When it comes to creating and maintaining a successful brand, companies have learned IMC is the best way to build a strategic marketing plan. This week I take a look at some of my go-to brands — Fabletics, Starbucks and Whole Foods to see how IMC plays a role in their websites, blogs and social media channels.
First, I’m going to look at the youngest company in the mix Fabletics. It is a subsidiary of JustFab and is an athletic clothing company that was co-founded by Kate Hudson in 2013. It mainly sells clothing on its e-commerce site but has six brick-and-mortar stores across the U.S.
Fabletics Facebook
Fabletics Google+
Fabletics Instagram
Fabletics Twitter
Fabletics Pinterest
Fabletics uses IMC in all marketing from website, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google+, Pinterest to its Blog, emails and even traditional advertising such as packaging, print and TV ads. The company drives traffic across channels using links for purchase or to engage the potential customer with additional content on its blog or website.
Fabletics Social Channels:
Google 2,470 followers
Facebook 2,229,392 likes
Twitter 15k followers
Instagram 197k followers
Pinterest 37.5K followers
On the Fabletics website there are links to their social media accounts at the bottom of each page. Every day Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Google+ are updated with a new post containing the same copy message, image or video and link (bit.ly) back to their website for purchase or has a “shop now” button. Fabletics’ Pinterest page has multiple pins that are pinned each day relating to their apparel, working out, hair styles, gym to street attire and nutrition. All of the apparel pins link (bit.ly) directly back to the e-commerce site to buy. Most of the other pins like nutrition or workout tips link back to the website or the Blog.
When posting, Fabletics does use hashtags, but don’t use more than a few at a time. Most are #OOTD, #toneitup or #sneakpeak to build excitement. Most of the posts contain Kate Hudson and give an insider’s look into her life. I believe this is why they have been able to create such a buzz around the company.
Next I will talk about a fan favorite and master of IMC, Starbucks. Starbucks is the largest coffee company in the world and the company is considered the second most valuable fast food brand worldwide, second only to McDonald’s. It sells coffee, food, mugs, coffee supplies and etc. in its own brick-and-mortar retail stores, ground coffee and roasted beans in big-box and grocery stores, has an e-commerce site and has licensed stores.
Starbucks Twitter
Starbucks Instagram
Starbucks Pinterest
Starbucks Facebook
Starbucks Google+
Starbucks Social Channels:
Google 4,195,490 followers
Twitter 10.2M
Facebook 35,933,671 likes
Instagram 6 million
Pinterest 215.2K followers
IMC is prevalent across all channels of Starbucks’ marketing both on and offline.
Their campaign is cohesive and social media channels such as Twitter and Instagram are updated daily Monday through Friday with the same messaging, picture or video. Hashtags are used frequently in posts with many that are used daily such as #protip or #PSL (drinks of the season). Twitter and Instagram use links back to the website or more frequently, their Blog, 1912Pike to engage it’s customers, invite them to vote for flavors, enter into contests or give recipes and link to Pinterest. Social Media links are at the bottom of every page on their website.
Facebook and Google+ are updated less frequently, but usually every other day.
Starbucks updates their posts daily Monday thorough Friday but goes silent on the weekends even though traffic is higher those days. They must have seen consumer enagement analytics on the weekends was low. Otherwise, I’m not sure why they would not use those days to drive traffic to their stores and to their media channels.
Finally lets look at Whole Foods Market. They are the largest natural and organic food retailer with 427 stores in North America and the UK and consider themselves, “America’s Healthiest Grocery Store.” Whole Foods has brick-and-mortar stores and e-commerce.
Whole Foods Facebook
Whole Foods Twitter
Whole Foods Google+
Whole Foods Social Channels:
Whole Story blog
Google 262,609 followers
Facebook 1,803,472 likes
Twitter 4.74M followers
Instagram 566K followers
Pinterest 272.4K followers
Whole Foods uses IMC throughout all of their online
Whole Foods Pinterest
and offline marketing channels. They have consistent messaging in-store, on the website, blog, on all social media channels and in traditional advertising i.e. print ads. They update Twitter, Facebook, Google, Instagram and the company blog daily with consistent messaging (pictures, video, copy) on each feed.
Whole Foods Instagram
Every post features links (bit.ly) to the website, blog or recipes on their Pinterest boards to engage the customer and offer additional content or buying opportunities. They are active hashtag users, and use hashtags like #tailgating and #oktoberfest with emojis of BBQ’s and beer mugs to match. Social media links are at the bottom of every page.
Whole Foods ups their customer engagement by offering rich content like recipes and how-to videos on their social media channels. They drive traffic to their company blog as well as their co-CEO’s blogs thereby giving personality to the brand.
Overall, Fabletics, Starbucks and Whole Foods all adhere to the IMC practice by offering rich content and link across media channels. They update their social media sites regularly but with the same information, reaching multiple audiences in doing so.
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