Corpoate Social Media Case Studies, Initiatives and Examples
Case Studies bring things to life. The real world is more engaging than theory. Case Studies show how things are done in practice.They are a good way of understanding the intricacies of business in a real-life scenario.They are the ultimate learning resource. Case studies provide a way to share knowledge and encourage people to learn from others’ experiences.They give credibility. As they are based on real-life experiences rather than theory, case studies give an air of authenticity to a message.
Businesses both big and small are flocking to social media platforms. And while major brands like Starbucks, Virgin, and Levi’s have been participating in the social web for some time now, the rate of adoption among small businesses is increasing too.There’s more and more case studies on social media, web 2.0 and enterprise 2.0.
Social Media Case Studies: Wal-Mart
WITS Zen starts a new series on social media case studies, initiatives and examples with Wal-Mart,which is not a company that readily comes to mind in connection with the phrase “social media savvy organization.” But, Wal-Mart’s social media initiatives have raised many eyebrows as well.
As the world’s largest retailer, Walmart faced a significant challenge in late 2005. Its market penetration was already very high. Some 84% of shoppers had visited its store in the past year. Yet the company wanted to claim a greater share of consumer dollars. With Target and other competitors vying energetically for the attention of value-seeking customers, Walmart invested in expanding its marketing department and new research strategies. “That really opened up the opportunity to address some really fundamental questions,” recalls Guenthner. “Who are our customers? How do different segments of customers vary from one another? What should our message be? Should we change things dramatically? What are our core strengths? We were geared up to do that fundamental learning.”
WITS Zen has pulled together a series of articles, write-ups, interviews and videos on Wal-Mart social media initiatives, making it truly one of the insightful social media case studies.
Walmart Social Media Initiatives:
- Blogging: Check Out, a blog written by buyers. Fake blog: Walmarting Across America. Detractor blogs: Wal-Mart Watch and Working Families For Walmart?
- Social networks: Facebook Roommate Style Match application. The Hub. Elevenmoms community.
Walmart Social Media Case Studies
A few months ago my colleague Josh Bernoff visited Walmart HQ and wrote how he believes the company is going to understand social –I was skeptical. Last night I had dinner with some of the Wal-Mart digital team invited by John Andrews, Emerging Media Sr. Manager at Wal-Mart Stores, along with other colleagues and some other vendors. more…
Wal-Mart: Blazing the Trail to Distrust
Wal-Mart’s social media initiatives have been the talk of the blogosphere for months, and not in a good way. For those of you planning social media strategies for your companies and clients, you might look to Wal-Mart for a number of clear examples of what not to do. more…
Groundswell Author: Wal-Mart’s Ahead of the Pack on Social Media
When you think “Wal-Mart,” do you think of blogs and RSS feeds? Probably not. But the Bentonville Behemoth has moved aggressively into the world of social media to both speak to and hear from customers. more…
Ogilvy Award Case Study: Walmart Stays a Step Ahead of the Economy
Few advertising slogans seem as apropos in the current downturn as Walmart’s “Save Money. Live Better.” The retailer won a 2008 Ogilvy Award for its forward-thinking back-to-school and holiday 2007 multimedia campaign, built around this message. Walmart claimed the ARF’s Business Achievement Award for brand repositioning. To gain a better understanding of how smart research contributed to the campaign’s success, we spoke recently with Walmart’s Ramon Portilla, senior director of insights and customer strategy, communications insights, and David Guenthner, senior director of insights and customer strategy, strategic platforms insights. more…
Wal-mart’s social media strategy (yes, it has one)
Wal-Mart is not a company that readily comes to mind in connection with the phrase “social media savvy organization.” But according to Forrester’s Josh Bernoff, the conventional wisdom is 100% wrong. In a post on his Groundswell blog titled “Why Wal-Mart Will Succeed in Social Applications,” he makes his case. more…
Extending the In-Store Experience Online
Best Buy was looking for a way to bring its energetic sales force (“Blue Shirts”) alive on its website BestBuy.com. Best Buy engaged iGoDigital to develop a series of Solution Selling Tools to help consumers select the right product(s) for their individual needs and lifestyle. more…
Helping Wal-Mart Get Interactive
Mr. Tomlin: Your Zone is an example of taking a brand and creating an online brand experience for teens and tweens. Site users can select different room types and design the room to look like theirs, in terms of wall and floor coloring. We created all the 3D models of the Your Zone furniture options. When the room is built to the way users like it, they can actually order everything in that room. It gives them an opportunity to visualize what the furniture looks like and mix and match different options. more…
A Wiki of Social Media Marketing Examples
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