By Tracey Armstrong | July 28, 2009
The web has changed the way we communicate, presenting brands the ability to reach a worldwide range of people in ways never before possible. Businesses, both large and small, can harness the power of the web to not only reach more people than ever before, but they can also extend the user experience by encouraging people to interact with their brand – making the brand more available to their audience.
Sounds good, but why does this matter? Why is this important?
Increase the bottom line.
With the new-found ability to reach a wide audience coupled with the chance to engage and interact with their audience, businesses are not only reaching new customers, they are building relationships with people. This is important because these relationships build loyalty…and this ultimately translates into dollars. People who are loyal to the brand are buying more than just a product.
Take the French bottled water company, Evian. They recently introduced a new advertising campaign to re-energize their brand in a struggling economy. The new campaign combines a more traditional advertising medium, TV, with an innovative web strategy focused on sharable content and user interaction.
The new “Evian Babies” video features break-dancing, rollerskating babies. It began a sensation when the company first released the ad on YouTube and then later launched the popular commercial on television. The video’s objective was to project the brand’s values of health, youth and purity in a much more playful way than in the past.
To continue the experience, “Evian Babies” fans can visit their website, see the casting call, outtakes, and interviews of the cast (yes, 3 of the 96 babies are interviewed). Then, fans of these now famous (fake) babies are directed to their Facebook page where they have the chance to meet other fans, interact with these tiny celebs, and get the “inside scoop”.
So far, the campaign has proven to be a success – generating buzz, receiving millions of views, and thousands of fans. This is great, but, remember the main objective was to “re-energize their brand in a struggling economy”.
The true test of the campaign will lie in the coming months – the next time you go to the store, will you buy just any ‘ol water, or the one that reminds you of health, youth, purity…and cute rollerskating babies?
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About the authorTracey is an interactive strategist at Robert Sharp & Associates. Social media enthusiast, career student, former professor, writer, sculptor, and basically just inquisitive by nature, she is obsessed with language and fascinated by all things search.
1 person had this to say about "Web Strategies Extend the User Experience"
From angie1234p (angie1234p) | July 28, 2009 at 2:31 pm:
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RT @JillianAnderson: RT @TheSharpAgency “People who are loyal to the brand are buying more than just a product” [link to post]
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