Social Media Marketing

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Figure 10.6 shows the Pepperidge Farm “Art of the Cookie” website, circa 2007.
From nearly any traditional or online advertising perspective, the site itself was well
done: It contained useful information and plenty of pictures of delicious cookies. As a
social site—the actual objective of the program—it failed and was taken down. What
went wrong? The “Art of the Cookie” was not social. It was built to promote the brand
rather than encourage genuine social interaction between participants, and so was
seen as a marketing ploy. Walmart’s “The Hub,” intended to be a MySpace-like social
place for Walmart’s (younger) customers to hang out and talk, failed in part for similar
reasons. Sure, having a protected space for younger customers is certainly a reasonable
objective, and it definitely fits with Walmart’s adherence to its own culture with regard
to family values. The problem is that these values are Walmart’s and not necessarily the
values or even the articulation of the values of Walmart’s customers. Like “The Art of
the Cookie”, Walmart’s “The Hub” has been discontinued.
Walmart’s “The Hub” was on shaky ground from the start for another reason,
also instructive as you consider your own efforts. “The Hub” was developed largely
by people outside its target demographic. The lesson here is that when developing in
“stealth mode,” be sure that you’ve involved a solid sampling of your expected partici-
pants and their views as to what they find useful and relevant. Push back if someone
tells you “we don’t have time for that” or “we can’t hand over that much control (to
participants).” These types of objections are warning signs well heeded.
Figure 10.6 The Art of the Cookie
The “Art of the Cookie”—since replaced with a similarly nice looking but now
purposely nonsocial product site—was representative of early community efforts for
well-funded FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods, such as soft drinks and snack foods)
and CPG (consumer package goods, such as washing powder and footwear) brands.
It featured the product at the center and a handful of branded casual games or trivial