Contributors:
Amol Ghemud Published: August 14, 2018
In This Article
Share On:
When the number of active Facebook users, globally, go up to a 2 billion, anybody would start to take social media seriously. And, if you are in the top management of the marketing department of a company, you would definitely want to sit and take notice of the numbers.
As a marketing vice president, you would have already seen the shift in the markets from physical to virtual. The attention of a considerable number of your targeted demographic is available online, which is why social media marketing is one of the most important slices of your entire marketing mix pie. As a marketing VP, success stories of companies leveraging social media for various objectives should be an important read.
As a VP of Marketing, Social Media Strategy is a very important part of marketing strategy
Here are 10 must-read social media case studies from various companies all across the globe, representing different industries.
1. Check-in and Get Rewarded
Image Source
When you see someone on Facebook checking in to a restaurant, or a movie or somewhere for a vacation, you might think why do I need so much information about so many places and where they are. Scott Wise saw a commercial prospect in each of those check-ins. Being the CEO of A Pots & Pans Production, a company that runs seven restaurants in the USA, he always knew newspaper advertising days are gone.
He cashed in on the geo-location tagging feature of apps like Foursquare and Facebook. As a reward for loyalty to his customers who check in and spread brand awareness, he offers a 10% discount on lunch. Find the Case Study here!
2. Discovering YouTube
Not only do startups and emerging small business target audience through social media, but traditional big companies also need to increase their investments in social media marketing to stay in the game.
Gillette found out that advertising on YouTube was a far cheaper than TV. Reaching 1% of the target population through YouTube was 7.3 times less expensive than TV.
The campaign was an overall success increasing brand and product awareness and also delivering the campaign message. Find the Case Study here!
3. Mickey Mouse Selfies Anyone?
Social media marketing campaigns have been used for charitable purposes as well. Disney leveraged this aspect as part of their partnership with Make a Wish Foundation. In 2016, Disney first launched their Share Your Ears campaign in honor of Disneyland resorts’ 60th anniversary where they pledged to pay $5 for every photo uploaded on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter featuring Mickey Mouse ears and the hashtag #ShareYourEars.
The campaign was a tremendous success with Disney ultimately donating $2 million. The campaign was not only designed as a fundraiser but also for Disney as an enhancement to their brand engagement by touching the right chord on people’s emotions. Find the Case Study here!
4. Finding the Right Influence
Image Source
One of the most noteworthy social media case studies of 2017 was displayed by Comic Con India which recently did a massive promotion for their brand at virtually no cost. They tied up with Team Quroz and did a virtual search on enthusiastic profiles and fished out real comic fans. A total of 57 people were chosen from this search who were rewarded with free passes and merchandise.
In return, they acted as their media influencers who generated enough social media content to create a major hype across the nation for their event. Comic-Con received a total engagement exceeding 31k making their non-paid campaign a huge success. Find the Case Study here!
5. Helping Others
Social media success stories can be found in B2B winners as well. American Express started a social site, AMEX OPEN, in 2007, dedicated to providing financial and business advice to small business owners. Their open forum is a network of people interacting with industry experts and making it an idea-sharing platform.
The unique page visits increased by 525% by 2008 making the strategy a successful one. Other B2B social media case studies also include HSBC’s similar forum The HSBC Business Network. Find the Case Study here!
6. Hashtags and More
Image Source
Lego, the Danish company making plastic brick toys, got people to believe that Lego toys were not just for kids. Their #FillTheGap contest in 2015 increased their brand engagement as people had to send images of filling empty spaces nearby with their Lego architecture. The same year, Uber rode on the Game of Thrones wave pulling a promotional stunt cashing in on the mass hype around the popular TV show with their social media campaign #RideOfThrones bringing the infamous iron throne replica to fans who request it thereby increasing their brand awareness. Find the Case Study here
7. Feel Free to Use Facebook while You Work
Most of us know the pain of not being able to go online at our workplace and in some corporate offices social media pages are banned on the internal servers. However, Best Buy, a large American electronics retailer, encourages their employees to be online always, which is a process of connecting with your customers 24/7. They have different forums and communities on Facebook and Myspace which enable employees to share brand or store information anytime anywhere. Also, employees are free to use Twitter at all times giving live updates of store promotions. Find the Case Study here!
8. Tweet to Order
Source
Dominos figured out that most of their customers prefer to stay online rather than call up and order a pizza, so they adapted to the digital world much faster than any other food brand. In May 2015, they made pizza delivery easier for U.S. customers with their tweet-a-pizza system. Their target was the super busy younger customers who only needed to tweet a pizza emoticon for placing an order. Find the Case Study here!
9. Write and Promote
Source
Marketing through blogs is an important digital marketing strategy. AmbiPur, a leading brand of air fresheners, organized a bloggers meetup in Chennai, India in 2013. The objective of the event was plain promotion through good writers. The bloggers were given a product experience and an interactive session of blogging. They were encouraged to spread the event news on Twitter and Facebook thus promoting the brand. Find the Case Study here!
10. Social Listening
One of the key reasons for businesses to be on social media is to create a relationship with their customers. Many a time brands have needed to fall back on social media platforms to communicate with consumers. BreadTalk, a Singapore based food, and beverage corporation faced the brunt of the public in 2015 when they came out with a bread bun called “lee bu kai ni” which was intended to be a commemorative product in memory of the late prime minister of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew. The idea was not well received, and the company had to issue a public apology through their Facebook page.
Multinational corporation Dell made massive investments in this regard in 2014 and came out with their social media command center for which they trained 25000 employees who would address and interact with customers on social media. Find the Case Study here!
Conclusion
The vital factor in all these social media marketing case studies is that all or most of them had cases where there was a first-time strategy or some innovative campaign involved. Social media is still a new playground for marketers, hence as a marketing VP you might be facing quite of a risk, but success stories all around definitely pose to be learning if not an inspiration.
For Curious Minds
The massive migration of consumer attention to digital platforms makes a defined social media strategy a non-negotiable part of modern marketing. With over 2 billion users on Facebook alone, the potential audience is too significant to ignore, forcing leaders to integrate these channels into their core plans. This approach is not just for B2C brands but also proves highly effective in the B2B space. For instance, American Express successfully built its AMEX OPEN social site to provide valuable business advice, resulting in a remarkable 525% increase in unique page visits. This demonstrates that a well-executed strategy can build authority and drive significant engagement regardless of the industry. To explore more powerful examples of social media ROI, see the full collection of case studies.
Leveraging user-generated content means building a campaign around content created by your audience rather than your brand, which fosters authenticity and trust. This strategy turns passive viewers into active participants, creating a powerful sense of community and shared purpose. Disney's #ShareYourEars campaign is a prime example of this participatory marketing; by pledging a $5 donation for every photo shared with the hashtag, the company motivated widespread involvement and ultimately donated $2 million. The benefits of this approach are clear:
It amplifies your message organically through trusted peer networks.
It generates a wealth of authentic content at a minimal cost.
It forges a deep emotional connection between the audience and the brand.
This method is highly effective for any brand seeking to build genuine loyalty and engagement. Read the complete analysis for more insights on UGC campaigns.
The primary factor to consider is the direct cost efficiency in reaching a specific audience. For Gillette, advertising on YouTube proved to be 7.3 times less expensive than TV for reaching 1% of its target population, a compelling metric for any marketing VP. Beyond pure cost, brands should evaluate other critical differences. Digital platforms offer superior targeting capabilities, allowing for precise audience segmentation based on demographics and interests, which minimizes wasted ad spend. Additionally, platforms like YouTube provide detailed analytics on engagement, offering clear insights into campaign performance that are unavailable with traditional media. While TV can still be effective for mass awareness, a brand looking for efficient, measurable reach should strongly prioritize digital channels like YouTube in its media mix.
The core difference lies in their central objective and value proposition. A B2C company like A Pots & Pans Production often uses social media to drive immediate, transactional behavior, such as offering a 10% discount for a Facebook check-in to boost loyalty and local visibility. In contrast, a B2B company like American Express focuses on long-term relationship building and establishing thought leadership. The AMEX OPEN forum wasn't about selling a product directly but about creating a valuable resource hub for small business owners. This strategy cultivated a dedicated community and led to a 525% increase in unique page visits. B2C success is often measured in direct sales and foot traffic, while B2B success hinges on lead quality, community engagement, and brand authority.
Comic Con India engineered a highly successful promotion by forgoing expensive macro-influencers in favor of authentic brand advocates. Their strategy involved identifying 57 genuine comic enthusiasts and providing them with free passes and merchandise, effectively turning them into passionate ambassadors. This community-centric approach generated over 31k in engagement at virtually no cost. Their success reveals that for niche markets, the credibility and passion of micro-influencers often yield a much higher return than the broad reach of paid celebrities. By empowering real fans, brands can create a groundswell of authentic conversation that resonates far more deeply with their target audience. Explore the full post to see how this strategy can be adapted for your own campaigns.
Disney offers a textbook example of cause marketing with its #ShareYourEars social media campaign, created in partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The concept was simple yet powerful: for every photo posted on social media featuring Mickey Mouse ears and the hashtag, Disney pledged to donate $5. The campaign was a phenomenal success, not only enhancing brand engagement on a massive scale but also raising significant funds for a good cause. The campaign ultimately resulted in a $2 million donation to the foundation. This initiative masterfully blended brand promotion with philanthropy, creating an emotional connection that allowed millions of people to feel like they were part of a positive movement. It proves social campaigns can drive both brand goodwill and tangible community impact.
The success of the AMEX OPEN forum provides compelling evidence that a B2B online community is a potent long-term strategy. By creating a platform dedicated to providing financial and business advice, American Express shifted its role from a mere service provider to an invaluable partner for small business owners. The primary goal of this value-driven approach is to build brand authority and foster deep, lasting trust. The remarkable 525% increase in unique page visits by 2008 demonstrated a clear market need for such a resource and proved that delivering tangible expertise, rather than direct sales pitches, is highly effective at capturing and retaining a dedicated professional audience. Dive deeper into other successful B2B strategies in the full article.
A local restaurant can effectively drive foot traffic by implementing an incentive-driven, location-based campaign. This strategy transforms a customer's digital check-in into a powerful, real-time endorsement for your business. To replicate the success of A Pots & Pans Production, follow these steps:
1. Select Key Platforms: Concentrate on platforms with robust geo-tagging features, such as Facebook check-ins or Instagram location tags.
2. Create a Compelling Offer: Provide an immediate and valuable reward, like the 10% discount on lunch, to encourage participation.
3. Promote In-Venue: Use clear in-store signage, menu inserts, and staff training to ensure every customer is aware of the promotion.
4. Engage with Participants: Actively monitor tagged posts and check-ins, and respond with a thank you or a share to amplify their reach.
This low-cost marketing tactic directly connects online activity with in-store visits and cultivates customer loyalty.
To launch a successful UGC campaign for a cause, you must combine a simple call-to-action with a clear, tangible impact. By emulating the framework of Disney's #ShareYourEars campaign, which led to a $2 million donation, a non-profit can maximize both engagement and its mission-driven goals. Here is a proven three-step plan:
1. Design a Simple, Visual Action: Ask users to share a specific photo or video that is easy to create and instantly recognizable, like the Mickey Mouse ears.
2. Link Participation to a Direct Outcome: Clearly communicate how each submission contributes to the cause, such as a corporate partner donating a fixed amount for every post using a unique hashtag.
3. Amplify and Showcase User Content: Consistently feature participant submissions on your official social media channels to build momentum, foster community, and show appreciation.
This strategy of empowerment turns your audience into active partners for your cause.
The decision by legacy brands like Gillette to reallocate advertising budgets to digital platforms signals a fundamental and permanent change in the media landscape. With YouTube being 7.3 times more cost-effective for specific reach objectives, marketing budgets will continue to flow away from traditional channels and toward measurable digital ones. This implies a significant shift in required skills. Marketing professionals will need to be proficient in data analysis, performance marketing, and video content strategy over traditional media planning. For marketing VPs, the priority for new hires must be a deep understanding of analytics, audience segmentation, and the ability to demonstrate a clear return on ad spend in a digital-first ecosystem.
The success of Comic Con India, which generated over 31k in engagement with no influencer fees, underscores a critical evolution in influencer marketing. To maintain authenticity, brands must shift their selection criteria from an influencer's follower count to their audience's genuine passion and engagement. The future of effective collaboration lies not with generic celebrities but with true brand advocates and micro-influencers who are deeply embedded in a niche community. This demands a more sophisticated approach, prioritizing metrics like engagement rate and community trust over simple reach. Brands that successfully make this pivot will forge more credible and impactful connections with their target customers. Discover more on this trend in the full article.
A frequent error is believing that authentic buzz requires a massive budget for paid campaigns or celebrity endorsements, which can feel inauthentic to modern consumers. This top-down approach often fails to create genuine excitement. The solution, perfectly illustrated by Comic Con India, is to empower your most passionate community members. Instead of paying for promotion, they identified 57 real fans, provided them with exclusive access and merchandise, and allowed their organic enthusiasm to drive the conversation. This strategy, which resulted in over 31k in engagement, proves that investing in and rewarding your existing community is a far more effective and cost-efficient method for generating credible, grassroots hype.
Amol has helped catalyse business growth with his strategic & data-driven methodologies. With a decade of experience in the field of marketing, he has donned multiple hats, from channel optimization, data analytics and creative brand positioning to growth engineering and sales.
Growth Strategy and Planning
