Virgin America’s Colossal Social Media Campaign

Virgin America is a California-based airline that is on a mission to make flying good again, with brand new planes, attractive fares, topnotch service, and a host of fun, innovative amenities that are reinventing domestic air travel. With fleet wide in-flight internet, mood-lit cabins, custom-designed leather seats, power outlets, and a video touch-screen at every seatback offering guests on-demand menus and countless entertainment options – the Virgin America experience is unlike anything else in the skies. (virginamerica.com)

The brand engagement for VA employs a whole host of social media platforms and uses each profile to actively engage with the target audience and ideally secure brand ambassadors.

Webstite: www.virginamerica.com

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/VirginAmerica

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/virginamerica

Instagram: http://instagr.am/p/j-TVB/

Pinterest:http://pinterest.com/virginamerica/

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/virginamerica

Social Media Deconstruct #1: Forever 21

Tory Holland      

              Forever 21 is a popular clothing brand that not only allures shoppers through its trendy apparel and cheap prices, but also through its Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Blog platforms. Although the company has  an inviting tone on Twitter, a giveaway contest on their blog, a Cupid Valentine's Day Cupid teaser on YouTube and news about the latest sale on Facebook, their social media efforts are lessened by the fact that the brand has too many messages. In other words, they have many creative ways to express their voice and connect with shoppers, but I think choosing at least two outlets to have the same focus/message would be more effective in increasing awareness and sales.

Facebook

Twitter

YouTube

Blog

Social Media Deconstruct #2: Voto Latino

With the Presidential elections coming up, Voto Latino is putting in motion a social media campaign to urge and persuade young individuals to not only think about the upcoming elections and what the impact will be on their lives, but to register and vote when the time comes. Voto Latino, a non-profit organization, is dedicated in bringing new and diverse voices into the political process by engaging media, technology, youth and celebrities to promote positive changes in America.

Voto Latino has utilized social media to its advantage. It uses Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and a personal website to promote social change. This year, Voto Latino is using social media to highlight what Latino’s are facing every day, the policies that directly affect them and at the same time, highlighting all of this in the hopes to get the youth to engage in politics.

Website: http://votolatino.org/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/votolatino

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/votolatino

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/votolatino

Deconstruct #1 Macy’s to “Go Red” for Ninth Year!

Macy’s kicks off a campaign including wear red sale, in-store red-inspired events as well as various social media events to raise fund for American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement for the ninth year. For each heart shared from Macy’s Facebook page and each followers tweeting #heart@Macys from Feb. 1 through Feb. 14, Macy’s will donate $2 to American Heart Association with a maximum donation of $250,000 for both Facebook and Twitter participation.

It is a good way to show the corporate social responsibility of Macy’s. Also Facebook and Twitter $2 donation would give the audience a sense of participation and contribution. This campaign would involve Macy’s stakeholders, such as customers, investors and also audiences from NPO side. Since American Heart Association’s campaign aims at raising women’s awareness of heart disease, the audience is exactly the target that Macy’s want to pitch. The cooperation within AMA and Macy’s is perfect. Women’s fashion blogs, magazines, NPO media channels would be proper media channel for the news.

I would suggest the Macy’s campaign also take advantage of Valentine’s Day, planning some specific event and online campaign on Feb. 14^th.

Here is a direct link to the wire:

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120123006391/en/Macy’s-“Go-Red”-Ninth-Year%21

Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show® Sets Attendance Record for Travel Shows in the United States

The Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show, held in Long Beach, CA on January 14-15, had a record-breaking turnout of attendees. Over the course of the two-day expo, 25,800 consumers, travel agents and industry professionals filed through the Long Beach Convention Center to listen to seminars from travel experts and visit over 400 different booths and exhibitions.

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/los-angeles-travel-adventure-showr-sets-attendance-record-travel-shows-united-states-1607899.htm

Deconstruct Case #1 - DIRECTV Now Delivers BabyFirstTV™ to Millions of Families at No Extra Cost

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/directv-now-delivers-babyfirsttv-to-millions-of-families-at-no-extra-cost-137585278.html

DirectTV now offers BabyFirstTV as part of its subscription package at no extra cost. The reach of this story is somewhat small due to its content. The communication strategy is the launching of something "new". The press release is alright but by adding more multimedia and better quotes they could have achieved a much more interesting press release. Also their overall communication strategy could have been better developed, maybe by combining it with some other larger event. 

Deconstruction #1:Caesars Entertainment "Play Without Pain" event

On January 15, Caesars Entertainment sent out a press release on PR Newswire that Celine Dion, Caesars Entertainment and AEG Live team up for special evening with Children’s Hospital Boston to at Caesar’s Palace to support “Play Without Pain: Children’s Sickle Cell Benefit”. More than $1 million was raised for sickle cell benefit during the event.  The press release is written in the way that can be easily quoted or used by various media outlets.

The press release is very social media friendly as it is redirected to a independent webpage where you can and is written in the way that can be easily quoted or used by various media outlets. However it fails to tailor massages to target audience.

Here is the link to the wire:

http://www.multivu.com/mnr/54153-celine-dion-play-without-pain-children-s-sickle-cell-benefit

Deconstruction #1 Disney Delivers DisneyBaby.com

Disney announced the launch of its new online destination and product showcase for expectant and new parents, DisneyBaby.com. The new website is full of “inspirational ideas, tips from real moms and the most comprehensive collection of Disney Baby brand products on the Web.” The site has a special tool, Disney Baby Magical Moments, which is an online tool that allows parents to upload photographs of their baby and their favorite memories. DisneyBaby.com claims the site experience adds a special dynamic of shared family experiences from real parents that continue throughout the site.

DisneyBaby.com is organized around several “key moments of the day.” These “moments” consist of: Getting Ready, Dressing Baby, In the Nursery, On-the-Go, Playtime, Mealtime, Bathtime and Baby’s First. Additionally, the site has four key features which include: Disney Baby Product Collections, Inspired Ideas, Tips from Real Moms and Disney Baby Magical Moments. 

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/disney-delivers-disneybabycom-137484658.html

Deconstruction 1: Best of Britain App

Tory Holland

The electronics company Samsung has partnered with the tourist organization VisitBritain to launch a new app called Best of Britain. Designed for Samsung smartphones, the app acts as a multi-media, informative guide to Britain’s most popular sites. Samsung and VisitBritain hope this mobile tool will enrich the cultural experience for the nearly 30.7 million tourists predicted to visit the UK this summer because of the Olympic Games.

Overall, I think the press release has lots of information and caters to its audience of international publications. My major critiques are that the word choice and format of the release do not immediately grab the reader’s attention nor visually communicate how big of a deal this app is. 

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120117006162/en/Samsung-VisitBritain-Appeal-UK-Visitors-%E2%80%98Best-Britain%E2%80%99  

Deconstruction#1 Jennie-O Turkey Store’s Photo Contest

Story Summary:

Jennie-O Turkey Store, one of the world largest processors and marketers of the turkey-related food, launched a photo contest on Facebook, which asks the participants to upload photos of their “lame” breakfast to win a two-week stay at The Biggest Loser Resort, a weight-loss center providing scientific weight-losing methods.

Activity Execution:
Participants can upload their photos by pressing the "upload" button on their Facebook page.
Visitors can vote on the page.
The photo gets the largest number of votes will win.

Major Strategies:
Interesting conceptual message: vote for the photo of the "lamest" breakfast
Easy participation: clean Facebook interface, easy photo uploading process
Cooperating with The Biggest Loser Resort

Need Improvement:
The press release is not a good one.
I doubt whether the contest can go viral.

Press Release URL:

http://www.multivu.com/mnr/54247-jennie-o-turkey-store-biggest-loser-resort-breakfast-hall-of-lame-contest

Deconstruct #1: Disney Delivers DisneyBaby

    Disney is partnering with the mommy-approved brand Huggies to launch DisneyBaby.com: the go-to site for parents to create "magical moments" and get ideas, tips, and of course, all of the Disney brand baby products you can dream of. The site is themed around the things mommy and daddy have to do with baby everyday, like getting ready, dressing the baby, mealtime, playtime, and even bath time. With the Disney Baby Magical Moments feature, parents can upload their favorite baby photos and memories. I think the collaboration is genius and the idea is very in line with Disney's ongoing mission and "magical" messaging to their publics. I also think that parents will love the site, and it might even draw attention from aunties, uncles, you name it. The Magical Moments feature is a great tech move in that it is interactive and is framed sort of like a social media network for parents--a space where they feel a bit excluded. My concern is that the media capabilities of the site are limited to photos and text, which can eventually grow old and may not keep visitors coming back everyday.


Check out the news release here, ciao!

Deconstruct #1 DIRECTV Dominates Super Bowl Weekend with Two All Star Events

On January 17th, 2012, DIRECTV announced that it will be hosting its Sixth Annual Celebrity Beach Bowl on Sept. 4th at the well-known Victory Field in Indianapolis and will feature many celebrities, athletes and musical guests The Fray and Katy Perry. Victory Field will be transformed into the world's largest indoor beach on Super Bowl Weekend. The game and performances will air live on over 25 networks including DIRECTV’s Audience Network, DIRECTV’s n3D and all of DIRECTV’s and Fox Sports Network’s Regional Sports Networks.
 
DIRECTV pulls out the stops with A-list celebrities and favorite professional athletes to target a young audience perfect for multiple channels of social media, but their overall attempt to cover every aspect of the long weekend forces the main events to get lost.

Here is the direct link:

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120117006625/en/DIRECTV-Dominates-Super-Bowl-Weekend-Star-Events

Deconstruct#1: Data Privacy and Network Security Alert From McDonald Hopkins Law Firm: Zappos Announced Today It Is the Latest Target of a Massive Data Breach

On January 16, 2012, McDonald Hopkins Law Firm, a business advisory and advocacy law firm announced that Zappos.com, an online shoe and clothing company, may have been compromised by a hacking attack.
The Law Firm, which as part of its services offers advocacy about Network Security and Frauds, explains how cases like this can end up in litigation process for Companies. Moreover, the Firm also explained what was the first response of Zappos.com to its consumers.
Part of my analysis for this case went over the timeline, impact and content of the message as well as the  distribution of the story to the media.


Here is a direct link to the wire:


http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/data-privacy-and-network-security-alert-from-mcdonald-hopkins-law-firm--zappos-announced-today-it-is-the-latest-target-of-a-massive-data-breach-137441438.html

Deconstruct #1: World of Coca-Cola 5 Millionth Guest

The World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta, Ga. welcomed its 5 millionth guest over the long weekend. The release elaborated on the celebration, what the guest was awarded and how the visitor contributed to the diversity of the locations guests. It was also noted when the attraction was opened. The most interesting strategy used was the order the publicist used for the release. The company started with the milestone and then transitioned into the diversity of the visitors.

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120116005855/en/World-Coca-Cola-Welcomes-5-Millionth-Guest-Martin

Starburst/VEVO Go Shows

Blair Moylan

In its most basic sense, the press release I analyzed was announcing the union of Starburst and VEVO to promote a series of concerts called VEVO Go Shows. The press release dealt with the basics: what these concerts were, when they were taking place and where they could be found. The most interesting answer: the fact that these shows will be exclusively online for 24 hours before other networks get access to it. My interest thus lay mostly in the strategy that linked a candy that’s been around since the 1960’s to a social media campaign that required “likes” to gain access and views. This rejuvenation of the Starburst name and the concept behind the VEVO Go shows caught my attention instantly.

Press Release Deconstruct #1: 2nd Annual Corporate Responsibility Best Practices Report Released

2nd Annual Corporate Responsibility Best Practices Report Released

Summary:
Corporate Responsibility Magazine issued a press release on January 09, 2012 announcing the release of their annual Corporate Responsibility Best Practices Report.  The Press Release has been prepared for media across the country.

A Little Fun

Interesting use of video story telling. Enjoy.

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