By Renee Elizabeth Gauntlett
Brands have been making good use of Facebook and Twitter, however, many persons are confused about how to effectively use Instagram for their brand campaigns. Take a look at these Brand Campaigns which I think were some of the best on Instagram. I hope these will serve as good examples for your own marketing campaigns.
1. Brisk Iced Tea #Briskpic Campaign
Lipton’s Brisk Iced Tea did an interesting hashtag based photo campaign on Instagram last year. The campaign encouraged fans to tag their photos with the hashtag #Briskpic for a chance to have their pictures placed on one of the 4000 limited edition Brisk Iced Tea can which was presented at the South by Southwest Interactive.
With this campaign, fans won’t just see their pictures on a website or poster, but can actually own one of the cans produced. This gives the brand a more personal touch. I would have done this to get my face on a can!
2. Redbull’s ‘Instagram Your Inspiration’ Campaign
Redbull has recently launched their new line of products called Editions. Editions introduces 3 new flavours that coincide with the 3 Redbull colours, Red (cranberry), Blue (blueberry) and Silver (lime). Redbull, in collaboration with We Are Social, then created the ‘Instagram Your Inpiration’ Campaign.
Fans were encouraged to upload pictures of what they think inspires each colour (flavour) with one of the corresponding hashtags #rededitionplease #blueeditionplease or #silvereditionplease. Qualifiers will be sent a can of the flavour they chose to try. Qualifying photos were also collaged and made into posters around the UK. I think this was quite interesting and encouraged fans to get creative.
3. Ford’s ‘Fiestagram’ Campaign
In 2012, Ford launched the Ford Fiesta which was considered one of the ‘sexiest’. Ford then got creative and launched ‘Fiestagram’: a six-week photo contest in which fans could submit photos and win prizes. Each week, Ford would release a new hashtag which was related to one of the Ford Fiesta’s high-tech feature. Fans were required to submit a photo related to that week’s hashtag, and the best photos were selected and prizes won. The final prize was, of course, a Ford Fiesta.
4. Nike ‘PHOTOiD’ Campaign
Nike, one of the top sportswear brands in the world, is now more creative than ever. One of Nike’s most unique aspect is the option for customers to design their own Nike Air sneaker. In an effort to promote this service, Nike launched the ‘PHOTOiD’ campaign on social networks including Twitter and Instagram.
In this campaign, fans upload a photo, any photo, and are then presented with a Nike Air sneaker design which contains the colours of the photo uploaded. Each design is then featured on the Nike website and social media sites. Adding a personal interaction with customers is one of the best ways to KEEP these customers coming back.
5. Marc Jacobs’ #MarcFam Campaign
Clothing line Marc Jacobs made use of the holiday by launching a social media campaign in the form of a photo/video competition. In this competition, fans are encouraged to upload holiday photos or videos of their families wearing Marc Jacobs items with the hashtag #MarcFam. Fans can then vote on the best photos or videos and the most-liked posts win Marc Jacobs prizes as well as have their photos be a part of the Marc Jacobs family photo album.
This campaign theme coincided with the winter holidays and helped to encourage ‘family time’. It showed a more compassionate side of the company, while still keeping the brand in fans’ minds.
6. Ben & Jerry’s #CaptureEuphoria Campaign
The popular US based ice cream company, Ben & Jerry’s launched a different kind of campaign on Instagram last year. Instead of having the typical photo competition featuring fans and the products, Ben & Jerry’s created a big wave on Instagram with their #CaptureEuphoria campaign.
The campaign encouraged fans to take pictures of whatever Euphoria meant to them and use the hashtag #CaptureEuphoria. Though some of the photos submitted featured some of Ben & Jerry’s products, the campaign gave fans the opportunity to uniquely express themselves, while still managing to draw fans to their page.
7. Starbucks ‘Behind the Scenes’ Campaign
Starbucks also did a different kind of brand campaign on Instagram; no photo contest, no submissions from fans. The aim of the ‘Behind the Scenes’ campaign was, as the slogan states, to show images of the processes in making the coffee that millions seem to crave.
The images uploaded to the Starbucks page include the basic steps: testing, tasting and preparation. The ‘Behind the Scenes’ campaign, I believe, helped to create a closer bond with their customers; when I see how something is made, I am usually more willing to buy it. Good move Starbucks!
8. Sharpie’s ‘Doodle’ Campaign
Sharpie’s presence on Instagram is quite different from most brands. Instead of featuring photos of their products, Sharpie has decided to post photos of ‘doodles’ (which to me are quite artsy) done with the markers. This campaign demonstrates what the product can do. This approach gives Sharpie an edge as consumers can see more messages than the typical ‘buy my product’ campaign.
9. Levi’s Ad Campaign
Popular clothing brand, Levi’s, used the social media site Instagram to facilitate their campaign to find ‘the new face of Levi’s brand’. Fans were asked to submit their photos with the hashtag #IAMLEVIS for the chance to win and be the star of Levi’s new advertising campaign. This was a very good campaign idea and as a result, they gained thousands of submissions.
10. Gilt City’s #LoveYourCityMore Campaign
Gilt City’s #LoveYourCityMore campaign got fans to show their love for their city. This campaign was done through social media sites Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Fans were to upload photos that they thought best represented their city and use the hashtag #LoveYourCityMore. The best photos were selected and monetary prizes were rewarded.
This campaign got people outside, and exploring and appreciating their city even more. The photos that were uploaded were absolutely amazing and inspiring. I think the campaign turned everyone into talented photographers!
Now that you’ve seen some great ideas, go forth and be social. But don’t forget to be creative!
It's Pixel Perfect 