Corporate Social Media Case Study: Staples
Staples became one of the first retailers this holiday season to use Facebook to leak “Black Friday” deals. The office supply company posted several deals on products, varying from flash drives to GPS units to laptops, and price cuts are as high as 50%.
Leading up to Black Friday, Staples’ Facebook fans left numerous comments and “likes” about the discounts. The company also created a new Facebook tab called “Holideals,” which allows users to easily browse Staples products and savings. And ’tis the season for social: According to Deloitte Research, one in five shoppers plan to use social sites in their holiday shopping this season.
Learn More: AP
A new survey conducted by Deloitte, Beeline Labs, and the Society of New Communications Research shows that most companies are continuing to invest in social media tools and online communities despite the recession: 94% of respondents say they will maintain or increase investment, while only 6% plan on decreasing investment.
The survey also revealed that while businesses are using social media tools to engage with customers, many organizations are still figuring out how to use them to their full potential. Of the 400 companies surveyed, 38% said that increasing word of mouth marketing was the top business objective. In addition, 34% cited increasing customer loyalty and 30% cited brand awareness as top business goals.
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Francois Gossieaux (Beeline Labs CMO & VP, Business Development) and Ed Moran (Deloitte, Technology, Media and Telecommunications specialist) will lead a public conference call, “Preview of the 2009 Tribalization of Business Study.”
It’s nearly time for the vital annual report from Beeline Labs, Deloitte, and the Society for New Communications Research, showing how effective online business communities are, and how companies are measuring success. Francois and Ed will give us a sneak peek at the findings from the 2009 report. See the 2008 report at http://www.beelinelabs.com/tribalization
Conference call | July 1, 3 PM (EST) | Private member call | Member log-in for details
In early July, Deloitte published the 2008 Tribalization of Business Survey along with Beeline Labs and the Society for New Communications Research (SNCR). The study’s key findings highlighted the benefits and challenges for companies creating online communities:
- 35% saw an increase in WOM for their brands
- 28% saw overall brand awareness increase
- 24% reported an increase in customer loyalty
- 25% had more than 1000 members
- 50% said the biggest obstacle to success is “getting people engaged”
Many in the blogosphere jumped on the story and cited the data as the death knell for online communities (including the Wall Street Journal). It’s far too early to tell whether or not this is true, but our members are going to talk about it, debate it, share their own experiences, and see what can be learned in the next Blog Council Show and Tell.*
DETAILS
Blog Council Show and Tell: Measuring the Value of Online Communities
With: Ed Moran, Director of Product Innovation for Deloitte
Date: Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Time: 1pm ET/10am PT (1-hour call)
Dial-in: Members can find call info in the Member Center
* Show and Tell calls are fast phone calls where members confidentially discuss and solve real-world issues with their peers. Calls are held twice a month and private for members only. If you’d like to participate, please contact us about joining the Blog Council.
