 2023. 

How did it help?    The movie had grossed $1.45 billion worldwide , including $636 million in North America. Barbie was the top-grossing film of 2023, largely due to its strong social media engagement. In fact, in a Statista survey, more than half of the respondents claimed that they primarily learned about the movie through social media. 

• Generate buzz: The Barbie social media marketing campaign is a true masterclass in creating viral content. It clearly demonstrates that, when utilized effectively, social media can be an incredibly powerful tool for bringing a brand, product or film into the spotlight. Your marketing message becomes more powerful when it consistently appears in the feeds of your target audience .   

🤔 Are you looking to be in the public eye consistently?   

To be the talk of the “global town,” you need to be steady with your posting and ensure that your content is delivered at the ideal times. However, keeping track of all your social media posts and activities can often seem like a Herculean task. Though, there is a quick way to simplify all that manual heavy lifting.  

Sprinklr's Social Media Publishing & Engagement tool helps you streamline the organization, planning and execution of your social media content. With it, you can:

👁️ Get a complete overview of your posts, events and campaigns  

📚 Publish across 30+ channels at the same time 

🖼️ View comments, mentions and messages across channels in a single space 

🔎 Monitor the performance of your paid, owned and earned media in one single dashboard 

Pro Tip💡: Ensure your top content receives the exposure it merits. Influencers offer a distinctive viewpoint that authentically resonates with customers and potentially influences purchasing decisions. As such, using a tool like Sprinklr's AI-led Influencer Marketing Platform can help you find the right influencers across multiple demographics. It identifies the best-suited influencers to maximize the reach, authenticity and impact of your marketing message, and it also gives deeper insights into their performance. 

• Innovate to resonate: Barbie's marketing campaign showcased various inventive strategies to captivate fans. Due to the interactive experiences offered through the film's promotion, audiences remained eagerly anticipating its release. For instance, typing "Barbie," "Margot Robbie," "Ryan Gosling" or "Greta Gerwig" into Google search triggered a magical makeover and turned the screen pink with sparkles, thrilling fans worldwide. 
• Be inclusive: The Barbie campaign embraced inclusivity by appealing to various audiences. By featuring diverse characters and themes in its marketing materials, Barbie made audiences feel represented and included in the brand's narrative. The propagation of social media accessibility and inclusivity strengthened Barbie's connection with its fan base and drew new audiences.

Related Read: 10+ Ideas for Social Media Posts That Move the Needle  

#3: Shiseido Japan 

Shiseido Japan is a renowned global beauty and cosmetics company with a rich heritage of combining Eastern aesthetics and Western science. The company has established itself as a leader in the beauty industry and is known for its innovative skincare, makeup and fragrance products.  

Why this campaign?    Historically, Shiseido Japan's makeup marketing teams collaborated with agencies to monitor social media performance. They relied on agency-provided reports or manually checked each social account, which prevented them from responding quickly to any issues. In 2021, Shiseido Japan decided to overhaul the marketing strategies for makeup brands like MAQuillAGE, Snow Beauty, INTEGRATE and MAJOLICA MAJORCA. 

What did they do?    Shiseido adopted Sprinklr's Unified-CXM platform to transform its marketing teams. It helped them collaborate effortlessly by combining tools and data on a single platform.

Pro Tip💡: Automate and manage workflows , such as campaign deployment and reporting, to free up time for teams to focus on strategic initiatives. Look for platforms or software solutions that offer features such as campaign scheduling, account addition via emails and customizable dashboards. Modern platforms like Sprinklr Social and Sprinklr Insights are purpose-built for this task, with all the aforementioned offerings and more. They unify channels, tools and data, providing a comprehensive view of the customer.

How did it help?    Sprinklr significantly enhanced Shiseido's social media management by centralizing all media accounts on a single platform. It allowed the marketing teams to access real-time data through customized dashboards and generate automated, shareable reports, enabling better social media measurement. This resulted in a 244% increase in overall owned media account performance in 2022.  

The shift to Sprinklr also facilitated a new data-driven culture for social campaigns, moving away from guesswork. Teams could validate ideas, check for viral potential using past trends and analyze campaign performance against social media KPIs (key performance indicators), making the necessary adjustments for future campaigns. This structured approach resulted in better campaign outcomes. Mentions of Shiseido's makeup brands on social media through user-generated content (UGC) increased by 406% in 2022, when compared to 2021. 

• Facilitate data-driven decision-making: Like Shiseido, consider investing in technologies like Sprinklr's Unified-CXM platform . It will transform your decision-making processes by providing real-time actionable insights by analyzing data collected across multiple channels.  
• Prioritize social listening : Make sure you prioritize social listening to analyze audience sentiment, track trends and identify opportunities for brand engagement. By actively monitoring social media conversations, engaging with your audience and leveraging UGC, you can foster authentic connections with your customers. 
• Customize your dashboards: Tailor your social media analytics tools to your unique needs, just like Shiseido did with Sprinklr's dashboards. By customizing metrics and dashboards to track social media KPIs relevant to your business goals, you'll gain deeper insights into your social performance. 

Read More : Sprinklr’s Social Media Case Study on Shiseido Japan

How do you write a social media growth case study?  

Now that we’ve examined some great social media case studies, let's explore how you can create one. Here’s how you can structure and populate one on your own:  

1. Introduction 

• Introduce the brand: Start by briefly introducing the brand whose social media growth you are examining. 
• State the purpose: Explain the purpose of the case study and what you aim to demonstrate. 

2. Background

• Ground zero: Describe the initial state of the brand's social media presence. Include metrics like follower count, engagement rates and notable challenges. 
• Objectives: Clearly outline the brand's goals for social media growth. These could be increasing followers, boosting engagement or enhancing brand awareness . 

3. Strategy 

• Target audience: Define the target audience for social media efforts. 
• Platform selection: Explain which social media platforms were chosen and why. 
• Content strategy: Explain what types of content were created and their messaging. 
• Campaigns: Describe the brand’s advertising campaigns, apart from influencer partnerships, paid advertising or user-generated content campaigns. 

4. Implementation 

• Timeline: Provide a timeline of key activities and milestones. 
• Resources: Discuss the resources used, including team members, tools and budget. 

5. Metrics 

• Growth metrics: Present metrics that indicate growth, such as changes in follower count, engagement rates, reach and impressions . 
• Additional metrics: Include other relevant metrics like click-through rates, conversion rates and social media ROI . 

6. Results 

• Compare and contrast: Compare the initial metrics with the final results to show the growth. 
• Achievements: Highlight major achievements and milestones reached during the campaign. 

7. Solutions 

• Obstacles: Discuss any challenges faced during the campaign. 
• Fixes: Explain how these challenges were addressed and what solutions were implemented. 

8. Takeaways 

• Successful strategies: Summarize the social media growth strategies that worked well and contributed to success. 
• Lessons learned: Reflect on what could have been done differently and any lessons learned for future campaigns. 

9. Conclusion 

• Summary: Recap the main points and results of the case study. 
• The future: Briefly mention any next steps for the brand’s social media strategy. 

10. Visual elements  

• Charts and graphs: Use reporting charts and graphs to visually represent the data and growth metrics. 
• Screenshots: Include screenshots of successful posts, campaign highlights and other visual elements.  

Final thoughts  

These social media case studies showcase innovative strategies for capturing audience attention and driving significant engagement. However, this is easier said than done. The challenge for large brands in social media marketing lies in effectively leveraging data insights and managing multiple channels. 

Sprinklr Social can help you with this. It offers real-time actionable data insights, streamlines social media management and enables personalized engagement with audiences. The platform is trusted by global companies for its in-depth listening, unmatched channel coverage of 30+ digital channels and enterprise-grade configurability. This is so you’re always in the know of every customer interaction. The best part? It automates your end-to-end social media management with the industry-leading Sprinklr AI and accelerates content creation with top-tier generative AI capabilities. 

Keen to find out how this software can elevate your social media marketing efforts?  

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5 outstanding social media marketing case studies

Do you read social media marketing case studies for inspiration? It’s always a good idea to benchmark against your competitors or pinch ideas from them, but it’s also worth looking at success stories from the biggest brands out there. You might not have their budget, but you can always gain inspiration from their campaigns.

Here are five of the best brands on social and what I think you can learn from them:

1.Mercedes Benz – Repeated, successful social media marketing campaigns

Mercedes Benz seem to win every time with their social media campaigns.  The one that stands out to me was back in 2013 when they created what I still believe to be one of the best Instagram marketing campaigns to date. Mercedes wanted to reach out to the younger audience so they hired five top Instagram photographers to each take the wheel of a new Mercedes CLA. Whoever got the most likes got to keep the car – so they all really worked at it!

By the end of the campaign, Mercedes has received:

• 87,000,000 organic Instagram impressions
• 2,000,000 Instagram likes
• 150 new marketing assets (stunning photos)

What lessons can you learn from this? Could you put your followers up for a challenge and make it into a competition or campaign?

• Can you do a competition that gets people trying out your product first?
• Think about your target audience. What is a prize they would value?
• Like Mercedes you could recruit bloggers/influencers via social media and get them blogging about your service or product. Whoever receives the most engagement wins .

2. Dove – Connecting with their target audience

Is it just me or do all the Dove marketing campaigns make you cry? If you’ve seen their Real Beauty sketches campaign, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Dove’s goal is to make women feel good about themselves. They know their target market and create content that tells a story that women can relate to.

Today I am… pic.twitter.com/VoAf2wRdwa — Dove UK & Ireland (@DoveUK) February 19, 2016

Dove did some research and found that 80 percent of women came across negative chatter on social media. Dove’s goal was to change that and make social media a more positive experience. As a result, Dove teamed up with Twitter and built a tool to launch the #SpeakBeautiful Effect, that breaks down which body- related words people use the most and when negative chatter appears during the day.

According to Dove, women were inspired by their message.

• #SpeakBeautiful was used more than 168,000 times
• Drove 800 million social media impressions of the campaign

Dove know their audience. Knowing your audience is the only way you will engage with them. The best way for this is creating personas. Knowing what life stage they are in, if they’re employed, what their interests are etc. will certainly help you when creating content. Then think about linking your audience to your brand values in order to create something just as successful as Dove’s campaign.

3. Nutella – Incredible content that makes you salivate

Each post makes you want to eat Nutella. There are a lot of people (including me) who take photos of their food before they eat it. Nutella does the same and it works. Nutella isn’t afraid to be fun and creative with different ingredients. Nutella is just a chocolate spread yet they manage to have fun with it. Do you, or could you, have a bit more fun with your brand?

Here are some ideas for having fun with your brand:

• Are you on different social media channels? If you’re B2B you might not think that Instagram is for you, but it can be a great way to demonstrate your brand values by telling a story. Fedex is a great example of this, showing images of their trucks always on the move. This tells a story that they are always delivering and that is the key message we take away.
• Key influencers/bloggers can be a great way to  different types of content and to see how they have fun with your brand (if this is new to you, read our post on the rise of the social media influencer ).
• Instead of posting behind-the-scenes photos at your head office, can you encourage your followers to share their experiences with your brand? Maybe host an event or go out and meet them.

Take your #breakfast bread pudding to the next level with #Nutella ! 😉 pic.twitter.com/k0ko5Nm9iX — Nutella (@NutellaGlobal) May 5, 2016

4. Oreo – Smart content planning and timely delivery

Oreo is another brand that is known for their creative social media marketing. They must have a big design team to produce their content, but it works! They are consistent with their branding and manage to catch onto real time events. We all remember when the lights went out at the Super Bowl and during the half hour blackout Oreo tweeted out:

Power out? No problem. pic.twitter.com/dnQ7pOgC — OREO Cookie (@Oreo) February 4, 2013

This was retweeted over 15,000 times.  Are you thinking outside the box about your brand? Plan ahead for events coming up that you might be able to jump on to.

Do you plan your social media content out? If you’re in B2B and don’t currently create content read here for some B2B content marketing tips to help you get started, or check out our B2B marketing strategy tips ebook for 2021.

It’s always a good idea to prepare content ahead of time. If you can schedule content on a monthly basis – perfect, but if not bi-weekly is great. That way you can check what events are coming up and plan content around them. This gives you time for any ad hoc creative to be done, such as jumping on real-time events like the Oreo blackout example above.

5. Airbnb – Stunning imagery and UGC

What might look like a visual travel blog,  Airbnb ’ s content attracts fans with their visually compelling posts. On Instagram, they post user-generated photos from its hosts and guests. The content embraces their new campaign of ‘Don’t just go there, Live there’ which is captured through real photography. Each post receives high engagement, between 3,000 and 14,000 Instagram likes.

This is a great example of thinking slightly outside the box. Airbnb is all about accommodation. They don’t just post images of the inside of people’s homes. Seeing the culture and images of places all over the world comes with the experience of where you stay and that’s what connects with people. Think about your brand: are you just posting about the product/ service itself? Why not tell your followers a story instead?

Thanks for reading. I hope by reading these five social media marketing case studies it has spiked some inspiration! If you need any help with your social media advertising , influencer marketing , or other aspects of your social media strategy, feel free to contact us .

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The Beauty Brand Launch Campaign: A How-To

A Model for a Modern Fragrance Launch, Sans Célébrité

The context

Beauty brand launch campaigns have done it all: inspired, they’ve  provoked , even  demeaned  and put Giselle Bündchen on a  surfboard .

In this era of rampant retail disintermediation and  DTC , the beauty brand launch environment has never been more saturated.

In the past 5 years, the number of beauty brand launches has skyrocketed. So, too, have budgets for launch, thanks to a burst of beauty-focused private equity and  venture capital funding . And then there are the celebrities. As Allure Magazine put it in 2021: “If it’s a day of the week ending in Y, a celebrity is probably launching a skin-care or makeup line.”

This page analyses our strategy for the game-changing global fragrance launch for Guerlain’s Le Petite Robe Noir. This case study is put in context of both standard beauty brand launch convention/formula, as well as the changes happening in the beauty market as we look to 2023. This page gives key insights for anyone planning beauty brand marketing at a time when brands can no longer afford to follow formula.

So what, exactly, is the beauty brand launch campaign formula?

The Formula

Beauty brand launch campaigns tend to follow a 3-part formula:

Beauty and fragrance consumer marketing campaigns overwhelmingly have a “face” – a celebrity or model demonstrating the product’s promised outcome, and semiotically, the product’s intended audience. The inherent challenge is that, like beauty or fame itself, brand equity can fade when it’s tied to celebrity endorsement deals that can, over time, run their course.

2. “Factice”

Factice refers to the giant bottles of perfume seen at department and duty free stores. Historically, the classic beauty brand launch begins with shelf space at standard-bearer retailers or “beauty counters.” If a beauty brand is new, the illusion of “exclusive” distribution at a single retailer can suffice until the brand is proven, or to maintain exclusivity.

In a new era of beauty brand launch campaign strategy, the concept of “factice” might be swapped – to maintain alliteration – with the customer “Funnel”. Essentially: how will the brand connect with customers to drive sales? Even in the early-DTC era of Cher and Christy Brinkley selling beauty products on Home Shopping Network and QVC, “Funnel” involved the viewing audience and those station’s backend capabilities for distribution and fulfilling sales. This is a piece of beauty launch that is changing rapidly in light of advancements of performance media making retailers an additive – but no longer essential – part of the beauty space.

3. Frequency

Finally, frequency is the final and arguably most important step. Frequency generally refers to the number of times an individual sees an ad. For beauty, frequency is everything. It takes repetition to make the point that a product is a necessity. Worth the investment. The epitome of cool. A brand that “gets you.” And that a specific brand’s product can make you as desirable as the Face it’s associated with. In sum: Frequency is the pivotal part of the beauty brand launch campaign that establishes the brand as desirable and drives urgency to purchase.

Case Study: Context

When a 180 year-old French fragrance house approached us with a new fragrance, they came prepared to re-write the beauty brand launch formula.

Our client was set on launching a new, global product aimed at a younger consumer. And importantly, they sought to omit a classic advertising centerpiece: the “hook” of the celebrity endorsement.

This decision influenced the campaign’s creative look and feel. It demanded a novel approach to paid media strategy and frequency, given the global nature of the product and aggressive sales goals. Key details of this highly-confidential brand launch campaign:

• Face: Campaign creative was developed by the client in-house, intentionally  sans célébrité .
• Factice: Global consumer-facing launch at all key fragrance points of sale, with special emphasis on airport retail and in-flight, duty free, which carry measurement challenges.
• Frequency: Media strategy was marked by a desire to use nontraditional media.

Celeb Beauty Brand Boom

As mentioned before, our launch came at the dawn of a boom in beauty brands backed by celebrities. While celebrity beauty brands aren’t necessarily new, there are four key reasons why we’re seeing so many new beauty brand launches:

• Firstly, beauty, as a category (including, and especially, fragrance) has fabulously high product margins. It’s profitable.
• Next, beauty brands are (relatively) easy to launch. With the proliferation of white-label factory operations and drop shipping, beauty products are easy to create and produce.
• Third, social media creates the illusion of easy access to mass exposure. Whether you’re a celebrity with millions of followers or an VC-backed brand manager looking to buy exposure, social platforms promise easily-accessible reach. But whether they can deliver at a reasonable CAC is dependent on a final factor: funding.
• Finally, and perhaps most importantly: global venture capital funding is on a spree, soaring to all time highs. The value of global deal flows is nearly double what they were in 2016, and 5x what they were in 2012. This means, for new beauty brand launches (and other startups), there is more money being deployed for startups than ever before.

Why does this matter to celebrity beauty brand launches, and the beauty industry at large?

By our internal estimates, the increase in celebrity-backed beauty brand launches  specifically  has accelerated competition for share of voice by as much as +30% over the past 5 years on certain media channels, given the size of their organic audience and formula for paid media deployment of VC funding.

Here’s a brief history in beauty brands with stars holding beauty brand equity interest:

Iman , Makeup for Women of Color, Iman.

Meaningful Beauty, Cindy Crawford. Living Proof (hair), Jennifer Aniston (acq., Unilever in 2016).

Josie Maran Cosmetics, Josie Maran.

Kora Cosmetics, Miranda Kerr.

Honest Company, Jessica Alba. (IPO in 2016)

Flower Beauty, Drew Barrymore.

MDNA, Madonna (US launch 2019). Kylie Cosmetics , Kylie + Kris Jenner, backed by Seed Beauty.

goop skincare, Gwyneth Paltrow. (goop launched 2008, skincare arrived 2016).

Fenty, Rhianna.KKW Beauty, Kim Kardashian, 2017 – 2020.

ProDNA (skin), Paris Hilton. Hilton has launched 25 fragrances.House 99 (men’s grooming), David Beckham.

Haus Laboratories, Lady Gaga. (“This is not just another beauty brand.” Per  Haus .)Victoria Beckham Beauty, Victoria Beckham.Henry Rose (fragrances), Michelle Pheiffer.

Fenty Skin, Rhianna.Rare Beauty, Selena Gomez.Keys Soulcare, Alicia Keys, collab with E.L.F. Humanrace  (skin), Pharrel Williams.Biossance, Reese Witherspoon: a 5-year deal rumored to involve equity.

JLo Beauty, Jennifer Lopez.nomaly (hair), Priyanka Chopra Jones.Know Beauty, Madison Beer and Vanessa Hudgens.Treslúce Beauty, Becky G.About-Face, Halsey.Proudly, Gabrielle Union-Wade and Dwayne Wade. Bardi Beauty, Cardi B (USPTO Filing April, 2021).Kris Jenner Beauty (USPTO filing, Feb 2021).“SKNN,” Kim Kardashian (USPTO filing, March 2021).

Rose, Inc., Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.R.E.M., Ariana Grande.Rhode (skin), Hailey Bieber.Brand Name TBD,  Harry Styles .Brand Name TBD, Scarlett Johansson. Johansson is known for repping L’oreal Paris and Dolce & Gabbana’s “The One” Fragrance.LolaVie, Jennifer Aniston (USPTO filing 2019), rumoured launch 2022.

Never to be outdone,  Kim K has now launched her own Private Equity fund  with ex-Carlyle partners. Suffice to say: celebrities are no longer walk-on, walk-off spokesmodels. They want cold, hard equity.So what does this mean for ambitious brand launches (particularly those lacking a celeb face)? Read on to find out.

"How-to" + Insights

So how should smart brands execute a beauty brand launch campaign? Let’s revisit the 3-part beauty brand launch formula with a lens toward specific opportunities for disruption:

Obviously, if you represent a celebrity beauty brand, this piece is a given. But for brands focused on a different angle, consider: who or what gives your brand  voice ? Differentiation is par for the course. Consider a “wish list” for casting and define what, precisely, makes your product essential to a specific customer. From a more tactical perspective, two points to note:

• Creative used for multinational brand launches generally avoid spoken-word monologue, to avoid the awkwardness of re-dubbing for new languages. A well-done animated character, if brand-appropriate, can demonstrate brand character without the challenges of cross-market casting.
• There’s no need to select a single “face” now. A chorus of well-chosen influencers can provide “brand voice” and brand visibility simultaneously. Key to influencer-led strategies is coordination. More on this in the next point.

Consider your points of sale and distribution. And don’t be narrow-mindedly digital. Shopify and Amazon make sales and distribution a possibility overnight. But the value of shelf-space in retail cannot be under-stated. (It’s even brought well-funded, highly-regarded startups to their knees with unexpected demand). Points to consider:

• Duty free shopping environments are among the best in the world for beauty brand sales. They are also a battlefield for shelf-space as well as ad-space. More on this below.
• If you’re selling online and in-store (congratulations!), measuring both channels can be complex. And consumer product sales measurement traditionally used by CPG brands don’t measure multinational sales in specialized environments well. Either way, it may be necessary to innovate in establishing KPIs to measure successful outcomes, particularly in the short-term launch timeframe.

Finally, all launch campaigns – beauty or otherwise – are limited by budget. Inherently. To master your efficiency out of the gate, you need to be creative in achieving frequency. Key points:

• Timing. Is. Everything.  Launch media – both paid, owned, and earned, must be intricately orchestrated and timed to push to maximize buzz. Budgets for a beauty brand launch campaign – particularly one with global ambitions – will never be large enough to sacrifice smart planning.
• In the case shared here, launch was “phased” market-by-market, focusing on high-visibility events to create maximum frequency for a jetset traveler audience who, in the client’s estimation, was a prototypical fashion editor jumping from fashion week to fashion week…
• Media planning and buying targeting traveler markets must be multi-pronged, visible and innovative, but success is truly dependent on strategic merchandising at point of sale, particularly for products as trial-based and experiential as fragrance.

The Beauty Brand Launch Solution, For Fragrance

Consumer care brands, and fragrance in particular, need frequency. Yet captivating an audience of transient, jetset global travellers in heavily-saturated Duty-Free retail environments isn’t easy. Thinking beyond “fragrance formula” marketing opportunities heavy on print and TV, we turned to experiential marketing and traveler media such as taxi TV to encapsulate our audience using robust animated video assets.

In all, our high-impact consumer marketing tactics “encapsulated” the international traveller in airport, inflight, and key live activations. Just weeks into the launch, the scent’s Parisian-inspired animated figurine would be ubiquitous to its target market of jetset international travelers seeking a signature scent. And word travelled quickly.

Case Results

Just three months after the fragrance’s international launch, sales topped one million units sold. By end of launch year, the fragrance ranked No. 2 in women’s fragrance sales in the brand’s home market.

In addition, the fragrance’s launch campaign creative received honours including Best Global Advertising (Grand Prix Stratégies), a Marie-Clare Audacity Award, Best Advertising Film (Fifi Awards UK), etc. And, in the ultimate proof of the brand’s commercial success, this single scent launched a range of 10 (and counting!) fragrance “ flankers ” – one of which won a FiFi award for Best Feminine Fragrance, along with a colour cosmetics range, and collaborations with a French sportswear apparel brand and American leather apparel maker.

Readings / Resources:

• Economist,  Continental Drift: Duty-free retail is finding new ways to grow .
• Reuters,  Global venture capital investments hit record high .

These 3 brands stuck the landing on their rebranding rollout. (Here’s how you can too)

Vladimir Kacar , Jo Clarke , Eli Greenspan

If you’ve made the pivotal decision to rebrand, you’ve likely spent months — perhaps even years — developing the strategy, conducting market research, and gaining buy-in from your leadership team. And you’ve probably engaged a branding agency to help you design a compelling visual identity that will crystallize your new brand promise in consumers’ and stakeholders’ minds.

But when it comes to introducing and rolling out your new brand into the world, your work has just begun. Now it’s time to determine which rebrand strategy will yield the right results based on your organization’s goals and objectives — and begin weighing all the details related to a successful rebranding implementation.

Whether you launch your rebrand with a big bang or slowly introduce your new identity over time, you’ll need a thorough and thoughtful implementation plan that will set your rebrand up for success.

To help you think through what’s possible — and to show you how BrandActive can help — we’ve curated three examples of brands who rolled out their rebrand in unique and memorable ways.

A big bang rebrand helped this global communications company smoothly launch a spin-off brand

When Siemens Enterprise Communications made the strategic decision to spin off from Siemens, the global German manufacturer, they knew they needed an entirely new name to distinguish themselves from their well-known legacy brand.

To ensure a successful outcome, spin-off Siemens engaged BrandActive to help plan an impressive social media-driven rebranding initiative that spanned 40 countries. In the months leading up to launch, teaser campaigns showcased colors from the new logo. Ads let stakeholders know something big was coming.

This lead-up culminated with a perfectly coordinated launch event based at the company’s headquarters in Munich. The simulcast event featured remarks from the CEO and a grand physical and digital unveiling of the company’s new name and visual identity. And by watching the webcast and joining the social media conversations, each location around the globe was able to celebrate together.

The launch was just the beginning. A complex trademark license agreement required that Unify convert all their branded assets — including vast quantities of hardware products and the service manuals and documentation that accompanied them — within one month of launch. This was no easy feat for a company that produces communication hardware used all around the world!

To support Unify in reaching their objectives, BrandActive:

• Helped create a realistic budget and find ways to fund it.
• Developed branded asset conversion strategies, processes, and documentation.
• Factored in the dependencies that existed among the many global offices and teams.
• Managed the vendors and agencies who were integral to planning and executing the launch.

Your takeaway? It’s possible to pull off a global rebranding initiative that makes a big impact with employees and customers. And with so many moving parts, an expert partner can help you make sense of the myriad factors involved and integrate them all into a cohesive action plan.

Rebrand roadmap - from development to implementation

This high-level infographic provides a look at the steps involved in your brand conversion from a brand implementation and development perspective. Learn what happens in what order during a typical rebrand so you can build your rebrand roadmap for success.

How a smart branded asset conversion strategy helped propel a household name into the modern era

Rebranding takes many forms. Sometimes it’s a full-fledged revolution, as was the case with Unify. On the other hand, sometimes it’s an evolution that illustrates where your brand is heading while building on the value and name recognition your brand has established over many decades.

That was the case for Verizon. When they embarked on a visual identity evolution in 2015, they did so to make their logo more relevant, modern, and reflective of the ways the company had grown and expanded over time. Their goal was to make their red check mark stand for itself, like Nike’s swoosh and Starbucks’ siren.

The biggest impediment to Verizon’s rebranding initiative was the enormous cost involved with converting their logo in hundreds of retail locations. Therefore, BrandActive helped Verizon’s marketing leadership team make the case for the value of the brand evolution through extensive financial modeling, smart planning, and creative branded asset conversion strategies.

Verizon introduced its new visual identity through targeted, consumer-facing advertising and media campaigns — kicking off with the first NFL game of the 2015 season. They converted sponsorships and other high-priority assets quickly in order to get the most ROI upfront as possible. Then, they replaced the majority of their branded assets (e.g. retail storefronts, Fios fleet vehicles) over a much longer time scale and multiple budget cycles.

Your takeaway? There are many ways to make the cost of a rebranding initiative more attainable. By focusing on the areas with the biggest ROI first, you can begin reaping the benefits of your brand’s new identity as you systematically convert your assets over a period of years.

Honoring the emotional connection to a legacy brand was key for this rebrand

When rebranding a health system, it’s important to keep a key factor in mind. A health system’s brand equity isn’t just about the monetary value of the brand. It’s about the emotional value as well. After all, hospitals are where the realities of life and death come into clear focus for so many of us.

Providence , a comprehensive health care organization made up of 52 hospitals and 1,000+ clinics located primarily on the West Coast of the U.S., rebranded with a firm understanding of the emotional complexities they faced. Their rebrand came as a result of merging two well-known health systems together. Each legacy brand brought its own heritage, patient base, and brand equity to the merger. Therefore, the rebrand implementation strategy focused on communicating thoughtfully with the 120,000 employees (known as caregivers) and community members who cared deeply about each brand.

Helping caregivers let go of the legacy brand

Providence went to great lengths to honor the legacy brand and help caregivers let go of the name they loved. As a historically Catholic organization, they incorporated prayer cards and blessing ceremonies into their rebranding strategy. When signs were taken down from buildings, caregivers were invited to witness the process, reflect, and let go of that physical representation of the brand.

Additionally, at a select few locations, caregivers received their new ID badges, and were encouraged to take a piece of rice paper, write a prayer, thought, or memory on it, and then drop it into water where it would dissolve. This served as a tangible and meaningful symbol of change.

Inviting community members to embrace the new brand

A key part of Providence’s rebranding strategy was to time the external launch with fall open enrollment. That way community members could experience the new brand in a cohesive manner while enrolling for their benefits and services. To promote open enrollment, Providence developed a media campaign that showcased time-lapsed drone footage of new signage being installed at several hospital locations.

BrandActive helped Providence with all elements of the planning process, including replacing a few key signs that could be expedited through internal and external review processes more quickly. This enabled Providence to meet their launch deadline and make an impact with their members. Like Verizon, they then continued converting the remaining branded assets over a longer period of time.

Your takeaway? When rebranding, know your audience. If your stakeholders have an emotional connection to your legacy brand, find meaningful ways to help your audience let go so they can wholeheartedly embrace your new brand.

Are you ready to rebrand?

What will your rebranding launch and implementation look like? It’s up to you. There’s no right way to approach your rebrand — but in order to pull your good ideas off without a hitch, you need the right partner by your side.

We’d love to help you think through your launch strategy, create a detailed asset conversion plan, develop a realistic budget, and integrate your agency partners and vendors toward a common goal. We can take you from start to finish and make the process as memorable and enjoyable as possible.

Whenever you’re ready to get started, we’re ready to help .

Related Insights

Which rebranding launch strategy is best for your brand’s next chapter? 4 core elements to point you in the right direction

Planning for rebranding implementation

How do you rebrand all your branded assets? Here are 4 unique examples to inspire you

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Social Media Examiner

Your Guide to the Marketing Jungle

Launch Strategy: A Case Study in How to Move People to Action

Want to make your launch a success?

To discover how he launched his latest bestselling book, I interview Michael Hyatt.

More About This Show

The Social Media Marketing podcast is an on-demand talk radio show from Social Media Examiner. It's designed to help busy marketers and business owners discover what works with social media marketing.

In this episode I interview Michael Hyatt , author of Platform and co-author of the new book, Living Forward . He's also the host of the This Is Your Life podcast and he blogs at MichaelHyatt.com . In his prior life, Michael was the CEO and chairman of book publisher Thomas Nelson .

Michael explores how he launched his latest Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller, Living Forward: A Proven Plan to Stop Drifting and Get the Life You Want .

You'll discover how to create a launch plan for any project.

Share your feedback, read the show notes, and get the links mentioned in this episode below.

Where to subscribe : Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube Music | YouTube | Amazon Music | RSS

Here are some of the things you'll discover in this show:

Launch Strategy

Why write a physical book in the digital age?

Michael has Living Forward  available as an audio book, an ebook , and a print book. Since everyone talks about digital books, you'd think physical books are obsolete, Michael says. The truth is ebooks are only 25% of the market; the other 75% are physical books . Publishing only in digital format would mean missing the vast majority of the potential market.

Furthermore, as of now, you don't really have a chance to reach any of the major bestsellers lists unless you publish a traditional book, he adds. The New York Times has an ebook bestsellers list, but those are really only for digital editions of physical books. You also don't have much chance of getting any major media unless you publish a physical book, because most of the gatekeepers in traditional media want to see a print book.

Finally, an ebook doesn't have the same cultural authority as a traditional hardcover book. There are a lot of reasons to write a book, but Michael doesn't know of anything that can give you more authority in your niche than having a published book. An ebook is better than nothing, but it's not as good as a traditionally published hardcover book, he says.

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There are other benefits to being a bestselling author. If you're a speaker, you can be introduced with that moniker. It also enables you to increase the prices of whatever you're selling and helps with distribution.

There's a limited amount of shelf space in conventional bookstores. They are risk-averse in what they order, because they get stuck with books they can't sell. Even though they can return unsold books to the publisher, it's just a hassle, he says. Once your book gets on the bestsellers list, the retailers that didn't initially order your book have to have it all of a sudden.

Listen to the show to learn more about Michael's 35-year background in publishing.

About Living Forward

Michael says Living Forward is about creating a life plan. Michael wanted to help people stop drifting through life, become intentional, and start designing the outcomes they want. He learned these things when he started working with an executive coach around 2000.

After he became a divisional manager at Thomas Nelson, Michael and his team were working like crazy to build up the division. They got to number one in 18 months, but the cost was life balance. When Michael told his friend, author John Maxwell, that he was looking for a coach, John introduced him to Daniel Harkavy , the CEO of Building Champions . Daniel became his coach for a decade, as well as a good friend. One of the first things Daniel taught Michael was how to create a written life plan.

His life plan was so transformational that Michael began to write about it on his blog. A while later, he and Daniel decided to just write a book together. They wanted to help people create an extraordinary life.

The creative process took much longer than it should, Michael explains. The book was published March 1, 2016, even though they started working on it in the summer of 2014.

Michael wrote the first draft of the manuscript in 30 days up in the mountains in Colorado. After that, figuring out their collective voice was a bit of a creative challenge, but they did it.

Listen to the show to discover why Michael considered self-publishing and then decided against it.

Nine months before the book launched, Michael started involving his tribe. For instance, he came up with some titles, put them on Facebook and his blog, and asked people to vote.

Another instance is when they narrowed the book cover selection to two. Half of the team liked each one, and Michael was ambivalent, so they shared it. They got extraordinary input, but more importantly they got buy-in from their tribe.

Three weeks before the book officially launched, they began sharing pre-launch videos. They followed Jeff Walker's Product Launch Formula . The basic idea is to do a series of videos where you present real, compelling, helpful content. You do this to build trust, so when you ask people to buy the product, they already have a relationship with you.

They created videos around the three questions the book covers:

• How do you want to be remembered?
• What's important to you?
• How do you get from where you are to where you want to be?

The videos incorporated Michael and Daniel talking, along with B-roll footage  (voiceover on top of video representing what they're discussing). People had to share their email address to watch the videos. They had around 40,000 people opt in.

When I asked about the goals of the pre-launch video sequence, Michael explained they were trying to build excitement about the book and also attract people they could convert into buyers.

They also created a life-planning assessment as an opt-in. People love to take tests, like Myers & Briggs , the DISC test , or StrengthsFinder , Michael says. They created this assessment to enable people to figure out where they are in the various categories of life with the idea of surfacing why they needed a life plan.

It's all building towards driving sales during launch week, Michael continues. The way the bestsellers lists work is they measure what sells from Sunday through Saturday at midnight. The book that has the highest number of sales during that one-week period is theoretically number one in its category.

Listen to the show to hear why they used Facebook ads and on what content.

Book order bonuses

The reason to offer bonuses is to drive up the pre-orders on Amazon, since other retailers and the media look at how books rank on Amazon, Michael explains. Even Amazon looks at it for how many books to order.

Anyone who pre-ordered Living Forward could go to the website, enter the receipt number and their email address, and get the download link for the bonuses. They had five: a free copy of the audio book, a ticket to a live event, a detailed action guide, Living Forward Quickstart Audio Training, and a complete library of the planning templates.

Michael admits putting together the bonuses was a lot of work. However, the cool thing about it was they were all organically related to the topic and beautifully designed. They approached it like they were selling a $1,000 course with a beautiful sales page with testimonials and endorsements.

They didn't validate whether there was a receipt there, Michael shares. Although they went back and spot-checked, they couldn't find a single occurrence of someone taking the bonuses without pre-ordering, and that was with almost 20,000 people taking advantage of the offer.

Another aspect to the launch, Michael adds, was their pre-launch team. They invited people to apply to join (3,500 people applied) and they accepted 500. Members of the team got a complimentary physical review copy, exclusive access to a private Facebook group with Michael and Daniel, and a group phone session, where the authors shared a behind-the-scenes look into the launch.

In exchange, the team had to agree to read the book as soon as they got it, provide feedback and engage with the authors via Facebook or email, write a brief book review (pro or con) on Amazon or another retailer's site, and help spread the word about the book.

Listen to the show to learn the mistake people make when compiling bonus content.

Endorsements

Endorsements are important for any kind of product, whether it's an online course, a membership site, or a book.

The difference between an endorsement and a testimonial is endorsements are typically from famous people everybody knows, famous people in your niche, or non-famous people who have important jobs and important-sounding titles. They provide third-party validation and social authority, and make it easier for customers and gatekeepers to say yes.

Michael and Daniel reached out to about 60 people they knew to request endorsements, and 53 of them agreed. These people included  Tony Robbins , David Allen ,  Dave Ramsey , John Maxwell,  Seth Godin , and me.

Then make a dream prospect list. Decide whom you would love to endorse your product, and then reach out to them. Don't send all of your request emails at once, Michael suggests. Instead, send out two or three emails to people you're pretty sure will agree to endorse you. Then, when you send out the rest of your requests, include those endorsements.

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One more thing, Michael adds. Just ask for the endorsement. Don't beat around the bush.

Finally, provide guidance (such as length of endorsement) and samples, and give them a really tight deadline. Although these people are really busy, Michael tells them they have 10 days. Sometimes they will ask for an extension, but the biggest names do it really quickly.

Michael did not have his assistant send the requests. He did it personally. “It's much easier to say no to my assistant than to me,” he says.

Then after the book came out, Michael FedExed those who endorsed it a copy of with a handwritten note, instead of a “Dear Friend” letter that comes with the book from the publisher.

About a month later, Michael asked those who endorsed the book to help him get the word out. To make it easy, they created an entire page with images for social media, tweets, Facebook posts, etc., that others could use to introduce the book to their tribes.

Listen to the show to discover why relationships are important when it comes to endorsements, as well as where to put the endorsements.

Launch week activities

Since the bestsellers lists measure sales during the first week a book comes out, launch week activities are important.

They produced their big launch event in Nashville like they would a TV show. It had a custom backdrop, five cameras, and live-streaming to the web. There were 1,000 people physically at the event. While the event was free for most, 200 people bought a ticket to the pre-event reception (which paid for the party). These people got an autographed book and had their picture taken with the authors.

After the reception, Michael and Daniel got on stage and taught for an hour. They made a printable workbook for all attendees, and brought in a local retailer to sell books so they could do another book-signing. There was also an after-party for their teams and some of the local media. The evening was about four hours start to finish.

While this type of event was new to Michael, his Chief Marketing Officer  Chad Cannon (also from Thomas Nelson) had done tons of these with other authors. It went off without a hitch.

This celebration definitely had a marketing side to it. There were 20,000 people who watched the live broadcast and another 20,000 who watched the replay. It was all about generating excitement. The call to action was to buy the book. People who bought it during the launch event got another set of bonuses.

For book-launch week, Michael, who chooses his speaking engagements strategically, did four events, including Chalene Johnson's Smart Success Live , an event for a big company, and a live webinar three times in one day. Webinars are one of his best marketing tools, he adds. They had 12,000 people register for the webinar.

When I ask about the benefits of all of this work, Michael says he's trying to grow his audience. People may not buy one of his $500 courses or join Platform University , but they'll buy a book because it's just going to be $15 to $20. It's a low-threshold entry point. Michael says he knows once he can get someone onto his mailing list, he can begin to build a relationship. He knows the lifetime value of his customers.

With this campaign, they added almost 100,000 new email subscribers. To Michael that's gold, because he knows he can convert them into paying customers for other products.

These techniques (webinars, videos, and endorsements) can be used for any launch. It's become a template they use, Michael says. They keep adding to it, enhancing it, and learning from it. It's a lot of work to write a book, so why would you not promote it? A lot of authors spend all this time writing a book, and then they just throw the book against the wall and hope it sticks. If it doesn't, they go on to the next thing.

Although Michael's goal was to get Living Forward  on The New York Times Best Sellers List, it didn't happen. They sold 20,000 books in the first week, and even though it was the third bestselling book in the country, The New York Times  didn't include it on their list. That happens to authors a lot, especially now, Michael explains.

However, if he hadn't aimed for the NYT list, he wouldn't have hit the Wall Street Journal  and the USA Today bestselling books lists.

Listen to the show to learn about the additional bonus they threw in during launch week and why they did it.

Discovery of the Week

Copied is a full-featured clipboard manager that saves you a ton of time if you have content on your phone that you need to work with on your laptop (or vice versa).

Copied automatically captures and saves the things you copy, whether it's a URL, an image, or a paragraph of text, onto your clipboard and syncs them via iCloud. That way, you can use them on all devices.

Most of the time if you have something on your computer that you want to put on your phone, you need to text it or email it to yourself. Plus, sometimes you want to copy a few different things and not go back and forth among different tabs. This keeps everything in one place.

You can create rules so only things copied from certain apps get saved. For instance, you can tell it not to save copied passwords from your password manager.

Copied is Mac- and iOS-based. The Mac app is $7.99 and the iOS app is free.

Listen to the show to learn more and let us know how the Copied app works for you.

Key takeaways mentioned in this episode:

• Learn more about Michael on his website .
• Take a look at LivingForwardBook.com .
• Listen to the This Is Your Life podcast .
• Read  Living Forward  and Platform .
• Learn more about  ebooks  and the percentage of ebooks on the market .
• Read  The New York Times Best Sellers List .
• Learn more about co-author and executive coach  Daniel Harkavy  and Building Champions .
• Take a look at the Living Forward   book cover choices .
• Check out  Jeff Walker's Product Launch Formula .
• Learn about  B-roll footage .
• Explore the life-planning assessment , as well as tests such as  Myers & Briggs , the DISC test , and  StrengthsFinder .
• Check out  Tony Robbins , David Allen , Dave Ramsey , John Maxwell , and Seth Godin .
• Learn about Michael's Chief Marketing Officer Chad Cannon .
• Explore  Chalene Johnson's Smart Success Live .
• Take a look at Michael's  courses  and  Platform University .
• Read the  Wall Street Journal  and the USA Today  bestselling books lists.
• Check out the  Copied  app.
• Follow me , subscribe, and listen to the Social Media Examiner weekly blabs.
• Read the 2016 Social Media Marketing Industry Report .

Help Us Spread the Word!

Please let your Twitter followers know about this podcast. Simply click here now to post a tweet .

If you enjoyed this episode of the Social Media Marketing podcast, please head over to iTunes, leave a rating, write a review and subscribe . And if you listen on Stitcher, please click here to rate and review this show .

Ways to subscribe to the Social Media Marketing podcast:

• Click here to subscribe via iTunes .
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What do you think? What are your thoughts on launching products? Please leave your comments below.

Hourglass photo from Shutterstock.

Discover Proven Marketing Strategies and Tips

Want to go even deeper with your marketing? Check out the Social Media Marketing Podcast! Publishing weekly since 2012, the Social Media Marketing Podcast helps you navigate the constantly changing marketing jungle, with expert interviews from marketing pros. But don’t let the name fool you. This show is about a lot more than just social media marketing. With over 600 episodes and millions of downloads each year, this show has been a trusted source for marketers for well over a decade.

About the author Michael Stelzner

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July 3, 2018

How to Successfully Launch a Product Online [with Case Studies]

Even Amazon‘s $685 billion market value couldn‘t save the Amazon Fire. Launching a product online takes a lot of work — and it‘s something that can elude even the largest companies in the world.

Amazon‘s Fire phone flopped so hard in 2014 that people barely remember it today, and that‘s even after the ecommerce company cut its cost from $200 to 99 cents. Amazon misunderstood and misinterpreted the industry it was trying to launch in — and they assumed that the weight of their brand was enough to carry their marketing strategy.

This proved to be a costly and lasting mistake; it‘s doubtful that Amazon is going to be jumping into the smartphone market any time in the near future.

Still, Amazon‘s blunder did a lot to teach marketing companies about the value of an online launch strategy. If your company is considering an online product launch, there‘s a lot you can learn from case studies and from existing product launch tactics.

Here‘s what you need to know.  

Planning to grow your business? Download our marketing plan template 2.0 to get started.

4 Steps to a Great Product Launch

Every product, market, and demographic is different. Despite this, the steps to a great online product launch generally fit into a simple outline. Create a strategy, develop your tactics, launch your product, and avoid common mistakes.

1. Create a Strategy

Your strategy begins with discovering your target audience . For many businesses, this will lead to building out lists and creating unique and specific audiences. Email lists, social media lists, and mailing lists — all these so you can build a relationship with your prospective customer base.

Once you‘ve built your contacts, list, and audience, you can determine the most accurate and effective sales hooks. You will already have positioned yourself as a trusted authority through repeated contact and valuable content . From there, it‘s only a matter of building up the momentum that can be used for a launch.

It‘s a dirty secret that you can make quite a few mistakes as long as you have a solid, respectable following. Amazon may be a well-known name, but it‘s never been able to foster personal relationships with its customers. It‘s simply too massive.

Plus Amazon is not considered an authority on smartphones — and consequently wasn‘t considered to be trustworthy within that industry. All of these elements together led to a strategy that just didn‘t work, regardless of how much access Amazon had to its customer base.

2. Develop Your Tactics

So how do you build your authority with your customers? How do you get them excited for a product launch online?

You need to keep their attention throughout your marketing efforts and make sure they are still interested by the time you‘re ready to sell. This requires tactics.

• Tell your customers a story . Your customers need to connect with your business and your products on an emotional level. Telling your customers a narrative helps them understand the context of your brand, your products, and your services. It also helps them relate to your brand, rather than thinking of your brand as “just another company.”
• Offer your customers value. Perceived value is key. As your customers continue to engage with your product, you need to offer them something of value. Whether it‘s valuable content or a discount on an eventual product, giving your customers value shows them that you care. This is why stores frequently offer pre-order bonuses and early adopter discounts.
• Create events for your customers to participate in . An event excites customers and builds their sense of anticipation, encouraging them to further engage with your brand. Live streams have become a popular way to connect with customers on an inexpensive and organic level.  
• Show your customers social evidence. Customers don‘t trust advertising very much these days. Showing your customers social evidence — through social media sharing and testimonials — builds your credibility. This will also build your social media accounts, which will benefit your company in the future.
• Interact with your customers . Don‘t just send messages out into the void. Connect with your customers on a personal level, especially through social media campaigns and email. Respond professionally and in a timely fashion to any messages your customers send; customer service starts before the purchase does.

These are all mental triggers that will encourage your customers to follow your brand. Once your product launches, you need to seek an actual commitment. This requires different strategies.

• Remember that the customer is always right . Throughout your campaign, you‘ll get a sense of what the market wants. Sell what your market wants — not what you want to sell them. This is a lesson learned by Amazon. Amazon wanted to sell phones, but customers didn‘t want another smartphone option.
• Modify your product offerings based on feedback . If your customers have suggestions, listen; they know what they want. The more of their boxes you can check, the more likely you are to sell your product.

From pre-launch to post-launch, it‘s these tactics that are going to see you through. You need to continually listen to your customer base, modify your offerings, and update your strategies as you go. This is the best way to reliably ensure that your product launch will be successful.

3. Define Your Launch Path

What is a launch path? There are many different types of product launches, depending on the product that you‘re selling and the type of company you have.

A well-established business is going to have a different launch path from a startup company. An entrepreneur will have a different launch path from a small business.

Your launch may consist of a new type of product or service that‘s already similar to your existing offerings. Alternatively, it may be a radically different type of product — something that the market has never seen before.

In ecommerce launch , you have the benefit of creating a lean launch. If you‘ve already established your customer base, you don’t need a significant amount of paid advertising. Instead, you need to do research on the products and services your customers are interested in. You need to talk directly to them regarding whether they are interested in new products, and you need to identify the best ways to deliver solutions to their current problems.

Ecommerce launch paths are streamlined and simplified. A significant portion of the advertising occurs through the internet and through content marketing . Once a customer base has been developed, your launch can happen within minutes. Making your products available online is a click of the button away — from there, you just need to keep selling.

4. Avoid the Common Pitfalls

Amazon‘s mistakes were obvious: they were selling a product that their customers weren‘t interested in. They hadn‘t done the market research required to determine what customers really wanted in a phone, and they were going up against a number of already established options.

Many mistakes that you can make are obvious, but others may be a little more subtle. Here are some of the most common pitfalls:

• Not having a list of interested customers . You don‘t need to start with a list, but you do need to end with one. Don‘t assume that because you don‘t have a list yet, you can‘t make one. As your customer list grows, it will also begin to grow faster.
• Failing to properly form and identify your product . As noted, the product that you want to sell isn‘t necessarily the product that you‘re going to end up selling. The early stages of your marketing will lead to refining and modifying your product.
• Not having an expert . An expert in smartphones and smartphone development could have helped Amazon. If you don‘t have an expert, you should acquire one as soon as possible — they will tell you what direction to move into.
• Trying to rely solely upon expertise . By the same token, just being an expert in something doesn‘t mean that you‘re also a marketer. You need to have digital marketing strategies and tactics on your arsenal before you begin your campaign.

Over time, your marketing strategies are going to become unique and refined. You will figure out the tactics that work best for your business and your audience. At the same time, you‘ll still need to do the appropriate research each time. It‘s relying upon prior knowledge — and avoiding additional data — that was the downfall of Amazon.

8 Online Techniques for Your Next Product Launch

As we‘ve discussed, a solid online product launch is really about the process. A rigorous process ultimately leads to positive results, even if the product or service you‘re selling diverges from what you initially intended to provide.

Here are proven strategies that you can apply to make your product launch a huge success.

1. Build Your Product Messaging

This is the mistake that Amazon made — they failed to properly build their product messaging. Amazon didn‘t have the expertise to truly break into the smartphone market, and consequently, they weren‘t able to provide any content of value to their customer base.

Building your product messaging over time is the best way to test the waters and ensure that your products will sell.

Read this article to learn how to create the perfect messaging for your product.

2. Promote It on Your Business Blog

When the webcomic and humour site the Oatmeal  launched their card game product “ Exploding Kittens ,” they made a record-breaking $8.7 million .

This is despite the fact that they had never launched a card game before — and they were only seeking an initial investment of $10,000. Since then, they have continued to develop and release games with great success.

Their secret? They took advantage of their preexisting audience and listened to their audience when they told them what they wanted. The Oatmeal was already wildly successful and had a substantial contact list. Their audience was interested already in additional The Oatmeal products and would purchase a wide variety of merchandise purely through its connection with the art of the comics trip. All of these things gelled together to create an immensely successful campaign.

Read this article to discover the top reasons why a blog is a must-have for businesses.

3. Focus on Your Customers and Their Needs

Who will be using your product, and how will your product change your customer‘s life? The iPhone 8 learned this lesson in a dramatic fashion when it became the first new iPhone release not to garner long lines and a flurry of purchasing .

Apple was so set on creating a new iPhone; they didn‘t ask themselves what their customers really wanted and expected. They released a product that was uninspiring. Other than wireless charging, the iPhone 8 did very little to improve its user‘s lives. More so, customers were anticipating other features that they expected in new iterations of the phone — and consequently, they wanted to wait until they saw a better product.

Learn 4 tested ways to identify unmet customer needs.

4. Optimise Your Website and Your Customer Experience

MoviePass was an interesting online phenomenon. It was wildly successful but also known for haemorrhaging money and providing terrible customer service . MoviePass is a $9.99 monthly subscription service that lets users view as many movies as possible, but MoviePass didn‘t expect to be as successful as it was. In fact, so many users signed up that the site had to reduce its services, and its customer support (or lack thereof) has become a notable problem.

Learn why making optimisations to your website to be predictive and personal can boost your customer engagement.

5. Create Buzz on Crowdfunding Platforms

Crowdfunding has become one of the most popular ways to launch a product online. It makes sense: if there is interest in your product, your product will sell. If no one wants your product, then you‘ll know, without having to invest a lot of money. If you have a product or a service more than you have a company, a crowdfunding platform may be the ideal solution.

The previously mentioned Exploding Kittens card game was a crowdfunded game, but it‘s certainly not the only immensely successful crowdfunded project. The Pebble electronic watch was able to earn $10 million on Kickstarter, while the Ouya raised $8.5 million in less than a month .

6. Create a Remarkable Product Explainer Video

A product explainer video is a necessity when you‘re trying to sell a product or a service that‘s unusual. You may need to explain to your customers what your product does better than the competition or simply explain to them the problem that your product is meant to solve.  

7.  Reach Out to Your Existing Customers

Your existing customers are also your most loyal customers. They‘ve already shown themselves to be interested in your company and your brand; they are the most likely to be in your demographic and interested in your new products.

8. Offer Pre-Orders

One of the reasons crowdfunding is so valuable is because they essentially work as a pre-order service. A pre-order shows that your market is genuinely interested. Pre-orders also work to make sure that you have cash flow from the start, which helps in keeping your company agile.

These are the strategies that are most likely to lead to engagement, and many of them aren‘t extraordinarily difficult to implement. It‘s just a matter of taking the time.

Product Launch Case Studies

The best way to learn about product launches is to look at real product launches that occurred — which ones failed and which ones succeeded. The real world is extraordinarily different from the theoretical world.

Many failed product launches involve extremely large companies — companies that wouldn‘t be thought to make these types of mistakes.

Similarly, many of the most successful product launches are from relatively inexperienced companies — companies that just hit upon a need or drive within their demographic.

1. Gucci‘s “Fall Winter” Collection

Gucci launched its new product line in 2017 with a sequence of science-fiction inspired ads, which were meant to capture the attention of their audience. It worked because it was something that was unique and exciting to its user base. By creating a number of videos and images in the “Fall Winter” theme, Gucci was able to inspire creativity and interest in their followers.

2. Kate Spade Uses Live Streaming

Kate Spade was able to garner interest in its new collection through the use of live streaming — a technique which lets a brand talk directly to its most interested customers. Live streaming gives customers the opportunity to talk directly to the brand and to feel as though they are a part of an event that is bigger than themselves.

3. Barclay‘s Goes Mobile

When Barclay‘s launched its mobile app, Pingit, they discovered they were getting negative attention due to their 18 and older limitations. They reacted swiftly to correct this , leading to positive responses.

This is an example of modifying a product to suit your audience‘s needs. Barclay simply had not anticipated how many older teens were interested in using its services. The change was incredibly important as it opened up Barclay‘s to a totally different demographic.

4. Front App Uses Its Data

When Front launched its team management app , it was able to pare down through its data to find its top-performing advertising channels. Through this, they were able to improve upon their engagement and conversions. They focused on the advertising channels that worked best, and they were able to tailor their content to each successful channel.

5. Ben and Jerry‘s Leverages Its Social Media Marketing

When Ben and Jerry‘s launched its new products, it turned to its social media marketing. Ben and Jerry‘s sent out its core flavours to 210,000 Twitter followers and the 7.2 million followers on its Facebook pages . This was an affordable and easy way to send a message.

All of these successful product launches focused on putting their customers first. By putting their customers at the forefront, they were able to offer products that their customers want.

Amazon‘s failure to launch its smartphone may have been a win in other ways . Amazon was well-diversified enough that it was able to pivot successfully, moving into the area of smart home gadgets and away from cellular technology. And that‘s another important aspect to business: the ability to move in other directions.

Still, Amazon could have had a successful launch if they had better understood their market or if they had altered their product to suit their demographics. These are things that would have been avoidable but weren‘t simply because they underestimated the need for the appropriate strategy and tactics.

Ready to step up your marketing game? Download our marketing plan template 2.0 to get started!

Written by Step Change

We exist to inspire step changes in businesses and in people.

Tagged: Marketing Strategy , Digital , Business Growth

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Step Change, Unit A1/35 – 39 Bourke Rd,NSW 2015, Alexandria , Sydney, NSW, 2015 (02) 8030 8655

64 Of The Best Channel Marketing Case Studies

July 16, 2015

One of the most attractive things in a business is an effective, scalable marketing channel. Truthfully, it’s not nearly as easy as it sounds.

Exploring whether or not a channel can work for you takes work – a lot of it. Sometimes it takes months to really explore a marketing channel and decide whether or not it is delivering results.

When I advise clients on channels that I believe will be effective for their business, I always start by considering the case studies. What are other businesses doing that is working, and is it something that we can mimic?

Therefore, I’ve organized a list of over 60 case studies, organized by channel, where actual results were delivered.

If you’re in the middle of one of these channels right now, I suggest honing in on the case studies and deciding whether or not you should implement it yourself.

Table of Contents 

Content Marketing Email Marketing Influencer Marketing SEO Social Media Viral Marketing Word Of Mouth

Content Marketing

Content is king – as they say. That said, content marketing is a relatively new strategy that is taking the internet by storm as content is being seen as the way for businesses to rank in Google. In fact, a recent survey by Marketing Land found that 89% of businesses doing content marketing say it works. It is extremely cheap and has virtually no barriers to entry.

• Content Strategy Case Study: 36,282 Readers & 1,000 Subscribers
• Case Study ? How an effective content marketing strategy drives online success ? Belfast ? The Tomorrow Lab
• A Case Study: Content Marketing Increases Web Referrals by 50%
• 15 B2B Case Studies Show How Content Marketing Drives ROI
• Content Marketing Case Study: How To Increase Traffic 272% In 30 Days (Without Spending A Penny)
• Case Study: How MSI Data Drives Business with Content Marketing | Search Engine People
• Content Marketing Case Study :: 600 visitors a day from a single blog post | MODassic Marketing

Email Marketing

Content may be king but the money is in the list. Collecting someone’s email address is often seen as the holy grail of marketing, because people are so much more receptive to emails as compared to other channels. Still, it’s important to know what to do with those email addresses after you collect them, which are what these case studies reveal.

• How to launch an online course and make $220,750 in 10 days
• Case Study: Email Marketing with Markree Castle Hotel and GroupMail
• Email Marketing Case Study: How I Generated $40,000 In Sales Without Annoying My Subscribers
• Email Marketing: Microsoft Store uses relevance to increase sends by 300% and email revenue by 600% | MarketingSherpa
• Email Marketing: Simplifying email content increases open rates 48% for B2B company | MarketingSherpa
• 10 Case Studies To Help You Get More Clicks – Email Marketing Tips
• Using Email Marketing to Connect with the Local Community

Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing is one of the most talked about marketing channels in recent times. It involves identifying potential brand advocates and partnering with them to promote your business. What makes influencer marketing ideal is that you get to tap into the large audience that influencers have amassed. Again, this is a very cost effective channel for reaching thousands of people.

• Luxury Social Media Marketing Case Study Example: diptyque Paris | Affinitive
• What Happens When Guy Kawasaki Tweets Your Post to His Followers? | DrumUp Blog
• Case Study: 30% Conv. Rate with Influencer Marketing
• Company Spotlight – How LeadPages Uses Influencer Marketing To Grow To 25k Customers
• Influencer Marketing Success on YouTube – NordicTrack
• How we grew our website traffic by +400% with influencer marketing ? onalytica
• Award Winning B2B Influencer Content Marketing Case Study & 18 Resources
• Influencer Marketing Case Study: Kmart Holiday Hoopla Contest | WendyPiersall.com

Google has over 1 trillion searches a year, and tapping into that is what Search Engine Optimization is all about. What’s unique about SEO is that it tends to be ongoing. If you are ranking for a set of keywords you can continue to receive traffic long after the “campaign” is over with (as opposed to make other types of marketing channels). See in these case studies how businesses have improved their rankings and increased their organic traffic.

• Negative SEO Case Study: How to Uncover an Attack Using a Backlink Audit | SEW
• Inflow SEO Case Study: 108% YoY Organic Traffic Increase
• How VeriFirst Used Content to Increase Organic Traffic, Leads, and Grow Business
• How Social Media Can Help Organic SEO : 2 Case Studies – Jeffbullas’s Blog
• How We Increased Organic Blog Traffic by 203.5% in Less Than 3 Months – And You Can Too – @ProBlogger
• How To Increase Website Traffic to Over 100,000 Visitors Per Month
• Project POUQ: Increase Organic SEO Traffic by 10,000 Unique Visitors a Month
• White Hat SEO Case Study???How I Increased Traffic to Over 100,000 Visitors per Month ? Medium
• Case Study: One Site’s Recovery from an Ugly SEO Mess – Moz icon-book icon-close icon-conversation icon-envelope icon-external icon-house icon-menu icon-pencil icon-products icon-search moz-logo Tools
• Increasing Organic SEO Traffic by 400,000 Unique Visitors a Month! – YouMoz – Moz icon-book icon-close icon-conversation icon-envelope icon-external icon-house icon-menu icon-pencil icon-products icon-search moz-logo Tools

Social Media

It seems that just about every business has at least one social media profile nowadays, which would make it significantly more popular than content marketing. That said, having a profile is not the same as having a strategy – far from it in fact. What’s unique about social media are all of the different platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, to name just a few. Each has a different audience and requires a different strategy. For example, while Facebook is normally heralded as a great B2C platform, LinkedIn is typically reserved for B2B. While Facebook and Twitter seem to have an equal number of men and women, Pinterest is heavily geared towards females. These case studies will guide you on how to tackle each channel.

• 5 Best Social Media Campaigns of 2014 – Beta21
• How L’Oreal Use Social Media for Recruitment [Case Study]
• ShipServ and one of the most interesting B2B social media case studies – Schaefer Marketing Solutions: We Help Businesses {grow}
• B2B Social Media Case Study: How I made $47 million from my B2B blog – Schaefer Marketing Solutions: We Help Businesses {grow}
• Social Media Launch Saves Cisco $100,000+ Social Media Examiner
• How Red Bull uses Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google+ | Econsultancy
• How Cadbury uses Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google+ | Econsultancy
• The Key Features Behind A Successful Marketing Campaign | Simply Zesty

Video Marketing

Video is a popular media used in marketing campaigns and it’s becoming more and more popular each year as the barriers to entry for video creation lessen. To put things in perspective, every minute 300 hours of video are uploaded to Youtube.

• How Cuisinart Grew Brand Engagement With Interactive Video On Facebook
• Viral Video Case Study of Dollar Shave Club : What We Can Learn ? iMediaConnection Blog
• Succeed with Video Content Marketing: 5 Tips and a Case Study
• [Case Study] How 1 Instagram Marketing Video Increased New Patients at a Bahrain Medical Clinic – Gulf Broadcast [Case Study] How 1 Instagram Marketing Video Increased New Patients at a Bahrain Medical Clinic – Gulf Broadcast
• What It Really Takes For Video Content To Go Viral [Case Study]
• A case study of using video marketing to enhance your brand and help CRO – Smart Insights Digital Marketing Advice
• 5 Examples of Awesome B2B Video Marketing | Vidyard

Viral Marketing

Viral – it’s what everyone wants to go. While there is no way to guarantee virality, there are conditions that increase its likelihood. As you read these case studies notice some of the following attributes. Firstly, many viral campaigns involve video. This is because video is easy to share and easy to digest. A one minute video can convey a whole host of emotions. Additionally, they integrate sharing into the campaign, asking you to tag multiple other people. This prolongs the life of the campaign. Lastly, there is usually something “catchy”. Combine all of these elements and you may just have a viral campaign.

• Viral Marketing Case Study: 17,584 Visitors In One Day
• The ‘Ice Bucket Challenge’: A case study in viral marketing gold – Digiday
• Case Study: Going Viral With Stride Gum | jmarbach.com
• The Old Spice Social Media Campaign by the Numbers
• The Dark Knight: A Case Study of Viral Marketing | PhilTreagus.com | An Entrepreneurs Life?
• Case Study: AcneFree Sampling Goes Viral! ? likeable media
• No make-up selfie cancer campaign raises ?8m in 6 days – Telegraph
• Case Study: How Gangnam Style went viral with a strategic marketing campaign from YG Entertainment | The Drum
• 9,000 Uniques in One Day: A Viral Marketing Case Study – Moz icon-book icon-close icon-conversation icon-envelope icon-external icon-house icon-menu icon-pencil icon-products icon-search moz-logo Tools

Word Of Mouth

Word of mouth is considered the holy grail of marketing. It’s generally one of the least expensive channels – but how do you get people to talk about you? Often, it has to do with getting the big things right; a great product, great customer service, and a reason for people to share. These case studies go in depth on various referral campaigns that capitalize on word of mouth sharing.

• How Intuit Measures the Impact of Social Media Activity on Sales for Small Business Owners, presented by Kira Wampler | WordofMouth.org
• How Word-Of-Mouth On Facebook Can Boost Sales 433% | SocialTimes
• Digital marketing case study – Dettol boosts spray sales 86% in China via mums’ word of mouth – Digital Training Academy
• AAP collects INR 18M using InviteReferrals Referral marketing software
• Word-of-Mouth – Case Study: How One Company More Than Doubled Customer Referrals : MarketingProfs Article
• Social Media Marketing: How a small e-commerce site attracted 293,000 Facebook fans | MarketingSherpa
• Word of Mouth Marketing Case Study: Epson & Sparkplugging | WendyPiersall.com
• Referral Program: 18,000 customer participants create more than 60,000 shares, $100,000 in sales | MarketingSherpa

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Product Launch Case Study: How Oriflame's #TheOne range was popularized on social media

With #BeTheOne, Oriflame managed to create conversations around its new range in a cluttered market. The brand saw 98% hike in avg engagement on Instagram. A look at the product launch case study

The idea was to make both, end-consumers and consultants make aware of Oriflame's #TheOne range during the festive season. The product launch case study decodes how the brand achieved the same.

Category Introduction

As per an intelligence report , Global Beauty and Personal Care Products Market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.2% during the forecast period (2019 - 2024). Some important players in the mass/masstige makeup/cosmetics field include - P&G, Beiersdorf, Unilever, MAC, Revlon, Olay, L’Oreal, Oriflame, and Avon, among others.

Brand Introduction

Oriflame, a Swedish beauty brand that has over 50+ experience in beauty & wellness, is established in more than 60 countries. Oriflame India has been dedicated to inspiring and offering people an opportunity to achieve their dreams through their unique business concept.

The marketing objective of the brand revolves around establishing a different view on beauty, by supporting that beauty is not only how you look, but how you live, feel and act. It’s a way of life; to be healthy, enjoy beautiful skin, express yourself and realize your aspirations.

Most women don’t know that Oriflame India also has a unique beauty range. With so many players like Nykaa, ColorBar, etc. the challenge was how to introduce Oriflame’s latest range in the market?

The campaign revolved around the know-how that during the festive season, women love to reinvent themselves. Whether it’s their looks, clothes or style, they love to experiment and try out new things. Hence, Oriflame came up with a campaign aimed to do that – #BeTheOne.

Problem Statement/Objective

To launch #TheOne range for Oriflame India during the festive season

The brief of the campaign encompassed two pointers

• To educate consultants about the brand as well as #TheOne product range and help them upscale
• To increase brand awareness by targeting our end consumers

Creative Idea

The idea of the campaign was to ask women to experiment with their look with ‘The one’ range and #BeTheOne to steal the show during the festive season.

Oriflame India being a direct selling company and products not being available in stores for touch and feel the experience. It was a challenge on how to introduce Oriflame’s latest range amidst great clutter in the space.

Also read: Case Study: How McDonald’s created organic Instagram engagement with Instakshari

The campaign was divided into 3 phases: teaser, launch, and sustenance. The campaign was taken live simultaneously cross platforms on three channels – Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

The brand kickstarted by asking the audience to guess actress Kalki Koechlin passion.

The brand revealed #TheOne range of lipsticks through an interactive Facebook and Instagram live session with Kalki Koechlin.

10 lipstick colors. 10 shades of Kalki.

Through a Facebook/Instagram Live Kalki Koechlin showcased each color by drawing a swatch on her hand. Every time she does so, she revealed something about herself and made the audience to guess whether it’s true or false thus soaring the engagement high.

Women and influencers across the country discovered a new range of lipsticks and shared pictures with us through social media. Influencer collaboration and initiatives by digital leaders were collaborated together to create a lasting effect on social media for #TheOne range of lipsticks.

Digital Leaders

Influencer Collaboration

View this post on Instagram 10 NEW colours. 10 power packed looks. #TheOne Colour Obsession range is what dreams are made off. And @mymultifaceteddiary agrees! #BeTheOne #Repost @mymultifaceteddiary • • • • • Loving the newly launched The One Colour Obsession Lipsticks by @oriflameindia! Product benefits: - 8 Hour Moisture - Weightless Gel Crème formula that melts on contact - Luminous, wet look finish - Colour Intensity through ChromaLoad technology - Light Textured . #BeTheOne #mmfdxbeauty #lipcolors #balm A post shared by Oriflame India (@oriflameindia) on Nov 23, 2018 at 6:02am PST

View this post on Instagram Like Bhumika can own this season with the NEW Colour Obsession range! Keep those lips looking both moisturised and in style. #BeTheOne #Repost @bhumika_t • • • • • @oriflameindia has launched new Colour Obsession Lipsticks in The One Range. Comes in 10 popping shades, it has sunflower oil, glycerin and berry fruit wax. Super moisturising and gel creme finish, swipe left for swatches P.S.: I have a contest coming up on my Instagram stories today ? #BeTheOne #oriflame #oriflameindia #lipstickday #lipsticks #swatches #flatlay #flatlayfriday #ad . . #Contest #contestalert #GiveawayAlert #giveawayindia #giveaway A post shared by Oriflame India (@oriflameindia) on Nov 22, 2018 at 5:59am PST

View this post on Instagram Shaurya Sanadhya is all set to rock her looks this season with our NEW #TheOne Colour Obsession lipsticks range and she's asking you to get started too! #BeTheOne #Repost @shauryasanadhya • • • • • Let your lips do the talking with the newly launched @oriflameindia lipsticks in 10 assorted colours. With 8 hours moisture and gel crème formula, it is so light on the lips! #BeTheOne with Oriflame. ?#shauryasanadhya ?- @allansdphotography A post shared by Oriflame India (@oriflameindia) on Nov 16, 2018 at 3:57am PST

View this post on Instagram Looks like @thestylecocktail has discovered her new obsession with #TheOne Colour Obsession Lipsticks. Paint your lips, like she did with these festive colours today! Get them now. #Repost @thestylecocktail • • • • • Colour Obsession by @oriflameindia ? Perfect texture and shades for the current season!! Swipe left to check out the swatches. #BeTheOne A post shared by Oriflame India (@oriflameindia) on Dec 14, 2018 at 6:03am PST

• 134% increase in average engagement
• 126.9M impressions garnered
• With users positive sentiment of 96.6%
• 98% increase in average engagement
• 30M impressions garnered
• 20.8M audience reached
• Oriflame India tweets were (retweeted) 6.4K more than the competition
• Oriflame India tweets were (liked) 12.4K more than the competition

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23 Pro Tips for Running a Successful Business — From Building Your Company Benefits to Leading a Team (+ Expert Insights)

Published: September 05, 2024

Just about anyone can start a business … but what does it take to run a successful business? Through my personal experience, I’ve found that running a business successfully is about a lot more than filling out a few forms, getting the permits or licenses you need, and selling a product.

To the contrary, I’ve learned that running a business that thrives long-term requires a wide range of skills, strategies, and tools . In this article, I’ll share my top tips for running a successful business, based on takeaways from my own career as well as recommendations from a range of business experts. With these pro tips, you’ll have everything you need to launch — and maintain — a thriving, sustainable business.

Table of Contents

What does business success look like?

What makes a business successful, what factors can impact business success, business success trends [new data], how to run a business.

One of the reasons it’s so hard to run a thriving business is that there are many different ways to measure success. Each business owner must create their own unique definition — and stick to it.

For some business owners, success means profit (whether that means short-term gains or long-term wealth and growth). For some owners, it’s more about personal wealth and collecting expensive assets such as homes or cars, while others are more focused on business profits. In contrast, other owners measure their value as their ability to solve problems for their customers, while yet others define success as progress toward a larger dream or mission.

Revenue, gross profit, and cash flow management impact the present and future of every company. But to create sustained value, businesses need to make their own definitions of success.

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• Focus on the customer experience.
• A powerful business idea.
• Offering value to your target audience.
• Being flexible and quick to adapt.
• Bold decision-making and creative problem-solving.
• Paying attention.
• Getting out of the office.

The world is changing quickly. As such, the strategies and habits that worked in the past don’t guarantee success today. Whether you’re starting a business for the first time or working to pivot your company in a new direction, running a business today means staying open to new ideas and taking in an ever-growing flood of information. Here are some of my top tips for running a successful company in an increasingly uncertain and evolving business environment:

1. Focus on the customer experience.

Today’s customers and prospects have access to more information than ever before. According to HubSpot Research , 79% of customer service teams feel customers are more informed than they were in the past, and almost 90% of surveyed leaders say their expectations are higher than ever before.

As a result, in many situations, how you treat your customers — that is, your customer experience — has more of an impact on your business success than your pricing or even your products. Customer experience is the overall impression you give your customers, and it influences their perception of your brand across each stage and touchpoint of the customer journey.

This means that businesses need to focus on every step of the buyer journey, identifying hurdles on that path and offering new opportunities to create a great customer experience. Specifically, there are a few tactical ways you can build a customer focus into your business:

• Make customer experience a priority by gathering insights from everyone on your team
• Take steps to reduce friction and focus your team’s energy on what’s most important to your customers
• Look at your product experience from customers’ point of view
• Solve problems before they impact your customers
• Invest in training and supporting your customer service team

Customers want and expect a great experience from beginning to end, and they’re often willing to pay a premium for it. Are you ready to provide that experience? Are you over-delivering on your CX? To run a successful business, you should be.

Featured Resources

• Customer experience strategy
• How to improve your customer experience
• Customer experience trends

2. A powerful business idea.

The oldest companies in the world have been around for as long as 1,400 years . But many companies struggle to last: In 2023 alone, over 18,000 U.S. businesses filed for bankruptcy .

Every business is born from an idea. Some ideas are riskier than others. Some ideas seem like a good plan but fizzle out over time. In my experience, there are a few steps you can take to identify an idea that will make your business a success.

[Video: How Sam Parr Comes Up With $10,000,000 Dollar Business Ideas (#62) ]

First, start with what you know. If you’ve ever had a hobby or job you’re passionate about, you know that every niche is more complex than it seems. As you learn more, you get a clearer picture of the joys and challenges below the surface.

For example, a gamer who’s obsessed with Stardew Valley is a totally different customer from a Half-Life player. If you try to build a business that targets all video game players, rather than a more specific sub-group, you might struggle to meet the needs of this diverse customer base.

Next, you’ll want to talk to your community. Whether it’s family and friends or an online group, it’s smart to test out the value of your ideas with a group of people. This can help you refine your idea and determine common objections.

Finally, it’s essential to do your research before you launch your business idea. If you want to create a product or service that people are willing to pay for, it has to be unique, useful, and high-quality. That kind of idea may take some time to polish before it’s ready for purchase.

• Small business ideas
• Business opportunities

3. Offering value to your target audience.

A great idea is important, but it isn’t enough to build a successful business. Indeed, in my experience, it’s easy to come up with a great idea. What’s difficult is executing that idea effectively.

Moreover, even if you’ve executed your current idea, no great product is ever finished. To continue to offer value, many products need constant updates in response to customer reviews and internal feedback.

Pro tip: It’s not just about the product. Even if your product or service is perfect, the foundation of any successful business is trust.

To develop trust, your business needs to go above and beyond target audience expectations . There are a few strategies that I’ve found can be particularly helpful in building and sustaining trust. First, it’s important to make sure that your product does exactly what you say it does. Never over-promise, or sell functionality your product doesn’t have.

It’s also critical to provide value throughout the customer experience, from support to instructions to your return policy. After all, value isn’t just the cost of making your product or what you ask in exchange for it. It’s customers’ perceptions and how reliably you meet or exceed their expectations.

For example, the athleisure brand PopFlex doesn’t just sell clothes. It also runs a fitness blog called Blogilates that offers a wide range of additional resources to support its customers.

To be sure, networking is a buzzword that can be off-putting to some. But in reality, networking is just about fostering relationships. If you support businesses that complement yours, they’re likely to return that investment and support, creating a steady stream of referrals and connections that can help your business grow.

To be a great partner to the people in your network, start with your common values. Reach out to people in your local community and online who align with the mission and ideals you strive for personally and in your business. Then, create clear expectations and maintain friendly and consistent communication.

• Guide to networking
• Building business relationships

5. Competitive analysis.

Some ideas may be so unique that there’s little to no competition, but most businesses will be entering an already crowded market. To succeed in a market that’s full of established providers, you need a unique spin on your product or niche — and that means conducting a competitive analysis.

Pro tip: When it comes to beating out the competition, founder of OswaldoMedia Oleg Segal argues that “The key is to leverage your business’ uniqueness and serve a niche your larger competitor doesn’t cater to.”

A competitive analysis can help you learn about your top competitors’ products, marketing, and approaches to sales. In some cases, you may learn things that lead you to take your business in a new direction, while in others, you might find a need or problem that only your business can solve. This process can also help you set benchmarks and understand what it will take to reach your business goals.

The more organized you are, the more useful your competitive research will be. It’s also a good idea to perform this analysis on a consistent basis — ideally, as frequently as once a quarter — so you can respond quickly to changes in your industry.

• Competitive analysis kit
• Competitive analysis templates

6. Choosing the right pricing.

In my experience, getting your pricing strategy right is one of the most important factors for building a sustainable business. If your prices are too high, you’ll struggle to sell … and if they’re too low, you won’t be able to cover your costs.

Pricing your products to sell is a skill that may take some time to learn. At the same time, setting prices is also one of the first things you’ll need to do when starting a business. As such, it’s important to think carefully about whether your products are priced appropriately.

Are you pulling in enough revenue to stay afloat? How many units will you need to sell each period to reach your revenue and profitability goals? Asking questions like these (and consistently documenting your answers) will help you keep your business running and thriving.

Featured tool: Pricing strategy calculator

7. Long-term goals and vision.

People start businesses for many different reasons. Some want to make ends meet with a side gig. Others want to replace their full-time job and be their own boss. Whatever your reason, decide upfront how you want your business to scale. If you aren’t thoughtful about your long-term plans, you might not be prepared for what could happen.

For example, marketing can be unpredictable. Businesses sometimes go viral for doing great work and aren’t prepared for the influx of new customers. Knowing in advance whether you’ll meet the moment or let it pass you by can save you from missing out on unexpected opportunities or, worse still, from having to close your business because you weren’t prepared to scale.

Featured tool: Growth Grader

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Winner 2021

Media and entertainment, playstation, entered by:, ps5: 2020's biggest entertainment launch, the challenge.

In a highly competitive entertainment landscape, success for PlayStation’s new PS5 console depended on creating a global launch that both celebrated gaming and transcended into wider popular culture.  Our objective was to drive preference against gaming competitors (Xbox) and create cultural impact that would stand tall alongside the biggest global tech and movie launches.  We knew our approach would need to evolve from previous product launches as the entertainment and gaming landscape had transformed dramatically.

The gaming world had changed significantly since 2013, when PlayStation launched the successful PS4. The category had seen exponential growth, an explosion of new competitors and a fragmentation of audiences.

For context, in just three years Fortnite has grown to over 350m players, larger than the US population. In 2020, 100 billion hours of gaming content was watched on YouTube by more than 80,000 gaming content creators (each with 100k+ subscribers).

What has remained the same are the fundamental reasons why people play – gaming enables amazing experiences, facilitates connections, and drives conversations worldwide. It brings people together and thrills them – and that’s exactly what we set out to do for the launch of PlayStation 5.

The Creative Solution

For the PS5 launch, we realised the power of uniting all elements of today’s sprawling gaming community. Our overarching idea was to create social proof of PS5 and take advantage of this cognitive bias to ensure that for invested gamers and the mass audience, PlayStation was seen as the only choice of console.  Our starting point was to mobilise the loyal and engaged PlayStation fanbase to evangelise about the immersive technology of the console – a key differentiator for gamers. However, the largest driver of purchase intent, even for this expert audience, remained an emotional trust in the PlayStation brand.

For the more casual gamers, crucial to long-term success, brand trust was also hugely important. However, there was another dynamic at work. Their gaming choices were driven by the authoritative recommendations of their gamer friends.  Our approach was to generate cultural impact in two ways; creating pre-launch momentum and buzz among the core audience, then cultural relevance and impact that would excite the masses in a launch spectacular.  This would also fuel a vital driver of momentum and brand trust among gaming audiences to drive social proof – the vocal support and recommendation from the core gamer audience in turn engaging and exciting the wider audience opportunity.

Momentum was imperative – a fast start would enable us to maximise social proof. The brand that built the perception of dominance, the brand that was ‘seen’ to be winning, would be the brand more casual gamers chose.  The global social proof approach therefore focussed on two key elements, building gradually through a phased approach across the launch window:

First, in premium, contextual activity (named RESONANT) we embedded ourselves within the core gamer community, seeding emotive brand assets through activations, tactics, and partners. This activity would encourage core gamers to engage with and talk about PS5’s launch, with the ubiquity of their endorsement contributing to social proof. These activations were supported by a bedrock of traditional media to drive visibility of our product-focussed launch assets.

Secondly, for the mass launch activity (named ICONIC & UNEXPECTED), we created a global programme of creative, high impact, non-traditional activations that would elevate the campaign from a product launch to an unmissable global entertainment event. This strand of activity – targeting mass entertainment audiences, supported heavily through owned social channels – set out to emulate the leadership and stature of a trusted entertainment brand and fully realise the social proof effect.

The Media/Content Amplification Solution

We executed our communication strategy through globally consistent activations, tailored to be locally relevant in over 50 markets.

For global Iconic & Unexpected activity we “painted the town blue” with a series of building projections and digital billboard dominations across 25 major global landmarks, including Times Square, the Burj Khalifa, Piccadilly Circus, and more.  Further UK Iconic activity saw several London Underground stations renamed as some of PlayStation’s biggest games like “Gran Turismo 7” Sisters and “Miles” End (a nod to the Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales PS5 launch game). The emblematic signage at Oxford Circus tube station was transformed to reflect the iconic PlayStation symbols, promoted through owned social channels this lit up social media and traditional news media worldwide.

For Resonant activity in the US, we collaborated with Adult Swim network to create custom content featuring a PS5 spot from the brilliant animated characters (and gamer favourites), Rick & Morty, delivered in their own irreverent style. Identifying the influence and reach of Twitter amongst the global gamer community, we developed a media first partnership allowing fans to vote on the emoji that would be the digital icon for the PS5 launch on the platform.

We embraced imaginative partner brand initiatives that allowed us to resonate deeply in the lives of a gamer audience. In the UK, working with Greggs we created ‘Launch Box’ (full of treats to chomp on whilst playing) exclusively available through Just Eat (another gamer favourite). While in the US, Philadelphia’s cheesecake pan parody, resembling the PS5 console, was a huge viral hit – without our involvement!

Ultimately our ambition to unite the gaming world in a celebration that triumphed in popular culture meant PS5 was the biggest console launch ever, with spectacular demand at launch and 4.5m unit sales.  PlayStation made the most of this pivotal brand moment to lay the foundation for long-term success, achieving PS5 preference more than double Xbox (increasing by nearly 5%)* at launch. We also achieved a dominant 70% share of category search **.

Transcending gaming and demonstrating cultural impact, our Rick and Morty spot generated mass social presence with over 10m interactions and 4m views. Leading up to Christmas, PS5 even starred in its own Saturday Night Live sketch featuring Jason Bateman and Eminem.

The Twitter emoji was voted for by 1.4m users and was used over 5m times throughout the launch. We dominated the conversation with a majority share of press coverage with more than twice as much buzz as the nearest competitor.  Despite only launching in November, a sign of the huge demand for PS5, in Google’s Review of Top 2020 searches in that deeply strange year, ‘Where to buy PS5’ even beat ‘Where to buy toilet paper’ to the number 1 spot!

Nielsen Brand Tracker

*** Twitter

• Tags 2021 , 2021 finalist , entertainment , media and entertainment , Mediacom , Playstation , PS5 , World Media Awards

Social Media Marketing Case Studies

Higher Ed Social Media Marketing Case Studies

Real Businesses, Real Results: See the Power of Social Media Marketing in Action

About The Author

Andrew Stephen, Ph.D.

Andrew T. Stephen is the L’Oréal Professor of Marketing at the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford. Prior to joining Oxford, Andrew was a marketing professor at the University of Pittsburgh and INSEAD, and earned his Ph.D in marketing from Columbia Business School in New York. Andrew is a globally recognized expert on social media marketing, has taught social media marketing to undergraduates, MBAs, and executives throughout the world, and has consulted with some of the world’s leading companies on this subject.

Meet the Cases

At Stukent, the goal is to bring relevant and updated materials to your classroom.

While much of the principles and content in this courseware are evergreen, much of the examples and stats are dated by choice of the authors.

Digital Transformation at Disney World

Author: Andrew Stephen

The Disney theme park experience is designed to be an immersive, exciting, and definitely magical experience for guests. Disney famously wants the reality created inside its theme parks to be better than the reality that exists outside. Despite all of the success that Disney was having, executives at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, grew concerned in the mid-2000s about longer-term existential threats to their seemingly successful formula of family fun in massive, immersive, carefully-created destinations with expensive attractions and complex operations.

Imagine Dragons & Their Superfans

The band Imagine Dragons, which was formed in 2008 and rose to international prominence in 2011, has become one of the most popular and successful rock bands in the world in recent years. The band’s music has had admirable crossover appeal. To many, Imagine Dragons came from nowhere and took the music world by surprise. Even Dan Reynolds described the band’s rise as “a little overwhelming” and “nothing short of a dream” in an interview in 2013. As is almost always the case with any success in the music business, this was not, however, a fluke and the band was certainly not an overnight success.

Now, a few years – and millions of fans and a Grammy later – manager Mac Reynolds and the band are reflecting on what they did to drive this impressive success.

DEWmocracry

In 2008, the soft drink marketing team at PepsiCo Inc. nervously launched a new flavor of their nearly 70-year-old caffeinated soft drink brand, Mountain Dew. The new flavor was called Voltage and was chosen by the brand’s fans as part of a crowdsourcing program. With the success of this product launch (DEWmocracy), they were eager to try it again. Will it work? Could this crowdsourcing model be used for other mega brands in PepsiCo’s portfolio?

ISBN: 978-0-9907983-5-4

American Eagle Outfitters Inc.

In 2012, American Eagle Outfitters Inc. (AEO) enjoyed an 11% increase in revenue over the previous year and set a new annual revenue record of $3.5 billion. In early 2013, senior executives at AEO were presented with an intriguing, if not slightly odd, idea for a social media-based campaign that, they hoped, would “go viral” and generate a lot of positive buzz. What kind of quirky idea did they have and should they implement it?

ISBN: 978-0-9907983-4-7

When music celebrities with a large following and a big record label release a new album, it generates buzz. Not just online, but everywhere. Since it has been done so many times, there are standard best practices, channels, and processes for a new release. In this case, you’ll study the unconventional approach that female pop artist Beyonce took using her social media outlets to announce her new release. SPOILER ALERT: She went 100% digital.

ISBN: 978-0-9907983-9-2

Social media can be great for a business. It can also haunt businesses. This case study examines a famous musician that had his guitar broken in transit, a passenger that got kicked off of a plane prior to take off because of his weight and size, and U.S. soldiers serving in Afghanistan who were charged extensive baggage fees. In each bad experience, these folks took to social media to tell the world about their terrible experience with an airline.

ISBN: 978-0-9967900-0-0

E2 Kickstarter Project

e2 is a small restaurant located in Pittsburgh, PA. Chef Romane took over the space in early 2010. After two years of ownership, the chef decided that the restaurant was in dire need of renovation. They budgeted $17,000 for the project and turned to Facebook and Kickstarter to crowdfund the renovation. After a fantastic first week of funding, the hype and excitement cooled off. The team is left with a decision: continue or change course?

ISBN: 978-0-9907983-8-5

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PRODUCT LAUNCH CASE STUDY

The power of hyper-targeted email to reach b2b customers., the problem: how to market new b2b products when traditional channels don’t work..

When one of the world’s leading manufacturers of building products introduced a new commercial product line in a completely different category, they faced a significant hurdle. They needed to expand awareness of the new products by engaging targeted customers with educational information and compelling offers. Unfortunately, their target buyers including property managers, facility managers, and construction contractors proved very difficult to reach through traditional advertising channels. Trade shows and industry publications had insufficient access and reach to their new customer audience.

There wasn’t an obvious, cost-effective way to reach this specific set of decision makers.

The Solution

Hyper-Targeted Email Advertising Successfully Delivered Relevant Messages to Property Managers and Contractors.

The client’s agency tapped Future Flow Media to try permission-based targeted email advertising as a new channel to engage this hard-to-reach audience. Using our hyper-targeted email advertising database with detailed profiles for over 51 million business subscribers, the client now had the unprecedented ability to target B2B messages using various criteria, including:

• Company size and revenue
• Job title/role
• Geography and more

Empowered with this audience targeting and message delivery capability, and the full-service support from the Future Flow Media team, the agency crafted and executed permission-based email campaigns to:

• Create new product awareness
• Provide special offers and promotions
• Drive direct response calls and orders

The Results

A Rise in Brand Awareness. Increased Orders. Dramatic Growth in Their Email Marketing List.

Thanks to Future Flow Media, the campaigns hit the mark. Compelling messages and offers successfully got the attention of the otherwise hard-to-reach facility managers and contractors responsible for relevant purchase decisions. The agency was able to test multiple offers and creative approaches while measuring campaign effectiveness and overall ROI.

The Optimized Campaigns Yielded:

• 100% email delivery
• A record-setting number of coupon and information kit downloads
• A significant lift in brand awareness and interactions
• Increased orders through direct response
• A dramatic growth in the company’s email opt-in list that enabled subsequent cross-selling and remarketing campaigns

Delighted with the role that hyper-targeted email advertising played as a catalyst for the growth of their new product line, the company committed to an ongoing permission email advertising strategy. The agency selected Future Flow Media as their preferred partner for future projects with all of their clients.

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From boats to graffitis and beyond borders: a month on, kolkata rape-murder protests take many forms | watch.

Curated By : Vani Mehrotra

Last Updated: September 09, 2024, 10:36 IST

New Delhi, India

Kolkata: Women shout slogans as they take part in a protest march over the rape and murder of a doctor (Image: PTI)

A month on, the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata has ignited widespread protests across India and internationally, demanding justice.

A month has passed since the horrific rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata came to the fore. However, the protests, by people from all walks of life – students, doctors, political leaders, locals, clay modellers, and rickshaw pullers, have only intensified, demanding justice for the victim, and punishment for the accused.

Named ‘Abhaya’ (one who does not fear anyone) by protesters, the 31-year-old trainee doctor was found dead at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9, this year. With gruesome brutality committed on her making the news headlines, the nation was reminded of the ‘Nirbhaya’ gang-rape and murder case, which triggered massive protests throughout the country in December 2012.

While the rapists of ‘Nirbhaya’ were hanged to death after years of protests and her family’s fight for justice, and tougher laws were introduced after the case, activists believe the Kolkata case shows how women continue to suffer sexual violence in the country.

The rapist and the prime accused in the Kolkata rape and murder case remains lodged at Kolkata’s Presidency Central Jail. A civic volunteer, Sanjay Roy, initially confessed to the crime following his arrest on August 10. However, he has since retracted his confession, insisting that he is being framed and is innocent.

The case is being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) after the directions from the Calcutta High Court.

BOATS, GRAFFITIS SHOUT JUSTICE CALL FOR VICTIM

A tweet shared by West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) General Secretary and MLA, Agnimitra Paul, showed women protesting for ‘Abhaya’, this time on boats in the waters of Sundarbans. Paul said the women risked their lives for the protection. However, she said, the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) pays no heed to them.

“When will the voices of our mothers and sisters be heard? We will not stop until justice prevails!”, she wrote on X.

The brave women of Sundarbans have taken their fight to the waters, protesting on boats for justice under the banner of #Abhaya ! Their determination in the face of government inaction is inspiring. These courageous souls are risking their lives, demanding protection and… pic.twitter.com/XMU10LjgC6 — Agnimitra Paul BJP (@paulagnimitra1) September 8, 2024

Another post by an X user showed Kolkata locals at Gariahat Road in the city, demonstrating against the RG Kar rape and murder case.

Yesterday at Gariahat, multiple Kolkata citizens joined in & demonstrated a large scale protest against the RG Kar incident. pic.twitter.com/SXAntQOK8x — Sudhanidhi Bandyopadhyay (@SudhanidhiB) September 8, 2024

Earlier in August, fans of football clubs East Bengal and Mohun Bagan united to demand justice for the victim.

Mohun Bagan and East Bengal fans unite to demand justice in the RG Kar medical incident. Fearing such protests, slogans, and banners, the administration has canceled the Sunday derby. pic.twitter.com/HwjeB95pGA — Keh Ke Peheno (@coolfunnytshirt) August 18, 2024

Demanding the arrest of all culprits in the case, the mother of the post-graduate trainee, on September 8, said she had one child and now all the protesting medics are her children.

THE MASSIVE ‘NABANNA ABHIJAN’

On August 27, the West Bengal Police lathi-charged and used water cannons and tear gas to disperse agitators at Howrah Bridge’s Kolkata end and near Santragachhi Railway station on Kona Expressway, as protesters attempted to break through police barricades to reach the State secretariat, ‘Nabanna’.

At Santragachhi, agitators threw bricks at police, injuring several officers, while protesters claimed that police action also injured several students.

The protest took a political turn when Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, alleged that police resorted to “brutal repression” on the peaceful participants and threatened to stall West Bengal if the “brutalities” by state administration were not stopped.

A day later, on August 28, workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) called for a 12-hour general strike in the state to protest against the police action on those who took part in the march to state secretariat Nabbana.

Later, referring to the Bandh call by the BJP, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged the saffron party was resorting to vandalism and that its workers were attacking the police.

Amid the chaos in Kolkata, a video of an elderly man braving through the police’s water cannons went viral on social media.

In the video, shared by the BJP, the man wearing a saffron-coloured outfit could be seen standing undeterred and facing the water cannons used by the Kolkata Police to disperse the protesting crowd. The man also kept waving the national flag.

An 83 year old Hindu Monk is facing the water cannon of Mamata Police without moving back an inch with courage in his heart, and the Indian national flag in his hands.He is seeking Justice for RG Kar victim pic.twitter.com/rYSapi5ChH — Rishi Bagree (@rishibagree) August 27, 2024

PROTESTS ACROSS 25 COUNTRIES

According to a report with news agency Reuters, thousands of members of the Indian community protested in more than 130 cities across 25 countries on Sunday, to demand justice for the trainee doctor.

The protests started in large and small groups across Japan, Australia, Taiwan and Singapore, before spreading to cities in several European countries. Sixty were planned in the United States, the report stated.

At one of the protest sites in the Swedish capital Stockholm, scores of mainly black-clad women gathered in Sergels Torg Square to sing songs in Bengali. They held signs, demanding accountability for the crime and safety of Indian women.

DOCTORS, ACTIVISTS DEMAND GOVERNOR’s INTERVENTION

On September 7, members of the West Bengal Service Doctors Forum took out a rally from Sealdah station to the Raj Bhavan in Kolkata, and demanded the intervention of Governor CV Ananda Bose in the matter.

“So many days have passed, but there seems to be little progress in the investigation into the gruesome incident,” Seema Das, a protesting nurse, said.

As the rally was stopped near the Raj Bhavan, with prohibitory orders in force around the building, a five-member delegation went inside to submit a memorandum.

However, as the Governor was not present, his office accepted the memorandum, news agency PTI reported.

In another solidarity movement for the victim, painters like Sanatan Dinda drew sketches in water colour and oil on canvas at Shyambazar, close to the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, where the medic’s body was found with injury marks.

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This Pew Research Study Says Teens Think Their Lives are Harder Than Ever–Do They Have a Point?

It's (still) not easy being a teen.

If you've ever rolled your eyes at your teen complaining their life is harder than ever , well, they now have some actual data to back it up.

In a recent study conducted by the Pew Research Center, researchers asked 1,453 parents of teens whether they felt it was harder to be a teen 20 years ago or today. 69% of parents surveyed felt that today's world is tougher on teens. 44% of teens said the same. 

The study examined many different aspects of teenage life, such as social pressures , violence , the state of the world, and more. But the biggest reason why parents felt that teenage life is harder now was social media , with 41% saying it was the biggest stressor. The second was technology in general at 26%.

Getty Images/VioletaStoimenova

Teens Say the Internet is Both Invaluable and an Instigator

Being a teenager has never been exactly easy. Between shifting hormones , navigating complicated friend dynamics , and wrestling with their own identities (while living in a house with parents who may not share all the same values), is a gargantuan task. However, the world looks a lot different now than it did two decades ago—mainly due to the internet.

Jeffrey Gottfried , the associate director of research at Pew Research Center and one of the researchers on the new study, tells Parents that it's part of a series the researchers are conducting on tech adoption among teens.

"Adolescents are the trailblazers when it comes to technology, and new devices, and online platforms," he shares, making them an essential group to study.

Gottfried says it was important to put teens' voices in the study. In doing so, some themes about negative experiences arose, most about the pressure that comes with technology and social media. Whether it's "the pressure to look a certain way, or act or a certain way, or present themselves a certain way" it was evident in the research.

A teen girl who was part of the study succinctly summed that feeling up, telling researchers, “Social media tells kids what to do and say. And if you aren’t up on it, you look like the fool and become like an outcast from lots of people.”

Still, the internet has perks. I mean, no one is driving around with printed-out Mapquest directions on their laps anymore. Kids can Google answers to questions in seconds, or talk to their grandparents across the globe. Teens acknowledge that in some ways, they do have it easier.

While the results of the study weren't surprising to Gottfried, the fact that teens pointed to technology as something that made life both harder and easier was a point of interest that may show how ingrained technology use is in their lives–for better and for worse. Though answers were divided, the overall sentiment among the teens is they feel technology makes their lives more difficult.

Social Media is a Mental Battlefield

Observing my own teen's relationship with social media, it does appear to make conflicts more difficult and certainly more drawn out. If friends get into an argument or have a falling out, online attacks seem to perpetuate the issue. Conflicts no longer stay at school, the sports field, or at the mall. With the reach of online interaction, teens who are having conflict with others may feel like there is no real safe space to go for a reprieve.

Some studies have even pointed to the epidemic of online bullying as being a culprit for troubling suicide rates and a teen mental health crisis .

Susanna Park , public health expert at the wellness app Skylight, tells Parents that cyberbullying is rampant, with 46% of teens ages 13 to 17 reporting that they have experienced it.

“This is a public health issue as victims of cyberbullying were nearly 2.5 times more likely to report psychosomatic complaints (physical ailments caused or worsened by psychological factors like stress, anxiety, etc.) than those who never experienced cyberbullying,” Park explains.

Titania Jordan , the author of Parenting in a Tech World and Chief Parent Officer of Bark, a resource designed to help protect kids online, agrees, saying cruel online behavior happens because kids come of age in “a world where hiding behind a veil of anonymity online is both pervasive and accepted.”

But dealing with the consequences of something online–even if they may feel small at the time–is actually massive, especially for teens, who Jordan explains are already dealing with tough transitions and insecurities.

Jordan also doesn't believe teens necessarily intend to be mean online, rather social media is set up to drive this kind of behavior.

“Additionally, the very nature of social media and group texts lends itself to exclusion (close friends lists, getting kicked out of the group, following and unfollowing)," she says. "We have essentially created a ripe landscape for cyberbullying at this stage of development, which deeply affects tweens’ and teens’ mental health.”

Picking and Fighting the Internet Battle

While the internet is pretty much impossible for today's teen to avoid, Jordan says there are ways to help them navigate the traps that add negativity to their lives. First, remember just because many kids are exposed to social media at an early age, there's no harm in setting the pace for your own kid . 

She also suggests making your child aware that everything that happens online can be saved, screenshotted, or shared, and that using caution is extremely important. Expressing the impact of cyberbullying can't be underscored enough, either. She recommends watching Childhood 2.0 , a documentary about children and teens navigating the challenging digital age, and even sharing it with kids.

Park points to positive technology usage, such as downloading mental health and wellness apps like Skylight , which are designed to help teens relax, embrace self-care, and even tune into their spiritual side.

”Of 11,915 individuals who use digital wellness apps, more than half of Gen Z (55%) report finding these apps on their own. This means that they are actively seeking ways to address their wellbeing," Park adds.

As the social media landscape is ever-changing, we’re constantly learning about its impact on society and on our kids. At the very least, we as parents need to be compassionate about the types of struggles our kids face that we may not have.

Why Many Parents and Teens Think It's Harder Being a Teen Today . Pew Research Center . 2024.

Cyberbullying linked with suicidal thoughts and attempts in young adolescents . National Institutes of Health . 2022.

Teens and Cyberbullying 2022 . Pew Research Center . 2022.

Problematic social media use mediates the effect of cyberbullying victimisation on psychosomatic complaints in adolescents . Nature Scientific Reports . 2024.

Gen Z mental health: The impact of tech and social media . McKinsey Health Institute . 2023.

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Title: highly efficient path-integral molecular dynamics simulations with gpumd using neuroevolution potentials: case studies on thermal properties of materials.

Abstract: Path-integral molecular dynamics (PIMD) simulations are crucial for accurately capturing nuclear quantum effects in materials. However, their computational intensity and reliance on multiple software packages often limit their applicability at large scales. Here, we present an integration of PIMD methods, including thermostatted ring-polymer molecular dynamics (TRPMD), into the open-source GPUMD package, combined with highly accurate and efficient machine-learned neuroevolution potential (NEP) models. This approach achieves almost the accuracy of first-principles calculations with the computational efficiency of empirical potentials, enabling large-scale atomistic simulations that incorporate nuclear quantum effects. We demonstrate the efficacy of the combined NEP-PIMD approach by examining various thermal properties of diverse materials, including lithium hydride (LiH), three porous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), and elemental aluminum. For LiH, our NEP-PIMD simulations successfully capture the isotope effect, reproducing the experimentally observed dependence of the lattice parameter on the reduced mass. For MOFs, our results reveal that achieving good agreement with experimental data requires consideration of both nuclear quantum effects and dispersive interactions. For aluminum, the TRPMD method effectively captures thermal expansion and phonon properties, aligning well with quantum mechanical predictions. This efficient NEP-PIMD approach opens new avenues for exploring complex material properties influenced by nuclear quantum effects, with potential applications across a broad range of materials.

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