Final Presentation: Digital Newsletter

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Social Media Monitoring Project - Part 2

During the initial phase of the project, we learned that the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism is embracing the Groundswell. They are using multiple social platforms to reach to a varied target audience. Their target audience is mainly vacationers who range in age, recreational interest, and geographic location. As part two of the project, research was conducted using Google Trends and Social Mention to see how they compare to their British competitors, Bermuda and Turks and Caicos.

GROUNDSWELL COMPETITION
Over the past year, Cayman falls in the middle of the pack according to Google Trends with an overall steady social media performance. Google Trends' data shows Bermuda is leading the way with a much stronger presence. The Cayman Islands’ Social Mention brand strength and reach are surpassing Bermuda and Turks and Caicos; their sentiment rating is nearly the same as Bermuda’s. Their passion score is the lowest compared to their competitors. This data implies that Cayman Tourism may not have as many loyal customers as the other two islands. However, their positive sentiment is the highest and they seem to have the highest unique authors with the most retweets among the three groups.


GOOGLE TRENDS COMPARISON DATA

CAYMAN ISLANDS       

BERMUDA

TURKS AND CAICOS

The Social Mention analytics are sensible when you delve deeper into the analysis by visiting each organization’s websites and social media communities.

FOLLOWERS BY SOCIAL MEDIA COMMUNITY

Cayman Tourism comes in second with the number of followers and web presence. Their website is attractive and they put emphasis on social media by placing icons in the main navigation linking you over to their communities. They could consider a website redesign to refresh the look. A redesign with engaging content and messaging will help boost their organic SEO and drive more followers to join and engage within their social communities.

Bermuda is the frontrunner with the highest number of social media followers and a modern, new website. They also have direct links to their social media communities.

Turks and Caicos’ website looks fairly new and the imagery is very eye-catching. It’s clean and easy to navigate however they only have Facebook and Twitter icons on their website. When you click on the icons you are linked to the Facebook and Twitter login page vs. their specific pages. If this was fixed they could increase their engagement and followers. They also have a YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest presence, however they do not have the icons on their website to encourage people to join those communities. You have to find them through search within each social platform.

S.W.O.T. ANALYSIS
Strengths –  The island is known for its safety, beauty, and perfect weather. Cayman Tourism has a positive brand association, a large number of loyal followers and engagers, and dedicated social media resources.  They post and respond to comments daily on all of their channels. They use beautiful and inviting photography with a diversity of topics from cuisine to water sports to reach multiple audiences, ages, and recreational interests. Cayman Tourism has many high-end produced videos that tell their stories and entice the user to book a trip – the perfect winter escape.

Weaknesses – They are behind Bermuda by number of followers and their digital footprint. Bermuda is a beautiful, easy to get to destination for many residents on the East Coast of the U.S. They have multiple direct flight options from popular cities such as Boston, NYC, Philadelphia, and more. Cayman will need to invest in more digital marketing and outreach to their target audience and network partners to stay at the forefront of a saturated Caribbean tourism market. Cayman is very expensive island to visit, so it may exclude some audiences based on income level.

Opportunities – Using social media brand ambassadors could help boost efforts. Offering incentives to their consumers with giveaways and contests could be a fun way for them to engage in the Groundswell above what they currently have in place. Asking questions like “what is your favorite restaurant?” or “what is your favorite Cayman spot?” will engage their community, allow them to lead the conversation, and encourage them to share their memories.

Threats – They are surpassing the social media efforts of Turks and Caicos.  Cayman Tourism's dedicated resources make it a priority to engage with their communities and manage their online presence. In order for Cayman Tourism to stay ahead the curve, they will need to continue to innovate new ideas and build momentum among their competitors. Bermuda is leading the way – staying current, networking with more companies and organizations, understanding their target audience, and evolving their campaign strategy. Cayman Tourism will need to adequately fund and resource digital and social media marketing in order to make a bigger splash in the market.

RECOMMENDATIONS
A web redesign with strong content will increase user engagement, build organic SEO within Google, and increase the quantity of followers and engagers on their social media platforms. Networking with travel agents, local businesses, airlines, restaurants, and more will help increase the quality and quantity of travelers to the island. These networks would also become part of the Cayman social community and hopefully share content which would result in increased followers and engagers, a stronger brand, and a sense of connection and loyalty. Cayman is a hub to financial corporations with business travel as part of their clientele. They could offer incentives to business travelers encouraging them to bring their families for recreation as part of their trips. Partnerships locally and abroad with a focus on modern and innovative digital strategies will help boost efforts in and above the Groundswell.

 

Reflection Post #3: Come Fly With Me

Have you ever planned a vacation where it felt like the day would never come? Then it arrives, and you learn that your flight is delayed, cancelled, or oversold? We all have stories to tell about the heartache and disappointment of traveling in today’s world. The airlines’ lack of compassion, flexibility, and accommodation has resonated with all of us at one point. We are dependent on them to get us to our far away destinations, so if things go wrong on their end, our feedback doesn’t seem to make a difference.

Over the decades, many U.S. airlines have merged together or were part of an acquisition. We don’t have as many choices as a consumer that we once had. Less options equals less competition. It isn’t right or fair, but frankly the airlines can treat us the way they want. There really isn’t anything we can do as paying customers to change the culture.

In Chapters 11 and 12 of the Groundswell we learn about how companies use social communities to engage with their customers and employees, learn from them, support them, and make positive changes based on their input. Their experiences provide valuable feedback and a sense of community and empowerment. So, why is the airline industry different? Sure, they comment on customer’s negative feedback by apologizing but what are they doing with this information? It certainly doesn’t seem like they are making changes that impact us in a positive way. Here is a comparison of a large global airline (American Airlines), to a smaller, primarily U.S.-based airline (Southwest Airlines) to see who is doing a better job listening to and transforming themselves based on the Groundswell. 

Marketing Approach
Southwest’s marketing is creative, approachable, and humble. They cater to recreational travelers. Their down-to-earth advertising campaigns promote less fees than the competition which appeals to families and less-frequent travelers. Southwest’s logo has a rounded, typeface with a primary-colored heart as their symbol which visually says "we care." 

American Airlines on the other hand, capitalizes on its miles program, an incentive-based marketing strategy. This approach caters to frequent-flyers who extensively travel as part of their livelihood and career. Miles' perks benefit the everyday, business traveler and their families vs. the once-or-twice-per year vacationer. American’s logo uses a sans serif typeface with a classic blue and red bird airplane wing as the graphic - which is visually clean and corporate. 

Engaging with the Groundswell
Southwest uses Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram as their social communities to connect with their customers. They encourage people to connect with them and callout the ways to do so on their homepage with a feature callout section. Based on the research, they respond to their customers' feedback. It may not always be what the flyer is looking to hear, but they try to make it right.

  

American Airlines hosts Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter icons in their website’s footer. They also have social communities, but they aren’t pushing them front and center as much as Southwest for customer feedback. The responses from American Airlines seem to be less sympathetic in nature (when they do respond) as they send a link which can be annoying... passing you along in the shuffle.

Weather and mechanical delays will always exist and appear without notice, however there may be some ways in which both airlines can listen better to their customers to minimize negative experiences in the future. From what we’ve learned throughout our readings in the Groundswell, listening seems to be the most important.

Original Post #3: Healthy Eats for our Furry Friends

Rachel Ray became a celebrity through her famous 30-minute meals segment on the Food Network. She mastered the need to put a home-cooked dinner on the table after a long day at the office. She coined phrases like EVOO (extra virgin olive oil), sammies (sandwiches), and stoup (stew/soup combination). As she whipped up a meal while teaching amateurs how to cook, she would tell stories about her beloved rescue pitbull, Isaboo.

In Chapter 9 – Embracing the Groundswell, we learn about George and his dog, Pooch. Like Rachel, George is a dog lover who identifies with Del Monte’s “dogs are people, too” community. I am sure you know plenty of dog-lovers who associate their pets as family members and treat them as good, if not better, than people.

“When I look at Isaboo, I’m reminded of all of the folks who see their pets as family members. She is my daughter. I only want to feed her the best quality food,” says Rachel Ray. She’s spoiled! I mash together ground beef, pork, barley, carrots, and bacon, and top the cake with roasted beets and cream cheese,” Ray said. “Isaboo is licking her lips by the time it comes out of the oven.”

After mastering the 30-minute, home cooked meal, Ray expanded her recipes to pet food. Her brand, Nutrish, is made with real, nutritious ingredients that are part of a well-balanced human diet -  lean meats, carrots, peas, and apples - you can feel good about what you’re feeding your furry children. Rachel uses the Groundswell by creating an engaging community for fellow dog- and cat-lovers to share, learn, listen, and join in on the conversation. She employs Facebook (a page for cats and one specifically for dogs), Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, and a blog. The Instagram posts feature hundreds of pet lovers with their animals and some posts are simply a selfie of their beloved companion. Nutrish engages with their social media communities on a regular basis by responding to questions and thanking their customers for feedback. They also comment on how cute a pup is when photos are shared by the Groundswell.

Do you know there is even a pet emoji creator? Who knew! As a result of connecting with their groundswell community, Nutrish developed their very own pet emoji creator. What a fun, cute way to have Fido or Fifi join the emoji world within social media. Let's face it, many pets have their own Instagram and Facebook profiles. Based on the product research, the passionate community they have built, and the numerous positive ratings from their customers, Nutrish has made its way to my weekly grocery list.

Social Media Monitoring Project - Part I

CAYMANKIND

February and March are considered peak season for many tropical destinations where the “snowbirds” head south near the equator to escape the doldrums of winter. The Cayman Islands, referred to as “Cayman” by the locals, is one of those places where you can dip your toes in the warm turquoise waters, while soaking up the sun. They are located in the western Caribbean, south of Cuba, and are made up of three islands; Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, and Cayman Brac. Cayman is a British territory with tourism and banking as part of the main industries that support their “tax free” country. They are recognized as one of the top diving destinations in the world — it’s the birthplace of recreational diving. With a total population of about 60,000 residents, with the majority of them residing on Grand Cayman (50,000), it’s a dream lover’s paradise. The islands cater to tourists offering adventurous water sports, exquisite dining with a variety of cuisines to suit any appetite, golfing, nature, shopping, nightlife, and wellness.

EMBRACING THE GROUNDSWELL
The Cayman Islands Department of Tourism has embraced the groundswell of social media reaching out to followers using Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest. Below is a current summary of their followers per social media channel.

Cayman Tourism uses their channels by promoting hotels, restaurants, events, things to do, and deals to encourage their followers to engage, book a trip and share with their friends and followers. The majority of the comments received are people tagging their friends with comments such as “Let’s go away again” or “Where is this?” Cayman Tourism has dedicated resources to listen, talk, energize, and support the Groundswell. They respond to questions asked, encourage followers to share their photos and memories, energize them by using the powerful “word of mouth” modality, and support them by providing suggestions and tools needed for a tailored Cayman vacation.



Each channel has some crossover in terms of content shared especially among Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Their YouTube videos are highly produced, commercial style spots that serve as advertising campaigns for the islands. The majority of the videos run about 30 seconds to a minute long. However, there are a few longer, feature videos that run approximately five minutes and have very low viewership compared to the shorter spots. This proves that people’s attention spans are getting shorter and shorter and they want to have an impression made within the first few seconds. The number of views range based on topic — 500+ views, 4,000 views, and up to 214,000 views — the highest views may be a result of an integrated media campaign vs. grass roots marketing.

The Cayman Tourism Pinterest account comprises of 19 boards with a range of topics: weddings, beaches, Pirate Week, places to stay, sister islands, wildlife, events, food, your next vacation, and more. It’s a great resource that serves as an alternative online vacation planner.

TRANSLATING THE DATA
According to Google Trends, the user rate has been pretty steady over the past 12 months with a spike of activity in September. The peak could be attributed to Hurricane Irma as she devastated many islands in the Caribbean and South Florida during that timeframe. Interest is the Cayman Islands is global with high concentrations in U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia, India, South America, and South Africa. Social Mention’s real-time analysis proves that the brand has an online strength of 27% with a 33% reach and a mention every two minutes. This could increase as it becomes more of a sought-after destination for recreational travel. There is a lot of competition in the Caribbean for vacationers to choose from. The Cayman Islands are expensive, yet safe however they offer little to no all-inclusive options for the thrifty traveler like nearby Jamaica, Aruba, and the Dominican Republic. 

WHO ARE THEY TALKING TO?
Caymankind is an approach to life and the experience of Caymanian culture. Cayman Tourism authentically tells this story through photos and videos. Based on the discovery, Cayman Tourism’s target audience is varied from amateur and experienced scuba divers to honeymooners and families. The images and videos posted target all ages and interests of their audience-base. They achieve this by varying topics each day as to not exclude anyone. Conversationalists and joiners appear to make up the majority of the social technographics profile for Cayman Tourism. However, joiners and spectators are most likely part of their profile as well.

Rich media showcases Cayman’s abyss and targets divers to visit and explore their underwater landscape while family photos of children holding the baby turtles the turtle farm draws you in. If there is a teenager or young adult visiting Cayman, then Stingray City is the place for an adrenaline rush. Couples, parents, and seniors can relax on one of the many beautiful beaches to reconnect with each other and disconnect from life. At the end of the day it will be a difficult decision where to dine — there are too many restaurants to choose from, so they will have to return one day to sample them all!

CONCLUSION
In conclusion, Cayman Tourism is doing many things right based on what we’ve learned from the Groundswell. In Part II of the project, it will be interesting to see how they compare to competitors such as Bermuda or Turks and Caicos, which are also British Territories in the Caribbean.

Reflection Post #2: Self Esteem Project

Dove is more than soap. Dove has built its brand and products around skin care and the beauty industry. Over the past decade, their focus has shifted from cleansing to self-image targeting audiences of all ages. Why? The beauty industry focuses on perfect looking people. We feel the pressure of society to look a certain way which causes a great deal of anxiety. Dove started a campaign targeting girls because low body confidence and anxieties keep younger people from being their best selves.

Dove’s Self Esteem Project is a great example of a brand that energizes the groundswell by having a conversation with mothers, teachers, children, and youth leaders. This marketing tactic transformed Dove’s original brand and evolved it into something that resonates in today’s complex world. Adweek researches thousands of brands and praises Dove for doing an amazing job. Through transparent and genuine storytelling, asking questions, and providing useful resources, Dove has built a robust and strong social media community. Dove also targets young girls, which is a genius marketing strategy, because they will become part of their loyal consumer-base when they become teens and adults. 

Dove’s Self Esteem Project was also recently recognized as one of the “Top 30 Brands with an Excellent Social Media Strategy,” by Econsultancy. Talking with groundswell versus shouting at them encourages women of all ages to join in the conversation and share their stories through comments, videos, and selfies. It empowers every woman to see their own individual beauty.

We learned that one of the three techniques for energizing enthusiasts is creating a community through social media. People can openly comment on their products by giving them reviews and honest feedback using word of mouth marketing. There are so many beauty products out there so hearing consumers’ honest and genuine feedback with their product reviews influences our decision to try something new. Especially when the people giving the feedback are people like you and me.

As Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff advised, you should only dive into the community groundswell if you have enough resources to manage the community and engage with them. As we delve into Dove’s social media community, you will notice that not every story, video, or post is well-received. Some of the critics and conversationalists have viewed the campaigns as racist. Race is a very sensitive subject, so it relies on the right person to manage and engage with their community in a genuine manner, as well as asking for forgiveness at times.

Beauty is a state of mind. Dove creates real products for real women to help them feel good about themselves. 

"For more than 10 years, we’ve been helping parents, mentors, teachers, and youth leaders deliver self-esteem education that’s reached more than 20 million young people so far. Join us to help reach even more.”

Dove Facebook | Dove Instagram | Dove YouTube 

Original Post #2: Southern Charm

We all know Reese Witherspoon as the adorable southern actress who has portrayed characters close to her southern roots in films such as Sweet Home Alabama and Walk the Line. Did you all know about Reese’s newest venture? She is the founder of Draper James, a lifestyle store that allows you to splash Southern charm into your everyday life whether it be your wardrobe or home no matter where you live. Reese was born in Louisiana and grew up in Nashville, a true southern belle where her grandparents influenced her southern graciousness — from manners and dressing in her Sunday best to acting like a lady and being kind to her neighbors.

Reese’s marketing and use of social media is one-of-a-kind using an integrated approach with YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. Her authenticity, brand, and charm runs contagiously through her Draper James’ merchandise. It will even make the tried and true “Yankee” want to be southern for a day. Through Draper James, we get a glimpse into Reese’s life, family values, and upbringing. Her transparent and authentic storytelling draws us in. And let’s talk about the details. From her clothing and packaging to her storefronts, southern charm is infused throughout making it a strong, desirable brand to the consumer. It inspires us to be a lady, put on our pearls, smile, and be polite to one another.

In today’s world, we log onto social media and the Web to find more unsettling news regarding the current state of the U.S. and the world in which we live in. Following a brand like Draper James on social media gives us a mental pause from the negative publicity, bringing us back to happier times and life’s simplicity.

Reese knows her audience and how to reach women of all ages. Draper James uses multiple platforms to achieve the Groundswell — 201k Facebook followers, 479k Instagram followers, thousands of YouTube views, and 17.6 Twitter followers. However, even Reese Witherspoon struggles with social media. One of her recent videos is a humorous spin on how her Apple iphone autocorrects her southern accent.

Her posts often feature new styles and products to purchase. What’s remarkable is her sales strategy. It is done in such a way that makes you want to buy her merchandise so you can feel as happy, ladylike and as carefree as Reese. She and her family members are often the people that appear modeling the Draper James merchandise. Even her beloved pooch is part of her campaign – who can resist that? 

Reese Witherspoon’s southern charm is so infectious that even Southern Living wants to share her secrets.