(Figure 1: Photo from Khloe Kardashian’s Instagram)
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last 10 years, you’ll know exactly who the Kardashian’s are, and count them as millennial royalty. Since 2007 they’ve been all over TV, newspapers, magazines, but more importantly, digital platforms: social-media (specifically Instagram) and emails sponsoring various brands.
Chaffey (2012) suggests, there are three digital marketing objectives; Identifying the customers wants and needs, anticipating the digital engagement and visibility, and satisfying the customer.
The typical social-networker will browse through media platforms flicking through your average Joe’s Instagram without batting an eyelid, however, put a celebrity from reality TV or a competition in the post and now you’re all over it. Similarly, e-newsletters from all sorts of companies find their way into our inbox’s, and once that browsing time on your phone or laptop begins, its decision time: Junk mail or impulse purchases?
Protein World (PW) uses famous faces such as Khloe Kardashian (KK), TOWIE favourites and many more through their digital engagement, this is to maintain visibility on social media platforms and to captivate consumer
(Figure 2: E-mail)
s with e-mails. However, the subject line of an e-mail is what determines whether people will open it to view the content, ignore or move the e-mail to junk. This is explained in more depth here: https://www.business2community.com/infographics/understanding-importance-e-mail-subject-lines-infographic-01492127 .
Here, it is established what the consumer wants – to have the body of a Kardashian… who doesn’t in 2017 right? – queue Protein World’s 30-day challenge, promoted by KK in 2017.
Protein World incorporated a famous quote which can be directly linked back to the Kardashian’s famous television show “can you keep up with a Kardashian?” [see figure 2]. Using this as the subject line of promotion e-mails being distributed to consumers on their distribution list. Thus, promoting customers to click on further, knowing Protein World’s products are used by this famous person. A present name or face – such as Khloe Kardashian shows PW are following current trends on social platforms, which is positive to engage customers. However, the trouble with their e-newsletters is that only people signed-up to their website will be included in the distribution list – specifically directing this at existing customers.
(Figure 3: Protein World’s Instagram Post)
Moving on to PW social media presence, they’re digital marketing campaigns are heavily reliant on their Instagram platform. Firstly, by incorporating the audience to participate with the brand, by sharing, liking or tagging their posts – this is demonstrated [figure 3] by competitions and offers for the consumer. By increasing their Instagram page traffic this way, it highlights the brand to new audiences. Click here to see how PW uses celebrities for boosting sales: https://www.instagram.com/p/BPYF3CIh-xn/?hl=en .
(Figure 4: Hashtag Promotion)
The great thing about social media is the concept of hash-tagging. It is used for posting an image that corresponds with another posting of similar context with the use of a hashtag in front of the phrase to correlate all the posts together. For example, the hashtag #PW30DayChallenge [demonstrated in figure 4] posted by Khloe Kardashian created a stream of customers to post under this hashtag as well – thus promoting the PW further.
(Figure 5: KK Instagram Followers)
Here PW has used the famous faces to promote their products on their social media. with the idea that it’ll increase the brand’s publicity. For example, Khloe Kardashian currently has over 70million Instagram followers [figure 5]. So, her posts relating to Protein World on her Instagram page will entice her fans to at least check out PW site themselves, with the possibility of purchases to follow, if consumers are under the illusion that’s how a Kardashian keeps fit. Neti (2011) suggests techniques used to attract customers by means of social networks have gained a degree of dishonesty – particularly demonstrated by PW and Khloe Kardashian’s campaign. Because, by the following summer, it is likely she’ll be paid to be the face of another fitness regime backed by another company.
(Figure 6: Review E-mail)
The last of Chaffey’s (2012) digital marketing criteria’s is satisfying the customer. The company maintains a relationship with customers after their online purchases via e-mail [figure 6]. This is a polite way to flag any issues with orders or products to the HQ team, but also make the consumer feel looked after by Protein World, through asking how their order was. By demonstrating a company’s commitment to trust and transparency, customers will be encouraged to leave positive reviews after having a good experience (Duncan, 2017).
All in all, the question is: are Protein World keeping up? Yes, they are!
References
Chaffey, D., & Ellis-Chadwick, F. (2012). Digital Marketing: Strategy. Implementation and Practice: Pearson.
Duncan, A. (2017). Customer Reviews and the Search Marketing Opportunity. Digital Marketing Magazine. [online] Available at: http://digitalmarketingmagazine.co.uk/search-digital-marketing/customer-reviews-and-the-search-marketing-opportunity/4505 [Accessed 30 Nov. 2017].
Neti, S. (2011). SOCIAL MEDIA AND ITS ROLE IN MARKETING. International Journal of Enterprise Computing and B International Journal of Enterprise Computing and Business Systems, [online] 1(2). Available at: https://www.ijecbs.com/July2011/13.pdf [Accessed 1 Dec. 2017].