Social Monitoring of Kiehl's

Before beginning my graduate study in the U.S.A, I have already become a big fan of Kiehl’s. Kiehl’s was founded as an old-world apothecary in New York’s East Valley neighborhood in 1851. Today, they serve patrons around the world skin and hair care formulas derived from the finest, most efficacious natural ingredients. By combining tried-and-true methods with the latest innovations from Kiehl’s chemists, they assure the high level of quality and efficacy their customers have come to expect from Kiehl’s for more than 160 years. Since Kiehl’s was built as an apothecary, it dedicates to bringing the safest and the most effective products to its customers. If anyone comes into a Kiehl’s shop today, you will find that the store looks like a chemist’s shop and clerks also dress medical uniform. And if you know anything about Kiehl’s, you will know Mr. Bone, the life-size teaching skeleton and Kiehl’s icon appears in all their shops. Today, Mr. Bones represents Kiehl’s pharmacy heritage, commitment to customer service, education and science. In addition, Kiehl’s also promised that they won’t test on animals, which is another reason I admire this brand.

I have been monitoring the social media works of Kiehl’s from September 30, 2012 to October 19, 2012. In the last three weeks, I used several tools below to finish my monitoring work, Social Mention, Facebook Insights, Ice Rocket, Google Insight, Twitalyzer, Tweetstats, Famecount and Alexa Web Infromation Tool . From the data, graphs, website I collect during this monitoring, I have a further understanding of how Kiehl’s, a brand that has a long history, thrives on groundswell. In addition, though overall, Kiehl’s performs well in social media, I still figure out something that Kiehl’s should pay more attention on and improve them.

 

• The presence of social media platform



The appearance of Kiehl’s products is simple, not as gorgeous as other cosmetic brand. This kind of style is also showed in different aspect of this brand, such as its r social media platform, facebook, twitter, or youbube. According to the snapshots of website, an obvious feature is general appearance of snapshots don’t seem colorful. The design keeps consistent with brand’s tradition and also its formation of target audience--almost half consumers are male.

• The landing page of “Kiehl's” official website

 

•  The target audience



From Alexa Web information tool, we can see that unlike other cosmetic brand, male customers cover almost half of the website visitors in Kiehl's. However, the major customers are females who are in the age between 25 to 34. Most of them have children and brows  from school or work. According to the chart, about half of them receive college education.

• The followers of twitter and facebook

 



 

  

                                                                                                                                                                                          From the tools facebook insight and twitalyzer, the number followers of Kiehl’s drop down and almost keep the same since October begin. From the graph, we can see that from Sep 18 to about Sep 25, the number of people talking and new likes increase sharply and then showing a reduce trend after that. Considering I haven’t began to monitor social media work till September 30, I check on the internet and know that a 20% off big sale, friends&family, was held from September 18 to September 24. However, after the big sale, without any other campaigns or promotions, the increase of followers in facebook and twitter become very slow and almost stay the same.

 

• The social memtion analysis

 

Through observation from social mention, besides on october 14, the strength reach 17%, the percentage in sep 30, October 5 and October 19 are almost the same. Obviously, sentiments on that four days show a similar trend as strengths do. The majority of the mentions are neutral. From the graph, it’s very obvious that besides passion, the percentages of strength, sentiment and reach are much higher than the other three days, which is attributed to an introduction of sales promotion through facebook on October 8 and October 14 is the last day.

• The citation in blog

The blog citation begins to rise from Oct 11 and reach to the top on Oct 12. However, the overall graph looks relatively smooth instead of noticeable up and down. Speaking of blogs, the blog of Kiehl’s doesn’t show interactive communication with its  consumers.

     

The blog of Kiehl’s doesn’t be updated very frequently and I find something special that I can’t add a comment in the blog except sharing it with other social media tools. Consequently, maybe the major mission of this blog is talking to its consumers. Because of limit time, I just take a glance at the content of blogs. About half of the blogs are about Kiehl’s products, and the rest are the campaigns of this brand. Perhaps Kiehl’s doesn’t need to collect feedbacks of its consumers from blogs. However, interactive communication is not just to collect information from customers. More importantly, it can encourage engagement of consumers with this brand. And it’s not difficult to open comments function in the blog

• The campaigns of Kiehl's

Many campaigns launched by Kiehl’s are about Kiehl’s Gives. For more than 160 years, Kiehl’s since 1851 has been committed to the betterment of the communities where it serves its patrons. Kiehl’s Gives is an ongoing global, philanthropic initiative that supports Kiehl’s three pillar causes — HIV/AIDS research, environmental issues and children’s well-being.

“Kiehl’s Gives is a celebration of our causes, our customers and our communities.”

--Chris Salgardo, Kiehl’s U.S. President  

 

                                                                                    



In this campaign, customers are encouraged to like this post to show their support of children’s health, which is a good example of talking and energizing with the groundswell.

 

The data show that the number of people like this is much more than those actually share stories with others. Maybe Kiehl’s should make some improvement on engagement of customers with this campaign.

 

Sharing your stories with others

Every female is dedicated to keep a younger looking in her whole life. There is no doubt that cosmetic products, just like Kiehl’s, provide a chance for us to have a healthier skin. Besides that, something in your life keeps you young at heart are also important. Kiehl’s tries to attract its audience psychologically through this campaign.

• Conversations in facebook and twitter

No matter the comments are positive or negative, Kiehl’s replies its customers in a short

 

I still find something that Kiehl’s needs to pay attention on. That is some foreigners don’t use English to comment in facebook. If Kiehl’s can use these customers’ spoken language to reply them, which is a good way to get closer to foreign customers.

• Conclusion 

After monitoring Kiehl’s social media marketing, I make a conclusion as below. Obviously, Kiehl’s is a long history brand and a good reputation among its customers. Consequently, the most important thing for Kiehl’s is to increase loyalty of its customers and then develop prospective consumers. It’s good to see that the tradition of Kiehls, pharmacy heritage and commitment to science, pass from generation to generation. The major way Kiehl’s talk with the groundswell is from facebook and twitter. Actually, they have done a good job. According to my monitoring, Kiehl’s upgrade its facebook and twitter to introduce its new products and its campaigns. As a matter of fact, Kiehl’s is not a brand have new products very frequently, because some formulas of its start products have been existed for a long time and texted by the time and customers. In addition, besides high quality products, Kiehl’s also provide good service. No matter the comments are positive or negative, almost every comments can get a reply in a short time.

 However, compared with twitter and facebook, Kiehl’s blog seems gaining little attention from customers. It surprise me that the blog can’ be acted a comment, which reduce engagement of customers. Actually, besides the 20% off big sale, the campaigns launched recently didn’t generate enough buzz in the groundswell, which doesn’t be shown in the noticeable increase followers in facebook or twitter and   remarkable raise in blog citation observed in ice rocket. Especially in the facebook, there are few comments under the campaign. As far as I am concerned, as a long history brand and not attracted by customers with its frequent new products and nice design of pack, especially male customers cover almost half of its market. The most important thing is to raise royalty and engagement of its target audience. An old brand also need some fresh air and learn how to thrive on groundswell

In the next few weeks, I will continue to monitor this brand Kiehl’s about its social media work.

 

 





 

 

Embracing the Era of Picture



In modern society, pictures play an important role in people’s daily life. On the one side, with the development of technology, people have more and more channels to gain large amount of information—internet greatly accelerates this progress. On the other side, this competitive society force people to gain information as much as they can. Consequently, the best choice for people is to gain maximize information in a shortest time—picture may be one of the solutions to this problem. Because of the limited time, people prefer to get information from a vivid picture, which spend a short time and more easier to understand. And obviously, to some extent, compared with our ancestors, people are lack of patience nowadays. Convenience and high speed are part of features in modern society. Although it’s very disappointed that long text without photos is less attractive and seems boring to most of people, it’s true that excellent pictures get more attention and help a lot amplify the text.

www.apple.com

www.apple.com

 

www.apple.com
 

 

To a large extent, pictures seem more important, especially for social media. Because in the groundswell, companies interact with their target audience through many social media tools which pictures help a lot in this mutual communication. When speaking of pictures in groundswell, ads will possibly first arise in our minds. In this blog, I just focus on print ads. There is no doubt that innovation is indispensable in ads creation. All designers try their best to bring freshness, surprise, visual shock to audience, which can leave a great impression on customers. If a company put a long text to introduce its high quality products, almost no one will spend a long time to finish reading in the street, even on the internet. Sometimes, with the development of ads, people will judge products more rely on the surface at first sight. Of course, high quality of product is the key to success. However, if you don’t give others a chance to get closer, how can they get a further understanding of your products?

As a matter of fact, picture will be a great assistance of companies when talking and energizing with the groundswell. Obviously, to some extent, pictures are more persuasive than text. Besides patience, modern society is also lack of trust. As my last reflection post mentioned, people tend to have a feeling of resistance to advertisements—they are full of boast, superficiality and lie, though in most of time, ads actually can get people’s attention. However, it’s more difficult for customers to believe in text about products’ introductions. They want to see the pictures. Consequently, maybe more simple, lack of decoration, pictures of product introduction will be more persuasive. But compared with introductory pictures, ads still need some visual shock to attract consumers. It’s true that pictures are also engaged in energizing with the groundswell. A forum created by company is, basically, a home for energized customers. As the book Groundswell says:”people believe other people more than media.” Ratings and reviews help a lot in persuading customers. But pictures posted by consumers in the forum can make up for the invisible, vagueness and insecurity that come from not being able to see the products and just imagine it through some comments. Especially some cosmetic products, the print ads are decorated by photo shop. Consequently, customers want to know the exact color of one lipstick by some sharing pictures posted by other customers in forums or other communities.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/benefitcosmetics/5690477343/in/set-72157626529842775/

 

 

Several days ago, I read a piece of news in CNN, Photographers, embrace Instagram. Instagram is a free photo-sharing program and social network that was launched in October 2010, which allows user to share their photos to other instagram users they connect to. It’s very convenient and particularly, you can apply a digital filter to it. A distinctive feature is that it confines photos to a square shape, similar to Kodak Instamatic and Polaroid images. Just as the news says:"Today, we're taking and uploading more than 200 million images per day via Facebook alone”  And facebook plays a very important role in the groundswell. All executives should not ignore this phenomenon. Nowadays, particularly smartphone becomes more and more prevalent in the society, which gives a good chance for people to share and connect with each other.“It's about the fact that technology can instantaneously compress our collective thoughts and images into binary digits of 1's and 0's.”
 

 

           

This is the era of picture. We can’t stop it, just to embrace it. Modern technology gives us opportunities to share pictures with others. And there is no doubt that taking advantage of pictures can be a good choice to thrive in groundswell.

Do not trust companies? Then trust your friends

http://empowered.forrester.com/groundswell/book.html

In the book groundswell says:”people believe other people more than media.(P 131)” As a matter of fact, this is true. Although almost every company tries to persuade its customers in many ways, posting blogs, sending emails, update facebook or twitter, people are more likely to hear from each other. Consequently, if you can’t change your customers, then provide them with opportunities to receive messages from people around them.

 

According to the marketing funnel, we know that “Once people are aware of your product, a new dynamic kicks in: people learning from each other.(page 102)” But it doesn’t mean that getting people’s attention is not important. A company should at least let its consumers see it is beckoning to them and attract them to get closer. As we all know, it will spend a long time to gain other’s trust. Generally speaking, consumers will ask their friends for suggestions about this company or search reviews and comments on the internet, which help them make a decision base on these suggestions, reviews and comments. As Groundswell says:” with so many products trying to get people’s attention, shouting at them isn’t nearly as effective as it used to be.(page 102)” Looking at the advertisements, they are full of our life. To be honest, sometimes, people tend to have a feeling of resistance to advertisements—they are full of boast, superficiality and lie, though in most of time, ads actually can get people’s attention. If a company just delivers its messages through ads, putting so many ads in the public, maybe it will make its consumers have a suspicion on its products.

http://adamhcohen.com/the-new-marketing-funnel/

 

So consumers don’t trust company, and then let them hear from their friends and online reviews, comments. “According to the Word of Mouth Association (WOMMA), word of mouth ‘is the most honest form of marketing, building upon people’s natural desire to share their experiences with family, friends, and colleagues.(page 131)’” Consequently, company should energize the groundswell. The first step is to cultivate your enthusiastic customers and deliver your messages to consumers through their mouths. In order to maximize the influence of enthusiastic customers, company can choose its big fans from different group base on some certain standards, such as age, race, culture, geography, social class and so on, which can spread the messages more efficiently and widely. Besides that, another better choice of word of mouth is people who are authorities in that area. Considering that some people can’t get advertises from their friends or still can’t make a decision after reading positive reviews on the internet, some suggestions from authorities may strengthen their confidence in products. Take cosmetic products as an example, nowadays, many girls are entangled in a large amount of cosmetic brands. Some beauticians will introduce cosmetic products in magazines or their facebook and twitter. Some cosmetic companies will keep contact with several famous beauticians—sending samples of new products to them and beauticians will post opinions of products in their social media tools. This is another good choice to increase consumers’ confidence, though customers may regard them as another type of ads.

 

 

“Hear it from one person, and it’s intriguing. Hear it from five or ten, even if you didn’t know them before, and it has to be true.(page 130)” It’s no doubt that group psychology does make senses in some case. Psychologist Solomom Asch conducted famous experiments"Asch Conformity Experiment" in 1950s."The result shows that the power of conformity is strong. That is, the willingness to conform publicly to attain social reward and avoid social punishment. Consequently, we can apply this theory on energizing the groundswell. Repeat is very important.

  

                        

In all, energizing the groundswell is an effective way in marketing strategy.

As the book groundswell says:” Word of mouth succeeds because: It’s believable. It’s self-reinforcing. It’s self-spreading.(page 130)” In modern society, everything change so fast, such as technology. So satisfying customers psychologically is crucial to success.  

Not just talking, but experiencing a green life

www.baidu.com
 

Innisfree is a natural brand, from South Korea, that shares the benefits of nature from the pristine island of Jeju allowing for vibrant beauty and pursues an eco-friendly green life to preserve the balance of nature. This brand not only produces its cosmetics with natural ingredient from Jeju Island, but also advocates a green life. Since 2010, innisfree launch an eco-handkerchief campaign, using a handkerchief instead of tissues, in order to protect green forest and reduce global warming.  

                               

In April, 2012, innisfree accessed to Chinese market. Since then, this brand begins to talk to Chinese customers with groundswell about its green life conception. To begin with, it has an official microblog account, the most popular social technology in China now (I’ve made a brief introduction of microblog in my first original blog), to talk to its target customers and interact with them—introducing new products, covering news about innisfree, disseminating knowledge about protecting environment or introducing beautiful scenery of Jeju Island.

 Secondly, innisfree has a home page in Youku (the most popular video website in China that permit users to upload video, just like Youtube in the U.S.A). In innisfree’s home page, there are many video, such as advertisements, the introduction of products of some famous beauticians, or video shared by customers about what they think about the products they used. What’s more, some microbloggers will leave questions for these cosmetic specialists about recommendations of choosing appropriate products of this brand. To some extent, positive attitudes of authorities toward products are more persuasive than companies speak highly of their own products by themselves.

 Another way of innisfree talking with groundswell is micro movie. However, this is not a common micro movie that looks like an advertisement to show how great their products are. This is an interactive micro movie. In order to catch their customers’ mind—most of them aged between 18 and 35, especially for girls, so they invite Korean pop start Lee Minho to endorse innisfree in Chinese market, Korea market is Lim Yoona. The name of this micro movie is "First Love". In the movie, you can upload your photo, your name and picture to become Lee Minho’s first love, then your pictures will show inside the frame, which can make your unique movie. What’s more, in the movie, its celebrity endorsement plays a role as the CEO of innsfree in the movie and show audiences around the beautiful scenery of Jeju Island, especially Jeju organic green tea field which belongs to innisfree. I will embed this micro movie below (The English subtitle is on the top of the screen.) 

                         

However, innisfree not only talk with groundswell, but also let its customers to be engaged in the green life through groundswell. In July, 2011, innisfree randomly select some followers in its microblog to take part in an activity “My Green Tea Tour”—visiting Jeju Island, main source of ingredient of innisfree, especially organic green tea filed and a meeting with Lee Minho who endorse this brand in Chinese market. During this tour, these customers can truly understand and pay more trust in this brand. Generally speaking, the majority of people will think that what you see is more reliable than what you hear. What’s more, these lucky customers will post some pictures, video or words about this tour in microblog or other social technologies, which can largely deliver messages to its market. According to the marketing funnel, “Once people are aware of your product, a new dynamic kicks in: people learning from each other. (Page 102)” Consequently, this is an effective way to deliver your messages and in another words, to deliver your trust. In addition, innisfree will also post some information about green life style in its social technologies, such as relaxed light music, beautiful sentences or some tips for healthy life. Obviously, every brand has its core conception, innisfree is green life. So you should let your target audience to believe in your conception and be part of it.

                                                                                                 

    


Nowadays, social media help companies a lot  talk with their target audiences. There is no doubt that executives can deliver their messages to the market through groundswell. However, more and more company will use this method and in a certain stage,  after awaring products, people will be more likely to hear from each other. So finding your most enthusiastic customers and provide a chance for them to experience produce process, from ingredient to end product. More importantly, the messages a brand delivers cannot just contain information only focus on products themselves, but instilling corn conception of a brand into customers’ mind. And “use the groundswell to supercharge the power of their word of mouth. (Page 68)”. Innisfree done a good job on letting its customers identify themselves as part of green life.