You’re getting ready to plan your next campaign. You sit down to plot it out and wait for the spark of inspiration to hit you.
Except it never comes.
You’re drawing a blank and nothing you’re coming up with is striking the right chord. The truth is you’re just out of creative juice.
We’ve all been there. This post and its downloadable social media campaign planning kit are going to break you out of your creative rut.
Inside you’ll find 15 creative social media campaigns across a variety of social networks, industries, and business sizes. You’ll be able to see the different campaign types and see how you can replicate the success of other brands.
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The 15 Social Media Campaigns From Top Brands
1. Apple: #ShotOniPhone
What is this campaign about? Apple wanted to show users how easy it was to shoot great photos on the iPhone. Users could post photos to Instagram and show them off with the hashtag.
Why is this campaign successful? iPhones are known for their cameras. So when competitors made a point to put in better cameras, Apple had to take theirs to the next level. So, like some of the other campaigns in this post, they turned to customer generated content. There #ShotOniPhone hashtag is now a standard hashtag on Instagram.
How can I do this myself? Show the kinds of results your product can produce. If you can do that using the product itself, even better. To really take things over the top, get user-generated content to make your point for you.
Anyone can say they’re the best. Letting your customers prove it, though? That kind of authenticity is hard to beat.
2.Spotify Wrapped Campaign
What was this campaign about? Spotify Wrapped is an annual marketing campaign where Spotify users receive a personalized review of their listening habits over the past year. The campaign includes a series of interactive and visually engaging stories that highlight users’ most-streamed songs, artists, genres, and podcasts. It aims to create a fun, personalized experience that users can easily share on social media.
Why this campaign works? The campaign is effective because it leverages personalization and data analytics to create unique, shareable content for each user. By tapping into users’ personal music preferences and nostalgia, Spotify Wrapped generates excitement and encourages social sharing, which enhances brand visibility. The visually appealing and interactive format also makes it highly engaging, driving user interaction and community participation.
How can I do this myself? Analyze customer data to uncover interesting and personal insights that can be shared back with your audience. Create visually appealing and interactive content that highlights these insights in a fun and engaging way. Encourage sharing by integrating social media features and providing easy ways for users to share their personalized experiences. Make sure the content is mobile-friendly and timed to coincide with moments when users are most likely to engage and share.
3. Airbnb: “Live There” Campaign
What was this campaign about? Airbnb’s “Live There” marketing campaign aimed to shift the perception of travel from visiting a place to living like a local. The campaign featured ads and content that showcased travelers experiencing destinations in authentic, non-touristy ways by staying in Airbnb properties. It emphasized the idea of belonging anywhere, encouraging travelers to immerse themselves in local cultures and neighborhoods.
Why this campaign works? The campaign resonates with travelers’ desires for authentic and unique experiences. By promoting the idea of living like a local, Airbnb differentiates itself from traditional hotels, appealing to those seeking a deeper connection with their travel destinations. The personalized and relatable content, featuring real-life hosts and guests, enhances emotional engagement and trust, making the brand more appealing and shareable.
How can I do this myself? Understand your audience’s deeper motivations and desires related to your product or service. Create a campaign that highlights unique and authentic experiences that differentiate you from competitors. Use real-life stories and testimonials to build credibility and emotional connection. Leverage visually appealing and relatable content that encourages sharing and community engagement. Ensure your messaging is clear and consistent across all platforms to maximize reach and impact.
4. Guess’s #INMYDENIM TikTok Campaign
What was this campaign about? Guess launched the #INMYDENIM TikTok campaign to engage their audience and promote their denim products. The campaign encouraged TikTok users to create and share videos of themselves wearing Guess denim, showcasing their personal style. Influencers were used to kickstart the campaign, posting their own #INMYDENIM videos to set trends and inspire their followers to participate.
Why this campaign works? By leveraging influencers, Guess tapped into their followers’ creativity and the viral nature of TikTok challenges. The use of a specific hashtag created a sense of community among participants, while also generating a large amount of user-generated content. This increased brand visibility and drove engagement as users wanted to be part of the trending challenge.
How can I do this myself? Work with your social media team to build a campaign message that encourages participation and creativity among your audience. Use popular influencers to kickstart the campaign and create a unique hashtag to track and promote the challenge. Encourage user-generated content by creating a fun and engaging theme that resonates with your audience. This will help create a sense of community and urgency, as users will want to join in on the trend and not miss out on being part of the viral moment.
5. Nintendo Switch Multi Social Media Platform Marketing Campaign
What was this campaign about? The Nintendo Switch Launch marketing campaign aimed to create excitement by showcasing its unique handheld-to-console gaming feature. Through trailers, demos, and social media, Nintendo engaged both fans and a broader audience.
Why this campaign works? Nintendo capitalized on gaming community excitement by releasing teasers and offering hands-on experiences. Social media engagement and user-generated content further fueled anticipation. The Switch’s innovation and strategic marketing efforts drove interest and a successful launch.
How can I do this myself? To replicate this success, build anticipation through teasers, hands-on experiences, and social media. Encourage user-generated content and community interaction. Highlight your product’s uniqueness to stand out and attract attention. Innovative marketing paired with compelling offerings can lead to a successful launch.
6. Make-A-Wish: BatKid Campaign
What is this campaign about? This multi-channel campaign is without a doubt a suckerpunch of emotions. Batkid Begins is a short documentary film about Miles, a young boy fighting leukemia, whose wish was to become the real Batman.
Make-a-Wish worked with the city of San Francisco, and thousands of people showed up to support Batkid. It was then turned into a documentary for people to see young Miles become Batman.
Why this campaign works? Not only does this campaign make you want to cry happy tears, it hits the ground running by treating Batkid Begins at the same level as a blockbuster movie premiere. It harnesses the emotions of those who see these posts and draws them into a human moment.
How can I do this myself? Find a cause to connect with your brand. Talk to organizers of the cause or non-profit you want to sort to see how you can help. After you have identified ways that your organization can give back promote it with a social media campaign.
7.Qdoba: Queso Bliss Contest
What is this campaign about? Who doesn’t love queso? That’s what Qdoba thought when they launched their Queso Bliss contest that let their fans choose which one of their limited time quesos was the absolute best.
Through a series of votes, fans across Qdoba’s multiple social media channels were able to choose which queso was their favorite. The winning queso would be free on a specific day.
Why did this campaign work? This campaign worked because of its ability to engage fans across multiple channels and participate in the decision making process.
These updates helped keep fans engaged and rooting for their favorite queso. By keeping them continuously updated it kept users invested in the outcome.
How can I do this myself? Run a contest that allows your audience to influence something your business does. Qdoba may have just let them choose their favorite cheese dip, but it’s the fact that they were willing to listen that made the difference.
8. TaylorMades ‘Tiger Talks’ YouTube Videos
What was this campaign about?
TaylorMade’s Tiger Woods YouTube campaign used Tiger Woods to promote their golf equipment. The videos featured Woods demonstrating and endorsing TaylorMade products, aiming to engage golf enthusiasts and potential customers.
Why this campaign works?
The campaign is effective due to Tiger Woods’ credibility and popularity, which builds trust in TaylorMade’s products. The engaging and educational videos enhance viewer interest and shareability, amplifying their reach.
How can I do this myself?
Identify a respected figure in your industry to authentically represent your brand. Create high-quality, informative, and promotional video content. Use strategic timing and calls to action to maximize engagement and impact.
9. Purdue: Day of Giving
What was this campaign about? Each year Purdue hosts its annual day of giving to help raise money for student scholarships.
Why did this campaign work? Purdue’s Day of Giving campaign worked because it tapped into its alumni network to create a sense of community that encouraged people to donate back to their alma mater.
How can I do this myself? Tap into a community of your target audience members. (Read this book from Seth Godin for more about tribes and communities). Create an emotional message that resonates with your target audience and inspires them to take action.
10. #ShareACoke by Coca-Cola Twitter Campaign
What was this campaign about? The #ShareACoke campaign by Coca-Cola personalized bottles with popular names, inviting consumers to share a Coke with friends. Through social media, consumers shared photos of their personalized bottles, driving engagement.
Why this campaign works? The campaign resonated by offering personalized experiences, fostering emotional connections. Social media sharing amplified brand visibility and excitement.
How can I do this myself? To replicate success, personalize your product/service and encourage social media sharing. Prioritize personalization and community engagement to drive brand loyalty.
11. Eggo: Stranger Things Season 2
What was this campaign about? With the premiere of Stranger Things 2, Netflix and Eggo teamed up to bring awareness to the show’s premiere.
Eleven (a character on the show) loves Eggo and with the premiere landing on Halloween, Eggo went all out, retweeting people with the frozen waffle boxes, sharing hints about the show and posting recipes for different waffle concoctions.
Why did this campaign work? Eggo tapped into the popularity of Stranger Things and ran a campaign that interacted with their audience and encouraged the Stranger Things fandom love of Eggos.
How can I do this myself? Tap into anything that and use them to help fuel your social media campaigns.
12. McDonalds: I’m Lovin It Super Bowl Campaign
What was this campaign about? McDonald’s wanted to find a way to stand out in the Super Bowl advertising space. They wanted to run a feel good campaign and instead of working against their competitors, they teamed up.
Why did this campaign work? Super Bowl advertising is all about standing out from the crowd which means that companies usually go bigger every year. By tweeting about their competitors and getting into their audience’s tweet threads they were able to gain more exposure for their content.
How can I do this myself? Work with your team to brainstorm ways to get in front of your competitors’ audience.
13. Disney: #DreamBigPrincess campaign
What was this campaign about? The Disney #DreamBigPrincess campaign aimed to inspire girls worldwide to pursue their dreams through a series of photos and videos featuring diverse role models and Disney princesses. By showcasing real-life stories alongside beloved characters, the campaign encouraged girls to believe in themselves and their potential.
Why this campaign works? #DreamBigPrincess resonated by tapping into the universal appeal of Disney princesses and empowering messages. By offering relatable role models and using social media to amplify its reach, the campaign fostered a sense of community and support among participants.
How can I do this myself? To replicate the success of #DreamBigPrincess, align your campaign with aspirational themes and use storytelling to create emotional connections. Utilize social media to amplify your message and encourage participation, fostering a sense of empowerment and belonging among your audience.
14. Applebees: Fantographer Campaign
What is this campaign about? Applebees used their Instagram account to share fan generated content with the hashtag #fantographer.
Why did this campaign work? 93% of marketers are seeing results from user generated content. Why? Because people are more likely to other audience members than content that’s been created by a company.
How can I do this myself? Develop a hashtag or series of hashtags that identifies your brand or organization. Encourage your audience to share content about your organization with the hashtag so you can reshare it to your social media channels.
15. Honda: Pintermission
What was this campaign about? Honda was getting ready to launch the new CR-V, and they wanted to find a unique way to advertise it. They found five Pinterest influencers with thousands of followers and encouraged them to take a break from Pinterest and do the things they pinned on their boards.
These pinners had to take a break from Pinterest for 24 hours. During that 24 hours Honda would send them $500 to actually try anything they pinned on their boards. The influencers would document their adventure and pin photos, videos and more to a special board that talked about Honda and their #Pintermission.
Why did this campaign work? Honda took the time to research the aspirations and dreams that their target audience was pinning to Pinterest. They created content with influencers that showed their target audience how to accomplish those aspirations while using Honda’s product, the new CR-V.
How can I do this myself? Look at your audience’s aspirations. What does your audience want to achieve or accomplish on Pinterest (make sure this relates to your product). Look for influencers that would help show your audience how they can reach their aspirations with your product.
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