Kidnapping Photos

Ikea decided to utilise the existing function of tagging photos in Facebook to run a branding and buzz exercise around the Malmö store manager, Gordon Gustavsson and the new store opening in the area. By uploading photos of the display areas they allowed people to tag the items in the photo and whoever tagged it first with their own name, won the item. Simple.

This achieved six important and complementary goals.

• It introduced Gordon Gustavsson to the local people in Malmö and made him “real” and approachable. Suddenly he was your friend.
• It created excitement and urgency in the rush to tag the photos and get the piece of furniture you wanted.
• It made people go to the IKEA site or catalogues and compare the items there with the items on the photos increasing brand and product awareness.
• It caused the fan page to be populated virally in case future offers where announced so it would not be missed in the future thus increasing consumer loyalty.
• It created social endorsement as people tagged items with their OWN names.

Heres the video explaining the concept in more detail.  You will have to agree, it was quite an inspired method of PR and a really exciting competition.

Who’s responsible for Social Media Activities? Marketing or PR?

This question has provoked quite a debate among the members of the Pro Marketers – For Marketing Professionals Group with various views and opinions.

Most are of the opinion that it is a duel responsibility between the respective departments, while personally I am of the opinion that a complete “mental overhaul” is required regarding social media and corporations, its practices and application, its inherent value, and the implications of social media in business, separating it completely from the traditional practices by departments of Marketing and PR (but that’s a whole over post for another day).

One person in particular has obviously thought long and hard about what Social Media can bring to the table and has quite rightly pointed out that by trying to focus on it as a Marketing or PR tool is actually a mistake and the bias that exists within companies as they struggle to understand the reach and implications of social media outside of these two areas.

I hope that Dean Guadagni, Business Director for Inner Architect, will not mind me quoting him directly. I feel he has an essential understanding of what social media is, can be and will become when its full application is properly considered;