SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY

TABLE OF CONTENT

Situation Analysis............................................................. 1

Current and Past Advertising Efforts.............................. 3

Current Social Media Trends.......................................... 4

How to Measure ROI....................................................... 5

Critical Factor................................................................... 7

Recommendations........................................................... 8
Situation Analysis

Company Background
Method was founded in 2000 by two guys in a basement. Their
business, they decided, was to change business by making new
kinds of soaps and detergents: the kind that save precious resources
like water, and save their costumers some extra money. They also
decided to change packaging and traditional forms of containers.
The pair wanted something altogether new: a simpler way of
looking at the cleaning task. Coming up in a time where the green
movement was gaining momentum and new kinds of portals like
Myspace and Facebook were created, the team made the right
choice in developing their brand with social media outlets.

Target Market
• Young “Influencers”
• Progressive Domestics
• Clean Freaks
• Green Freaks
• People Against Dirty
This niche market contains a younger female who wants a “good
clean.” This target views their home as a refuge and wants it clean
in an all natural way. Some are concerned with various toxins in
cleaning products; others just want to know their goods are truly
natural. Method heeds the wants and needs of its target consumer
by using 35% recyclable plastic, and using biodegradable chemicals
for its products.

The target audience is hardcore. But, Method labels their audience

as “Hip, Not Hippie.” They range from people who live their lives by
the green movement to those who want to do everything just right
for their newborn babies. Evidence from the People Against
Dirty Facebook fan page suggests they wish to incorporate Method
into every aspect of their lives: soaps, detergents, shampoos, air
care, etc.

These go-greeners bounce ideas off of one another and grow in

number every day. They depend on the support of and suggestions
from the other members in making purchase decisions. This is
why providing them with a social media platform is vital to
Method’s success.
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 Availability of Product: Store Locations
• Babies R Us
• Bed Bath & Beyond
• Costco
• Farm Fresh
• Lowe’s
• Safeway
• Staples
• Target
• Toys R Us
• Whole Foods

Availability of Product: Geographic Locations

• United States
• Canada
• England
• Australia
• France
• Japan

Competitors Participation in Social Media:

DAWN’s social media is centered on Facebook. In particular the
EverydayWildlife Champions Campaign, boasting 272,703 fans.
This campaign centers on the cause and not the product. Dawn
doesn’t interact with its consumers as frequently as Method
and Dawn’s overall social media presence is not up to par with
Method’s.

CLOROX GREEN WORKS focuses a large portion of its

campaigns on social media. Clorox Green writes a blog called
Shades of Green Journal, which distributes news about the
product and what’s new with “green.” They have a micro site and
Facebook pages aimed at causes. Clorox also has a Twitter that
is updated frequently and employs the use of viral videos.

2
Why is this important?

Since there is no clear cut way of measuring the “effect,” and thus, “value” of social media, it behooves Method
to look to the right and left to see where its direct and indirect competitors are online.

Current and Past Advertising Efforts

Method‘s past advertising efforts were marked primarily by word of mouth and relying on product placement in
Target stores. In 2007 Method launched the campaign “Detox Your Home.” Through the use of print ads, online
banners, search-engine marketing, and events, Method’s sales increased from $85 million in 2006 to $200 million
in 2009.

Method remarks that this year “marks our highest expenditures on advertising and marketing in the company’s
history.” With these high expenditures is the current advertising campaign “People Against Dirty.” This campaign
first began with an 18 page booklet insert describing their philosophy and sample offering. Method has now
expanded to using print ads in magazines such as Family Circle, People, and Real Simple, and digital media.
Moreover, Method is using what they describe as “earned media,” or social media such as a Facebook, Twitter,
blog, micro site and viral videos.

3
 Below is a breakdown of Method’s earned media sites.
• Facebook
Currently Method has a fan page with 13,703 fans. The site has involvement from the
customers with their questions about the brand and products, seeking of input of
customers from Method and new product information. Method is using Facebook as
a way to keep their target up to date on their products, promote their philosophy and
answer product questions.
• Twitter
Method is following 7,006 people and has 7,254 followers. Tweets are posted daily
informing followers of promotions, product news and ways to stay green. Method
followers are tweeting about Method and they are tweeting back.
• Blog
Method’s blog allows one to read about company news, products, environmental
happenings and style. From the blog website one has the option to subscribe or
sign up to be a part of People Against Dirty.

Current Social Media Trends

Most companies are currently using at least one form of social media. Twitter is the most popular
option followed by Facebook fan pages, YouTube channels and corporate blogs. However, not
many companies are using all of these social media platforms simultaneously.

One of the largest social media trends is the reality that power is in the hands of the consumer
rather than the company. Social media users realize this and expect companies to interact and
respond to their conversations. Furthermore, customers want companies to speak with them
rather than at them, in hopes of a more one-on-one feel.

Companies are not only looking for new ways to lure in their customers into their social media
networks, but also to increase social media participant’s activity. Many businesses are now using
social media rewards systems for their high involvement social media users. These users receive
rewards such as promotions and giveaways.

One of the largest impacts is the ability to access social media sites on smart phones. Many
companies have social media policies in the office and the sites have been banned. Therefore,
many employees are using their smart phones as a way to access social media during working
hours. Smart phones have also led the way of being able to make payments directly from
one’s phone.

A huge development in social media is the idea of group buying. Sites like Groupon and Living
Social are incredibly promoted on social media sites. Customers opt-in to these sites to receive
various promotional and sales deals.

4
Social media will soon be integrated into overall marketing plans and budgets for many companies.
Many of these companies have seen that the deeper they go into social media the more expensive it
is. They are looking for ways to cut back on the costs of having to provide labor for social media and
discover more cost efficient ways to use social media platforms.

Currently some of the biggest problems facing social media are the tracking and success
measurement, the management of information and new ways to engage customers.

How to measure ROI of Social Media

Measuring return on investment in social media is difficult and leads to most companies simply not
doing it. There is a current lack of solid return on investment (ROI) information which has made many
companies question the use of social media. Due to the economic times, every cent of businesses
budgets, like Method, is being scrutinized. Therefore, the expenditures within social media are
feeling pressure to generate hard measurable sales. The problem is that most agencies and
companies have no concrete measurement for social media.

Currently, social media is measured in facts such as Facebook fans, twitter followers, traffic, and
comments. The KPI’s for social media are therefore more geared toward brand awareness, brand
conversation, and long-term relationships with consumers.

Ogilvy PR proposes using metrics such as reach and positioning, preference, and action to measure
social media ROI. These metrics call on the extensive use of analytics software, traditional research,
and measurable sales. Digital Footprint Index uses three dimensions: height, width, and depth.
Height represents the total amount of brand mentions, width represents consumer engagement, and
depth represents message saturation and sentiment.

There is not a metric that exists at the moment that can measure the ROI of social media directly.
This is because most of social media’s benefits and values are immeasurable. For those companies
that need a hard bottom line, the closest they can come is watching trends. For example, if sales rise
after a social media campaign and the pattern is significant then the sales may be attributed to the
social media.
5
Matters

Matters

cial
Media
from

te Technologies

Also a growing number of agencies are using

The
Volume
of
Social
Media
Usage
is
Staggering
coupons given out on Facebook to track how many
•• More
than
400
million
active
users

•• 50%
of
active
users
log
on
to
Facebook in
any
given
day

Facebook fans use the coupons to actually purchase
•• More
than
35
million
users
update
their
status
each
day

More than 35 million users update their status each day
•• More
than
60
million
status
updates
posted
each
day

the product or service. In addition tracking sales
•• More
than
3
billion
photos
uploaded
to
the
site
each
month
made after visits to twitter or Facebook is possible
•• More
More
than
5
billion
pieces
of
content
(web
links,
news
stories,
blog
posts,
notes,
photo
albums,
etc.)

than 5 billion pieces of content (web links news stories blog posts notes photo albums etc )
shared
each
week
and one of the best ways to show a tangible ROI.
•• More
than
3.5
million
events
created
each
month

•• More
than
3
million
active
Pages
on
Facebook
•• More
than
1.5
million
local
businesses
have
active
Pages
on
Facebook According to Shift communications there are also
•• More
than
20
million
people
become
fans
of
Pages
each
day

•• Pages
have
created
more
than
5.3
billion
fans
immeasurable benefits of social media: include the
•• There
are
more
than
100
million
active
users
currently
accessing
Facebook through
their
mobile

devices.
rapid share of information, widespread coverage,
•• People
that
use
Facebook on
their
mobile
devices
are
twice
more
active
on
Facebook than
nonmobile
users.

•• There
There
are
more
than
200
mobile
operators
in
60
countries
working
to
deploy
and
promote
Facebook
are more than 200 mobile operators in 60 countries working to deploy and promote Facebook mobile

mobile enhancing brand awareness and image, and
products

*From
Facebook statistics:
http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics on
2/25/10

feedback from a specific target market.
5

Fans
and
Followers
Say
They
Are
More
Likely
to
Buy
and
When a company is looking at how much money it

Recommend
Than
Before
has invested into social media, it must keep in mind
the benefits it is receiving. This balance cannot be
Facebook Twitter made with only quantitative measurements, but
More
likely to
buy
from
at
least

one
brands
since

51% 67%
must be a mixture of both qualitative factors and
becoming a fan/ follower
becoming
a
fan/
follower
quantitative factors.
More
likely to
recommend
at
least

one
brands
since

60% 79%
becoming a fan/ follower
becoming
a
fan/
follower
How social media is used greatly influences how
successful it is. Companies must keep an active
While
Use
Skews
Younger,
It’’s
Hardly
Exclusive;
Facebook
Is
Increasingly
Reflective
of
the
General
Online
Population presence, and engage consumers frequently.
From
CMB
Consumer
Pulse
20092010:

500
respondents
were
Facebook fans
of
brands,
240
are
Twitter
followers.

Companies who use social media correctly will see
Q5e: Are
you
more
likely
to
buy
since
becoming
a
fan?

Q5f: Are
you
more
likely
to
recommend
to
a
friend
since
becoming
a

fan?

Q6e: Are
you
more
likely
to
buy
since
becoming
a
follower?

Q6f: Are
you
more
likely
to
recommend
to
a
friend
since

becoming
a
follower?
its benefits. According to Chadwick Martin Bailey, a
13 Percentages
reflect
the
sum
of
those
who
said
““yes,
for
a
few
brands““
or
““yes,
for
many
brands””

*Percent
of
US
respondents who
use
a
site
at
least
once
per
month

market research and consulting firm, consumers who
Site
Usage 18
to
24 25
to
34 35
to
44 45
to
54 55
to
64 65
and
over
are engaged in social media with your company are
Facebook 86% 72% 64% 54% 50% 40%

Twitter 27% 16% 9% 9% 5% 4%

more likely to buy and recommend your products or
Myspace 28% 24% 14% 9% 4% 4% services because they feel as though an active social
Google 96% 95% 86% 84% 84% 82% media presence is a sign of a connected company.
Yahoo 57% 66% 68% 68% 58% 57%

ROI will continue to be an allusive measurement

The
Volume
of
Social
Media
Usage
is
Staggering
(continued) for social media due to the nature of the platform,
but as seen above there are a few options making
8 ••*From
CMB
Consumer
Pulse
20092010
Users
were
tweeting
5,000
times
a
day
in
2007.
By
2008,
that
number
was
300,000,
and
by
2009
it
had
grown
to
headway that can accurately predict social
2 5 million per day
2.5
million
per
day.

•• Tweets
grew
1,400%
last
year
to
35
million
per
day.
Today,
we
are
seeing
50
media’s ROI.
million
tweets
per
day——that's
an
average
of
600
tweets
per
second.

6 6
Critical Factors: Inception of Social Media, Niche Target Market, Brand’s History

Social Media is in its Childhood:

ADVANTAGE: (1) Great potential for online engagement. (2) No limitations on use or measure as
a media space; open for new methods and discoveries. (3) Movement from Desktop to Mobile. (4)
People are drawn to “causes.”

DISADVANTAGE: (1) No clear cut way to trace consumer-conversion rate. (2) Businesses are wary of
investing capital into media without having a profitable model to follow. (3) Cost in terms of human
resources and time invested. (4) Open to all content: good, bad, non-factual. (5) Highly-cluttered
space. (6) Potential for competitors to overpower Method.

Niche Target Market:

ADVANTAGE: (1) Buying power of a highly concentrated group is big. (2) It’s cheaper to retain an
existing customer than it is to buy a new one. (3) Grass-roots community “feel” creates interaction
with the brand.

DISADVANTAGE: (1) Smaller sales potential. (2) Missed opportunity in terms of brand expansion and
awareness. (3) Growth potential is inhibited.

Brand’s History:
ADVANTAGE: (1) Established fan/consumer presence on social media; direct communication with
the brand. (2) Availability of product with access to the Internet. (3) Established, loyal community on
various social media sites. (4) Sales have increased due to online Advertising efforts.

DISADVANTAGE: (1) Low brand awareness. (2) Past moral and legal issues involving Method’s viral
videos. (3) “Another” green company.(4) Unavailability of product at physical locations.

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 Recommendations

After having had access to a highly interactive, communicative platform via multiple social media
websites, taking away the option of social media could potentially harm the brand and devalue
the opinions and emotions of Method’s exceptionally loyal fan base.

Most people who identify as “green” are very adamant about their initiative. This passion group
has great potential to be targeted through continued social media efforts.

This is a great platform to jump off of because there is a preexisting strong group following and a
strong collective base. As mentioned earlier, group buying is a hot trend. Method can capitalize
on this.

Keeping this in mind, Team Green recommends that Method continue its efforts in social media.

Here are our specific recommendations:

1. Coupons will be placed on social media websites that can be redeemed for purchase in-
store or online. The promotional code would be unique to each social media site and therefore
measure conversion rate.

2. Groupons: Making Method products available at a discount through Groupon will further
expand the awareness of the product through multiple markets throughout the nation. Method
can further advertise their efforts on Groupon through Tweets and posts via Facebook. The
buys on Groupon are measurable results because buyers have to opt in and the purchases are
easily tracked. With these results Method can bring in immediate revenue, while expanding their
audience base by providing a “Like” link on the Groupon site.

3. Method can supply specific links (bit.ly) through posts on Facebook and Tweets on Twitter
which will direct followers to specific new products’ purchase sites. Once here, the fans and
followers can learn more about the new products and make a purchase if they so desire. Further,
Method can also implement behavioral trackers which will provide further demographic and
behavioral information if the consumer comes back to the site at a later time to purchase
products. If the consumer does purchase a product the conversion can be directly correlated to
the links.

8
Thank you for looking through our recommendations
for Method. Your time, money, and business are all
very much appreciated.

Stay green;
Team Green
Team Members

Dawson Griffith
Marissa Guerra
Manuel Hernandez
Elaine Hirsch
Anthony Hoang
Matt Kleineck