One of the biggest concerns in social media is how you get users to interact online if your business is based in a “bricks and mortar” retail model. While burning time this morning, I found a really great example of how Caribou Coffee has solved this problem and injected some interesting brand personality with it.
With Caribou Coffe's "Go Wild" app; you too can add crazy s&%^ to your already abnormal facebook photos.
The concept it rather simple; take a photo, add crazy props and illustrations to it and post it to Facebook. It’s your classic strategy aimed at increasing your friends’ awareness of the brand by posting something interesting to your wall. See a rather feeble attempt using one of my more “serious” moments at business school.
The challenge here is that this tactic is not really what you would call “new.” In fact, I can probably cite you a half dozen applications that have come before this on facebook. The twist Caribou has put on their “Wild It Up” photo application is how they get users engaged in the first place. It’s not add campaign, it’s not a blast email…it’s in the store itself.
When you sit down, you see that Caribou has placed large laminate promotional stickers to almost all of the tables. It’s not in your face but it’s surprising, nonetheless. What’s even better; if you waste copious amounts of time in the coffee shops like I do, it’s something to do with the complimentary wifi connection.
Strategicly placed stickers promote Caribou's "WILD IT UP" facebook app.
It’s novel, its surprising and it’s brilliantly aligned with the way that Caribou’s users behave normally.
I feel like this is not only a great promotion, but a great way to break what many marketers think of as a “fourth wall” in social media. They want to leave social media promotion online when they should be thinking of how their more traditional business model can be used to align and integrate the brand image.
Way to go Caribou. You’re definitely feeding the brand or at least putting it into a well-deserved social media caffeine buzz.
See the full “Wild It Up” application on facbook: http://www.facebook.com/cariboucoffee
PS: extra cool points if you post a link to your photos in the comments section of this post!