Instagram Boosts Levi’s Social Interactions?
From old Polaroid cameras to photo app Instagram for iPhone, seems to be a small step for mankind. Levi’s Brazil tapped into Instagram on iPhone to boost the social interactions with its targets..
Visual by Brainstorm9
Instagram and Hipstamatic are popular photo-sharing Apps with which users can use a filter to transform the look and feel of their photos. Next they can share the photos with a small text and/or its geo-location on numerous social media, such as Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare.
These relatively new communities of photo lovers, can offer brands and media companies: simple, cheap but smart concepts or new ways to communicate their message effectively in a purely visual way.
Free iPhone App Instagram showed 1,000,000 users in its first 3 months and its popularity is rising. So Levi’s Brazil opened its Instagram profile and is spreading photos of the new collection and other photos that fit their brand.
In the niche campaign of Levi’s Brazil around 127 people participated and followed. Not much. But we all know that new and emerging technologies will never drive massive reach or sales in the first adoption curve.
In this phase (stage 1) brands can connect to themost share-determining innovators and early adopters. The ones that are most likely to ignite buzz around the brand. And that is what Levi’s Brazil understood very well.
A few more brands will be able to earn attention and free publicity with these photo Apps in stage 1. But when the photo Apps move to stage 2, brands should stay away and do not touch it for a while.
We tend to call stage 2: the innovation graveyard or the chasm. A phase in which the technology is not new and exciting any longer (me too) and will thus not create buzz and free PR any longer. Also not create an innovative image for the brand.
Its smart for brands to wait and see if the technology gets over the chasm (tipping point) and makes it to stage 3: the early and late majorities. In stage 3 brands can step in again, in order to reach the followers and masses.
Some other brands seem to have discovered this new opportunity as well. NH Hotels is using Instagram in a different way. They ask users to take photos of something that ‘starts’. People can share the photos with #WakeUpPics via Twitter and this is how users can win prizes. See the example at NH Hotels on Facebook.
More about Instagram in Paul’s article here on ViralBlog.
Sources: Bright and The Pop-Up City
If you have spotted more brands that have smartly embraced Instagram or Hipstamatic, feel free to share the links in the comments below. We expect our crowd to be able to detect some more…
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levis finds out how to leverage #instagram. respect! http://www.viralblog.com/mobile-and-iphone/instagram-boosts-levis-social-interactions/
[...] Viral Blog: Instagram Boosts Levi’s Social Interactions? [...]
Are you guys taking crazy pills? Levi’s can get the attention of 127 people in one hour at any retail location. It’s ridiculous to talk about “leveraging” Instagram. “The Early Adopters loved it” is code for “nobody gave a damn.”
You’re right, Levi’s owned stores are great outlets that will reach more than 127 people at any hour. And by launching a TV campaign with laods of GRP’s Levi’s can probably reach even more people. But stores are not open 24/7 and some bottom-up stunts might create brand innovation.
Most fashion brands are upgrading their approach from: only Ads in magazines and billboards to digital and social as well. Might it be because (fashion) retailers see a part of their revenues (10-20%) switch from offline stores to online sales?
Check some fashion brands in the Facebook top 50. Probably their fanbases started small as well…
Examples:
Victoria’s Secret. Started with zero fans. Now 11,5 millions fans on facebook. http://www.famecount.com/facebook/victorias-secret
Zara. Started with zero fans. Now 8 million fans on facebook. http://www.famecount.com/facebook/zara
I think brand innovation and try before you die is an approach that will help a few (fashion) brands. Look at what happened in the travel, music and some other industries: huge shift from offline to online..
Cheers
My name is Carrie Moore, and I am currently studying Retail Management, #mkt4760, with @dr4ward. I think that it is great that Levis Brazil is reaching out to those on social networking sites. An application like this can lead to increased brand loyalty because they are staying on top of technologoy.
Hi Carrie
Thanks for your reply. Think you nailed it! Brand innovation can be very important for loyalty and the perceptioN; hee this brand might understand me and my needs better, maybe it’s products/services will fit me better as well…
Cheers
Igor
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