Weekly Round-Up #8

This week Starbucks tweeted, " Catch her while you can: Our Limited Edition Siren Card," followed by a picture of the new Starbucks card perfectly aligned with the famous icon printed on the Starbucks cup. This post appeals to pathos because the specific word choice that the brand used makes consumers feel that if they do not take advantage of this opportunity they will be missing out. Starbucks continuously employs rhetorical appeals in its posts, which is definitely an effective branding strategy to engage audience members and customers. In addition, the consistency of both the content and style of Starbucks' tweets give the company a strong sense of credibility (or ethos) within the field.

This week, Maroon 5 tweeted mainly mundane and bland posts. This particular tweet was the best of the week though. They asked fans to support an auction on Charity Buzz by bidding on a guitar signed by all members of the band. Social media was an effective platform for this type of request because the band was able to post a direct link to the website where the bidding was taking place. The website also included a picture of the signed guitar, which provided a helpful visual for potential buyers. However, this tweet could have been dramatically enhanced, in lieu of the boring post that lacked enthusiasm. If the band wants its fans to support a cause, then it's tone and portrayal should reflect that! Maroon 5 should definitely work on adding some personality to its campaign. 

Lastly, The Voice was once again the best of the week. The show tweeted in a creative and witty way in order to engage its viewers. In addition, it gave a clear incentive as to why its fans should follow the show on another social media platform. The Voice continuously adds personality and creativity to its tweets, making its tone and delivery consistent in addition to building a solid brand and reputation. Maroon 5 could learn something from the way that the show brands itself. The consistency of the amount of posts that the show does each day, along with its effective posts make The Voice a social media force to be reckoned with. This is the way to gain viewers, and keep them interested.

Weekly Round-Up #7

This was an exciting week for NBC's The Voice. The infamous "Battle Rounds" began, and the show's tweets dominated my Twitter feed as usual. The Voice has tweeted abundantly and consistently since the show premiered, affirming its credibility and reliability. The tweet below reads "What. A. Day. #BattlesBegin #HappyBirthdayAdamLevine" #ChrisMartinOnTheVoice Thanks for sharing it all with us! <3 <3 <3." There's clearly a lot to address here, as The Voice utilizes all three rhetorical appeals in such a seemingly short and simple post. The Voice's tweets have employed the same type of short sentence structure in the past, using a period at the end of each word. This not only adds dramatic affect, appealing to the readers' pathos, but also adds to its credibility through consistency. Additionally, the show uses logos to simply relay information about coach Adam Levine's birthday, and the fact that singer Chris Martin will be guest starring on the show. This is important and exciting information for the fans to know. Finally, the last line of the tweet also appeals to the readers' pathos by making the audience feel as if they are individually special to the show. The Voice actually thanks its audience and shows gratitude, which encourages readers to acknowledge their importance to the show in terms of their role. The Voice continues to use social media most effectively out of the three organizations I'm following due to the sheer volume of tweets the show posts on a regular basis, in addition to the creative and captivating content.

This week, Starbucks also posted an effective and engaging tweet. It reads, "Starbucks and @Oprah are proud to introduce #TeavanaOprahChai. Every purchase supports youth education. #giveback." This was extremely strategic of Starbucks, considering how well respected Oprah is on a universal scale. Not only did the company increase its credibility by partnering with one of the most famous women of our time, but also did so for a charitable cause. By donating money to a charity, specifically, youth education, Starbucks creates a really excellent reputation for itself. It also plays upon its consumers' pathos, by encouraging customers to donate money to a good cause through purchasing Starbucks products. Additionally, by introducing a new type of beverage associated with this cause, and noting Oprah's name in the title, Starbucks also has the opportunity to lure in new consumers. Creating new products is also a good idea for a brand of this stature, and the type of marketing exhibited is definitely smart and effective.

Lastly, Maroon 5 tweeted several times this week, with one post more notable than the rest. The tweet says, "#TBT to the set of #MovesLikeJagger," with a picture of lead singer Adam Levine topless on stage. It seems as though the band is starting to understand who their target audience is, and what the purpose of their social media campaign is, although there is still much to be improved. This tweet is effective because it appeals to the large audience of single females, obsessing over Levine, who was named People's Sexiest Man Alive. This is a smart branding strategy to satisfy already existing fans, as well as entice a new, potential audience. In addition, Maroon 5 has also been using the #TBT hashtag often. This type of consistently adds to the band's presence on social media, and asserts its credibility through the reliability and consistency of these types of tweets. The band should definitely utilize this type of strategy more often to appeal to its audience, but perhaps consider using a more clever caption. While the text of this tweet is straight to the point, it would be much more engaging to include a flirty or creative line. This would only enhance the band's consistency in terms of identity and branding.

Maroon 5's Audience

Maroon 5 has over 6 million followers on Twitter, and almost 26 million likes on Facebook. The band’s popularity is evidently widespread within the music industry, however its target audience is difficult to specifically identify. According to Symon Aguilar, a blogger for the Slideshare website, “Maroon 5’s target audience mainly consists of teenagers and young adults,” however, the band also has “a huge, global audience.” The band’s music can currently be categorized as Pop, which definitely attracts a younger audience on the surface level. However, because the band’s songs are geared towards love and romance, its audience has no age-limit. People of all ages can relate to this type of music, which is why it’s so important for Maroon 5 to be aware of this when using social media. According to Kira, another blogger, “as Maroon 5 have released more albums, their musical style has shifted from a group that originally was Rock, R&B, Funk and Jazz…and is [now] clearly looking to gain ground back in the Top 40.” This is an important issue to keep in mind. The band’s music and lyrics have definitely shifted since its initial rise in popularity, and with a shift in genre comes a shift in the fan base as well. While this strategically expands Maroon 5’s audience, it also creates some confusion as to who the band specifically wants to target. Based on the social media campaigns I have observed, I think it’s fair to argue that the band also seems unsure about this piece of information. Additionally, each band member has their own subset of an audience to attend to. Specifically, Adam Levine must also keep his fans from The Voice in mind. Perhaps this creates a lack of cohesion within the band’s followers. Lastly, Ross Raihala, a writer for the review section of twincities.com notes that at one of Maroon 5’s concerts, “it wasn't just mostly women in the audience as in the past, but a surprising number of couples, some with little kids.” This type of audience research displays the universal appeal of the band’s music, and how it has expanded and evolved up until now. 

Weekly Round-Up #6

I was actually pleasantly surprised by all three of my organizations this week. To start, The Voice posted, "RETWEET if you agree that our coaches = the funniest people you know," along with a link to a funny video of clips of coach Blake Shelton mumbling during the show. While The Voice often uses pictures to complement its tweets, the show rarely uses videos in conjunction with its posts. This was an engaging way to attract its audience, and ultimately an effective strategy to enhance its reputation. Since the show has aired, The Voice's Twitter account has been posting non-stop. Although this can be somewhat irritating, I do think it is a strategic marketing decision that can only help the show increase its viewer audience. It's so important for the show to keep fans up to date. It accomplishes not only by relaying information about what went down during the show, but also by providing funny commentary along the way. The fact that the tweet received so many retweets and favorites only within an hour of being posted shows just how responsive fans are to this type of advertising. The Voice continues to appeal to its audience demographic by marketing itself as funny, quirky, family-oriented, and lighthearted. All of these strategies effectively enhance The Voice's brand.

This week, Maroon 5 posted, "Thank you @iHeartRadio for nominating us for #ArtistOfTheYear. Vote for us here-[link]." This tweet was accompanied by a photo of front-man, Adam Levine, jumping off of the stage into what looks like a crowded audience. While any time of visual imagery can definitely enhance a Twitter post, I feel that the quality of this photo is underwhelming. The band has tons of professional photos taken from its concerts, and I find it hard to believe that this was the best option. While I do see how the band intended for Levine to be the focus of this photo, the background is difficult to see, making it unclear what exactly the message of this picture is. 

However, on a more positive note, I do believe this tweet was an effective way for Maroon 5 to brand itself considering this nomination. Through this post, the band drew attention to its accomplishments within as performers, which undoubtedly enhances its credibility within the music and entertainment industries. The purpose of this tweet is also very clear, and there is a direct call to action. The fact that Maroon 5 requested something of its audience makes the audience feel as if they are important and that their opinion matters. Any type of audience engagement is a positive marketing tactic. 

Finally, Starbucks shared a clever post via Twitter this week as well. The text reads "3 TBSP butterscotch chips...#ButterscotchCreamCoffee #KCupRecipes." By giving its customers insight into the ingredients they use in their to-go coffee cups, Starbucks is essentially giving away a secret to its audience. This is such a smart strategy because it will intrigue consumers, and make them feel as though they are favored in some way. This type of "special treatment" can only enhance the Starbucks brand, increasing customer loyalty, and improving the company's credibility as a popular and well-known organization. Additionally, the aesthetic appeal provided by the image of desert-like food will engage the audience and draw in their attention. Overall, this was a highly strategic and effective post despite the simplicity of its message. This goes to show just how effective creative social media marketing can be for a brand. 

Why is Social Media Marketing so Important?

 

Marketing via social media is significant for any industry in today’s society. Considering that most mass communication takes place over some form of online platform, social media provides brands with enormous marketing opportunities. Maroon 5 and The Voice both fall under the category of the entertainment industry, while Starbucks is a food and beverage company. However, what these three fields have in common is that they are all consumer based. While the definition of “consumption” may vary across these brands, ultimately they are all trying to sell the same thing: themselves. The Voice wants to increase its ratings and persuade more viewers to watch the show, Maroon 5 wants to sell albums and get fans to buy tickets for shows, and Starbucks wants loyal customers to keep coming back for both novelty and traditional products. In order to accomplish these goals, all of the organizations must invest in advertising. What better way to do that than target the widest array of consumer-based audiences and reach millions of people all with the click of a button? It seems way to good to be true, right? Wrong. According to Forbes magazine, “While many businesses large and small are trying to justify the cost and time investment for managing social media marketing, an important benefit often gets overlooked: Big Wins.” Additionally, YP Advertising Solutions suggests, “Social media is a great way to display your business’ personality, as well as behind-the-scenes information about you, your employees, your workspace, and more. When you humanize your brand in this way, it makes it easier for consumers to connect with you and develop loyalty.” The goal of any brand, especially in an interactive industry that requires connections between the company and its targeted audience, should be to establish a relationship with the consumer that leads to a sense of loyalty. Social media is an excellent vehicle for this type of association to take place. Lastly, Marketing Land shares, “As more businesses launch successful social media campaigns, it’s becoming clear that opting out of the social revolution can put companies at a competitive disadvantage. Social media offers the immediacy and interactivity consumers want and anticipate.” The era of technology truly does allow business to further develop their branding identities. This therefore allows consumers to identify with the goals of the companies, and associate with their brands.

Is Maroon 5's Post Effective?

Here is a picture that was posted on both Maroon 5's Facebook and Twitter pages, with the text "#TBT to when we played Rock In Rio! Who's ready for more?" The images displays a photo of the Maroon 5 concert in Rio, featuring its huge pool of fans in the audience.

First of all, while scrolling through the band's Facebook and Twitter feeds, I noticed that Maroon 5's posts are much more engaging and creative on Facebook than on Twitter. This is both surprising and concerning, considering how large its fan base on Twitter is. I would suggest that the band be just as consistent on all of its social media sites, for increased credibility and effectiveness. 

However, I do believe that this specific post is one of Maroon 5's most effective so far. The picture and caption create a sense of nostalgia, appealing to the pathos of the readers. Through making a reference to what appears to be a hugely successful concert, given the turnout, the band also endorses its own ethos as a popular and successful band in the music industry. The purpose of this branding technique seems to be to excite the fans for future tours and concerts, as well as reference positive past memories. Although the audience to which Maroon 5 targets is often unclear in many of its tweets, the audience here is apparent. The band is targeting its existing loyal fans, and it does so effectively.