Marketing Communications

530 CHAPTER 15 E-COMMUNICATION

Quechua has used the opportunities of the Timeline in a creative way. Quechua creates eco-friendly apparel, acces-

sories and gear for mountain hiking. It is well represented in Europe. Each of the 300 photos posted on the Timeline

shows the successive movements of a man hiking through the mountains. Based on the old process of making

cartoons, the viewer needs to flip through the photos and get the illusion that the man is actually climbing. To

achieve this effect the viewer needs to scroll down towards the first picture. Once the photos are loaded the viewer

presses Shift + space and the action takes place. The ‘movie’ captures the tonality of the brand, not in a rough way,

but in a way that is all about the peace that nature brings.^210

Saying thanks to fans can also be done in a very creative and entertaining way. In April 2012, Kraft Mac & Cheese

thanked 4800 fans that ‘liked’ a Facebook post with a seven-minute song called ‘Likeapella’. The song name-

checked every single one of them and was posted as video content on Kraft’s Mac & Cheese wall.^211

BRAND INSIGHT

Creative usage of Facebook’s Timeline

To conclude, there are fi ve key success factors for a company or brand to be social:^212

1. Be active. Social media are about sharing, interaction and engaging. If you want to develop
   a relationship with consumers, it is advisable to take the lead and to be active.


2. Be interesting. If you would like your customers to engage with you, you need to give them
   a reason for doing so. You must do better than just saying you are the best. An important
   start is to listen to what your consumers want to hear and what they want to talk about.
   What topics or approach would be interesting for your consumers?


3. Be humble. Before entering into social media you have to take some time to discover them
   and learn about their history and basic rules.


4. Be unprofessional. Avoid over-professional content and behave as a friend, not as a brand
   or a company.


5. Be honest. Respect the rules of the game. If companies are not allowed to participate (as on
   Wikipedia) do not force your way in.

Britney Spears is one of the most successful female recording artists in contemporary music worldwide. She relies

on social media applications to maintain her celebrity brand image. The use of social media during the launch of her

single ‘Hold It Against Me’ in 2011, combined with her own webpage BritneySpears.com, can be seen as a prime

example of social media usage to support new product introductions.

In 2010, Britney Spears was the first Twitter account holder to exceed 5 million followers, leaving actor Ashton

Kutcher and pop stars Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga far behind. She, and of course her employees, rely in a close to

near-perfect way on social media to build and strengthen her celebrity brand image. They maintain her webpage/

blog ( http://www.BritneySpears.com , new version since October 2008), two YouTube channels (Britney Spears and

BUSINESS INSIGHT

Britneys Spears’ use of social media^213

M15_PELS3221_05_SE_C15.indd 530M15_PELS3221_05_SE_C15.indd 530 6/6/13 8:55 AM6/6/13 8:55 AM