Bethea Blog

As someone who wears glasses, I cringe at the thought of walking into a showroom to buy frames. The chances of me finding a frame I’m truly satisfied with after spending hours in a store are generally slim. With Warby Parker, the process is simplified to the max.

What is Warby Parker?

Warby Parker is a company that offers affordable prescription sunglasses, eyeglass frames, and eyeglass accessories both online and in-store. While you may not realize it yet, Warby Parker is revolutionizing how people shop for and wear glasses.

Aside from revolutionizing how people wear glasses, Warby Parker is also revolutionizing how they use social media. Since the beginning, they have built a digital marketing and social media presence centered around community engagement. The following methods have been used to achieve this, according to Voy:

• Interactive Content: Warby Parker creates interactive content on social media that encourages customers to engage with the brand. Warby Parker has created quizzes to help customers find the right pair of glasses and challenges to encourage customers to share photos of themselves wearing the products.
• Authenticity: Social media for Warby is authentic and relatable, with user-generated content, glimpses behind-the-scenes, and messages aligned with the company’s mission of social responsibility. By doing this, you are able to build trust with your customers and establish a connection with them.
• Collaborations: Warby Parker has collaborated with influencers, artists, and other brands to create content that resonates with their audience. These collaborations help to expand the brand’s reach and foster a sense of community among customers who share similar interests.

What’s the future you looking like for Warby Parker?

The company’s community-oriented social media presence, says Voy, has allowed the company to build a loyal customer base and stand out in a crowded market. Their authentic, interactive, and engaging content has fostered a sense of community and created a powerful brand identity. Having said that, I see them flourishing and growing and I must say, they are doing so flawlessly.

References:

How warby Parker’s marketing strategy fueled its 7+ billion valuation. Voy Media |. (2023, September 1). https://voymedia.com/warby-parkers-marketing-strategy/ 

Firstly, let’s define viral marketing so we have a better idea of what we’re talking about. The term “viral marketing” refers to the spreading of information through word-of-mouth, as well as sharing through social media and email (Kagan, 2022). Now that we know a little bit about viral marketing, let’s dive into this blog.

Depending on who you ask, people think of videos going viral in different ways, but I’ve found five of my own. Therefore, here’s what we’ve got: 

1. Knowing your target audience
2. Emotional attachment
3. Having a clear message
4. Knowing which social media platform to use
5. Making the content visually oriented

To me, the main reason I chose these five characteristics is that they are all logical and make sense. As a starting point, I would like to stress the importance of “knowing your audience”. By learning more about your audience, you will be able to determine what information you want to include, how you want to present that information, and what supporting details are needed to make sure the viewer understands what you are trying to say.

We then have “emotional attachment”, which plays a very important role in the whole process. My first reaction to watching a video is to ask myself, “Does this mean anything to me??”, “Can I relate to this?”, “Will I think about this tomorrow?” As Quick Books Blogs points out, “anything that gives viewers hope, makes them laugh, and offers solutions to their fears and dreams is likely to attract them” (Elezaj, 2020).  

The next thing we need to consider is the importance of “having a clear message”. The key to keeping someone’s attention is to be clear because that’s the way you stay on their mind. “Ideally, a marketing message shouldn’t be vague or leave room for assumptions” (Meyer, 2021). In the message, you illustrate how your product/service will make a person’s life better. The moment your team achieves this, you know that they are doing something right. 

When it comes to the five things listed above, I would have to say, “knowing which social media platform” is probably the most important one, since it’s so crucial and it’s something that many people seem to get confused about when planning a proper marketing campaign. Even if your message is perfect for viral content, it won’t reach many people if you share it on the wrong platforms. As an example, Quick Books Blog suggests that “if you are trying to reach a young audience, such as a teen, one of the best ways to reach them would be to share it on Instagram rather than Facebook, since Instagram will have a greater reach” (Elezaj, 2020).  

Finally, we have “making the content visually oriented”, which basically translates into making the video or picture very eye-catching from the very beginning in terms of how it is presented. As an example, at my job, we tested to see, for instance, if text on a video would be effective. As a result, it was successful. According to these results, if something draws the viewer’s attention from the outset, they are more likely to watch the rest of the video and potentially make a purchase in the future.

A good example of “viral marketing” is the ALS Bucket Challenge. You may remember this challenge from 2014, but what was it for? The activity involved the pouring of ice water on a person’s head, either by another person or self-administered, to raise awareness about the disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as “ALS” (Wiki, 2023). Through a simple video made by celebrities and even us, this challenge gained massive attention and quickly went viral, leading to millions of dollars being donated to the fund. I must say, the successful implementation of this campaign was greatly influenced by social media. Wouldn’t you agree? How many buckets did you pour in 2014? Are you able to recall that feeling? 

References:

Kagan, J. (2023, April 14). Viral marketing: What it is, how it works, examples, pros & cons. Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/v/viral-marketing.asp 

Wikimedia Foundation. (2023, June 15). Ice bucket challenge. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_Bucket_Challenge#:~:text=The%20Ice%20Bucket%20Challenge%2C%20sometimes,motor%20neuron%20disease%20or%20Lou 

7 steps to create a viral marketing campaign. QuickBooks®: Official Site. (2022, April 4). https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/innovation/7-steps-to-create-a-viral-marketing-campaign/ 

Writing for an audience: UMGC. University of Maryland Global Campus. (n.d.). https://www.umgc.edu/current-students/learning-resources/writing-center/writing-resources/getting-started-writing/writing-for-an-audience#:~:text=Knowing%20your%20audience%20helps%20you,and%20structure%20of%20the%20document. 

To compare similar products and goals, it is important to see how companies differentiate themselves and their products from others. Let’s compare Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks:

According to Investopedia, “Starbucks and Dunkin’ Brands are the United States’ largest coffee chains” (Delventhal, 2022). There are similar coffee options offered by both companies-even though food options differ-and they both have similar overall strategies. However, their business models differ in terms of scale, ownership, and branding.

Dunkin’ Donuts, now known simply as Dunkin’, is America’s beloved coffee and donut company, delighting taste buds and energizing mornings for over 70 years. It was founded by a brilliant entrepreneur by the name of William Rosenberg back in 1970 in Canton, Massachusetts (Dunkin Website, 2023).

Founded in 1971 by Jerry Baldwin, Gordon Bowker, and Zev Siegl, in Seattle, Washington, Starbucks is a multinational coffeehouse chain and coffee company based in the United States. They began their operations by selling roasted coffee beans directly to consumers, but soon expanded their business into distributing beverages (Starbucks Website, 2023).

Both brands share many similarities, but they also have several differences that set them apart.

Let’s talk about Dunkin…

To enhance its social media presence, Dunkin adopted several measures, including promoting a colorful and quirky personality online (Ahuja, 2022). By focusing on consumers and adapting to their insights, they have been able to stay ahead of the curve. In 2021, Dunkin’ Donuts partnered with Charli D’Amelio, a TikTok influencer, to produce “The Charli”. D’Amelio’s social media platform allowed Cold Caramel Brew to reach TikTok fans and Dunkin’s target audience effectively. Charli’s cold brew sales grew by 45% by the afternoon of the second day (Ahuja, 2022). Within five days of the campaign’s launch, thousands of drinks were sold.

Additionally, Dunkin distinguishes itself from other brands by partnering with local heroes. In 2020, the world had to deal with the covid pandemic, so Dunkin created the “Heroes Campaign” to highlight the heroic people who are battling this crisis on the front lines and to bring light and hope to the victims of the pandemic with simple acts of kindness (Dunkin Website, 2023).

To achieve its strategic goals, Dunkin uses social media to generate sales. It uses reels, stories, memes, and influencers to effectively promote its brand on Instagram, which has a following of over 2 million users. Dunkin has created signature hashtags like #MyDunkin to encourage further consumer interaction as well.

Let’s talk about Starbucks…

Quality coffee and beverages are known to Starbucks. Besides offering quality coffee and a wide selection of beverages and pastries, Starbucks is also known for its strong branding and storytelling, as well as its use of social media to connect with its customers.

The Starbucks social media activity is intended to establish a personal connection with its customers and convey Starbucks’ relatability.

In general, both Dunkin and Starbucks use social media to differentiate their brands and meet strategic goals. They partner with communities, and both use social media to promote and drive e-commerce sales. In contrast, Dunkin emphasizes community and social responsibility, whereas Starbucks emphasizes branding and storytelling to connect with consumers. Despite fierce competition in the coffee market, both brands have differentiated themselves.

Ultimately, I’d pick Starbucks, but what would you choose?

References:

Ahuja, M. (2022, March 6). Dunkin’ runs on Social Media. Medium. Retrieved July 16, 2023, from https://medium.com/marketing-in-the-age-of-digital/dunkin-runs-on-social-media-bf4e69a9ce43

Meet the expert behind Dunkin’s Social Media Strategy. Khoros. (n.d.). Retrieved July 16, 2023, from https://khoros.com/blog/meet-melanie-cohn-social-expert#:~:text=Meet%20Melanie%20Cohn%3A%20the%20Social,Behind%20Dunkin’%20Brands’%20Digital%20Innovation&text=Dunkin’%20is%20a%2068%2Dyear,Consumer%20expectations%20are%20constantly%20evolving.

The Dunkin’ heroes campaign celebrates the heroes within our communities. Dunkin’. (n.d.). https://news.dunkindonuts.com/blog/heroes-campaign

What is Orkut?

I’m glad you asked! Known by some, Orkut was a social networking service owned and operated by Google. As a way to meet new people, maintain existing relationships, and make new friends, the service was designed to help users do just that. In honor of the website’s creator, Google employee Orkut Büyükkökten, the website was named Orkut.

Orkut was wildly popular, but we hadn’t heard about it since most users (about 90%) were from Brazil. Brazilian culture places a high value on social media and digital channels, making Brazil one of the strongest markets for online retailers. Initially, this is what made Orkut so successful. The platform provided its users with the option to join and interact within communities, just like many other social networking platforms.

Now that we know a bit about Orkut, let’s explore how this company swept social media in the early 2000’s

What made Orkut popular?

You are probably thinking that their popularity was a result of what you read above, but it goes deeper than that. As an example, users could “rate” others according to their appearance, trustworthiness, or even how cool they were. It was initially possible for anyone to visit Orkut’s profiles unless they were on a person’s “Ignore List,” as opposed to Facebook, where one can only view profiles of people in one’s network. However, it was later changed so that users could choose whether to show their profiles to all networks or only select networks. In addition, members could customize their profiles and restrict who can see information on their profiles.

What drove it to success?

Great question! In part, Orkut’s success can be attributed to Brazil’s tech-focused culture. In fact, some studies suggest that Brazil’s cell phones outnumber the country’s population! As a result, Brazil has the fifth largest online market in the world! Approximately 80% of social media users in the country are positive about online shopping, and many use social networks to research products and share recommendations. With Orkut, users were able to make product and service suggestions to friends within the communities they were a part of. In this case, the company made a smart decision and proved that success is a result of satisfying customers’ needs.

How did they fail?

In order to achieve success, it is essential to meet the needs of the consumer. For a brand to stay competitive, continuous improvement is key, and unfortunately for Orkut, it wasn’t able to do so. In addition, Brazilians responded well to brand strategies involving online video and streaming, which Orkut could not support. Aside from the video issue, users were also experiencing problems uploading and sharing photos, and they had difficulty connecting with friends. Because all of these things were important to users, they began exploring other social networking websites. In its place, brands that were able to meet the changing needs of users replaced Orkut.

What is Weixin?

I’m glad you asked! Known in China, Weixin (pronounced as Way-shin) oe WeChat is an instant messaging, social media, and mobile payment app developed by Tencent.

In partnership with Tencent, this company was launched in the winter of 2011. Today, Weixin has over 1 billion monthly active users and is the world’s largest standalone mobile app. WeChat has been dubbed China’s “app for everything” and a super-app due to its wide range of features. With WeChat, you can send text messages, hold-to-talk voice messages, broadcast (one-to-many) messages, video conference, play video games and share photos and videos – it’s pretty cool app.

Originally, Weixin allowed users to send text messages to each other, similar to WhatsApp. Eventually, it added video calling, phone calling, and the ability to post photos, links, comments, etc., making it a social media network. Similarly, it could be considered a similar app to Snapchat, especially in terms of disappearing conversations, but it is so much more. As the app evolved, it added taxi-hailing functionality and the option to directly link your bank account so you could pay with that. Furthermore, it allows users to create their own online stores directly on the website, similar to eBay or Facebook Marketplace.

Now that we know a bit about Weixin, let’s explore how this company swept social media in 2014.

What made Weixin popular?

You are probably thinking that their popularity was a result of what you read above, but it goes deeper than that. For example, with its 2014 Red Letter Campaign, users were able to send ‘red letters’ to one another virtually, giving it a huge boost in popularity. Chinese New Year is already a popular time for giving money to friends and family, so adding this capability made the procedure easier. The app even added a “lottery” type feature, where people could make a pool of money, add recipients to it, and the app would then randomly assign funds to each recipient.

My favorite aspect of Weixin was how it literally tailored itself to understand its audience. According to Mahoney & Tang (2016), their platform is targeting young, urban smartphone owners with an ‘all-in-one’ app. 94) Having seen their platform, they have been able to combine multiple platforms into one place, giving their audience the freedom to do anything they want, thereby increasing their appeal and creating high interest – which is certainly impressive.

Could you ever imagine using Weixin, Avery?

That’s a good question! This is actually a very good question. As for Weixin, I see no need for it since we have other alternatives in the US: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, etc. Although I’m curious about things, I’ll download it to see what it’s all about and discover something new, but other than that, I don’t see any benefit. The situation would be different if I were a Chinese resident. Having said that, what are your thoughts about the Weixin platform and how it has impacted social media? I’d love to know!

What is breast cancer awareness month?

I’m glad you asked! Known in the United States, Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM) is an annual international health campaign organized by major breast cancer charities every October to raise awareness about the disease and support research into the disease’s causes, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure.

This organization was founded in 1985 by the American Cancer Society in partnership with Imperial Chemical Industries (now owned by AstraZeneca, which produces several anti-breast cancer drugs). Since its founding, the NBCAM has advocated mammography as the most effective tool against breast cancer.

Now that we know a bit about Breast Cancer Awareness Month, let’s explore this viral meme that swept social media in 2014.

Why did this campaign go viral?

According to Koehler, women posted status updates corresponding to their bra color (E. Koehler, 2020). The purpose was to keep the status updates cryptic so men wouldn’t understand them and women would be intrigued. Thousands of women shared their bra colors and tagged their friends on social media, and the meme quickly spread.

The campaign was straightforward and easy to take part in. The only thing a person had to do was post a color, and they were included in the campaign. You felt like you were supporting a cause and doing something to raise awareness of breast cancer. Lastly, the campaign was inclusive. Regardless of age, gender, or social status, anyone could participate.

As an example, back in 2012 everyone on social media wore hoodies to honor Trayvon Martin. In the Martin case, it was a call for justice.

Was the campaign a success?

Although the Facebook breast cancer awareness meme was successful, it failed to mobilize users. During the campaign, a call to action could have been included, encouraging people to donate to breast cancer charities or attend breast cancer screenings. To educate people and encourage them to take action, the campaign should have included more information about breast cancer, such as statistics and facts.

References

E.Koehler. (2020, October 14). Case study: The facebook breast cancer meme. EK Marketing Blog. Retrieved February 26, 2023, from https://ekmarketingblog.com/2020/10/09/case-study-the-facebook-breast-cancer-meme/ 

Weeks, L. (2012, March 24). Tragedy gives the hoodie a whole new meaning. NPR. Retrieved February 26, 2023, from https://www.npr.org/2012/03/24/149245834/tragedy-gives-the-hoodie-a-whole-new-meaning 

Wikimedia Foundation. (2023, January 7). Breast Cancer Awareness month. Wikipedia. Retrieved February 26, 2023, from https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breast_Cancer_Awareness_Month 

As someone who wears glasses, I cringe at the thought of walking into a showroom to buy frames. The chances of me finding a frame I’m truly satisfied with after spending hours in a store are generally slim. With Warby Parker, the process is simplified to the max.

What is Warby Parker?

I’m glad you asked! By improving accessibility, reducing costs, and simplifying consumer experiences, Warby Parker was founded by a few students in Pennsylvania in 2010. Both online and in-store, the company sells prescription sunglasses, eyeglass accessories, and eyeglass frames at affordable prices. You may not know it yet, but Warby Parker is changing the way people shop for glasses and how they wear them.

What makes Warby Parker so popular?

Let’s just tell it how it is. In today’s world, going to an eye doctor means another trip, another gasoline expense, putting on an outfit, and most importantly, it is not sustainable for most workers, especially those living in rural areas. By using Warby Parker, you can order glasses online from your home or on the go with just a click of the mouse. Glasses can be purchased instantly and shipped directly to your door. No more unnecessary eye doctor visits.

But wait, can I try them on?

You certainly can! In their innovative approach to eyeglasses purchasing, Warby Parker thought of every detail, including trying on five pairs at home. You choose styles you like, they ship them to you, and you decide which one you like best. The other four can be shipped back at no cost to you! Isn’t that amazing?

So, what do you think? Will you give Warby a try? Will you be the next Warby Ambassador? I thought so. Wishing you many happy years with your new frames! Thanks for reading!