Weekly Round-Up: October 3rd, 2014

The Red Cross had a great week on social media. The topics they focused on were: Enterovirus/Flu, Preparedness, and National Coffee Day. For Flu awareness, they posted an informational photo with tips for preventing sickness. What was especially interesting was that they employed Pinterest among their social media campaigns this week. The company created a Preparadnes/Survival Pinterest board for readers to participate in.

This tool engages users/customers,donors more than anything they have done before any allows them to participate in the effort. For national coffee day the organization posted a photo of coffee mugs with “Red Cross” on it; this appeals to readers who are coffee drinkers. A final interesting post had tons of emotional appeal- it was a #tbt post of a Red Cross worker helping a soldier in World War One. Viewers of this photo had to have an increased amount of respect and admiration for the company.

Care posted a lot on social media this week. They focused on Syria, Ghana, their Partners For Change campaign, and ending         hunger.  They posted a number of emotionally appealing photos on Facebook and Twitter such as this one of a CARE worker giving blankets to a needy child in Syria:

They also promoted their Partners For Change program by creating a Twitter hashtag trend #partnersforchange in order to bette engage users/followers. This is very effective. Another interesting note- they made a post very similar to the Red Cross. They posted a #tbt photo of a CARE worker giving care packages to those in Europe during World War Two. They included a quote: “Today CARE delivers lasting change around the world.”

Doctos without Borders focused mainly on Ebola, job opportunities, and Gaza this week. With many posts on the topic of Ebola, they have been doing a fantastic job at raising awareness and providing information on the subject. They also made a few posts about job opportunities within the organization, which is the best way to recruit potential employees.

At this point in my analysis, i’d have to say that Doctors Without Borders is the weakest social media campaign I am following. They don’t employ as many social media venues as the other two organizations, they don’t engage followers as much, and they are quite repetitive.

Social Media Marketing/ Encountered in the Past 48 Hours

1. Chevrolet- promoted on Twitter- “#truckworthy” Didn’t click.

2. Zulily Shoes – sidebar ad on twitter- “Up to our knees in boots. 65% off. 72 hour sale” Didn’t Click.

3. ABD- ad on twitter- “We’re all capable of terrible things, and missing tonight’s new episode at 10 on ABC would be one.” Trailer of show in addition. Didn’t Click.

4. Lexus- ad on Twitter- “Distinctive Outside. Exclusive inside. #LexusOfficial” Didn’t Click.

5. Off Broadway Shoes- sidebar ad on Facebook- “Boot up your fall looks. Find your favorite brands stating at $59.99.” Didn’t Click.

6. Dominoe’s Pizza- sidebar ad on Facebook- with photo of delicious looking pizza”- Didn’t Click

7. Stubhub- Facebook promotion- “Never miss a beat” Didn’t Click.

8. Urban Outfitters- Facebook Ad- with photo of model- Fall fashion collection.

9. Spotify- Facebook ad- $4.99 Spotify accounts for students”- Didn’t Click.

10. Pottery barn Teen- with photo- “Dorm supplies. Update your space.” Didn’t Click.

Here I have listed 10 marketing ads I encountered while on social media during the past 2 days. The ads were effective at promoting the culture of the company and product/service. A pattern I noticed was the use of appealing, catchy lines in the ads. These lines were aimed at really capturing the audience’s attention, and they did. It’s great that the ads are integrated into normal posts; this makes them more accessible to potential customers.

Weekly Round-Up

The American Red Cross had a good week this week on social media. They worked to promote Sickle Cell awareness since it is Sickle Cell awareness month. Their social media campaign for this was especially appealing. On Twitter they included a quote: “When I donate a pint of blood to help save lives makes me feel like a millionaire.” This easily appeals to the emotions od the audience. Another one was “Everyone has the power to help.” Other causes they promoted this week included Ebola, disaster relief, fall, and more.

Doctors without Borders focused its efforts on a wide range of topics this week, but mainly on the organization’s work in Africa. It provides extensive coverage of its work in Liberia, South Sudan, and areas effected by Ebola, political crisis, and more. The non-profit made an impressive post on Facebook: “Fear and panic have set in, as infection rates double every three weeks. [People] are dying of other diseases, like malaria, because health systems have collapsed. …Today, Ebola is winning.” MSF’s Joanne Liu addresses the UN General Assembly.

Care promoted South Sudan, the Middle East, and more. They even promoted an ad campaign with Alicia Keys! Working with such a well-known artist is extremely beneficial for the company. They discussed the fact that people in Syria are being  misplaced, many being children. They strategically used a photo of a cute Syrian child. They also included the following photo of their work in South Sudan:

This photo is great PR for the company. It appeals to the audience visually, emotionally, and logically.

Brands

American Red Cross mission statement: The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.

Doctors Without Borders mission statement: We help people worldwide where the need is greatest, delivering emergency medical aid to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters or exclusion from health care.

CARE mission statement: To serve individuals and families in the poorest communities in the world.

All companies, being humanitarian organizations, have similar brands- helping those in need. All are well-respected and receive considerable attention for their work. The organizations are associated with doing good deeds.

Weekly Round-Up ~ September 19th, 2014

All three organizations had an impressive and successful week on social media.

The Red Cross promoted causes like disaster prep, natural disasters, and flood relief. The organization was active on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. One Facebook post was particularly interesting this week- a description of a number of different myths about floods and the truth behind these myths. This appeals to the audience in that it is aimed at enlightening the reader to new information. It is a logical appeal. The statement “Join us. Get prepared.” is an appeal to the reader’s fear.

Doctors Without Borders advertised new job opportunities (a great way to get new hires), promoted awareness of the conflict/crisis in the Middle East, discussed Ebola, and more. Active on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, the organization had some strong emotional appeals in their social media presence this week. For example: “As MSF responds to major emergencies around the world – the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, war in Syria, and displaced people in CAR, for example – we are relying more than ever on our Field Partners, supporters who commit to donating a set amount every month. Thanks to our Field Partners, MSF can respond immediately to these and other emergencies. Here is how you can become a Field Partner” This post informs the audience of the impact of donating money and makes the reader feel morally justified in giving to the organization.

CARE posted about female global education, Ebola, toilets and rape, and the Middle East. A particularly interesting post was this- “Homes destroyed. Cities destroyed. Lives destroyed. Indiscriminate attacks like the ones in this video continue to be carried out everyday in Syria.” This is extremely effective at speaking to the reader and appealing to the conscience. This would definitely make someone want to spread awareness and even donate to the organization. The video shared isn’t necessarily associated with CARE but is relevant to the cause and the reader.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Like and follow the Facebook and Twitter pages for the blog!

Facebook: facebook.com/marketingconsultantinc

Twitter: @humanitarianinc

Through these social media pages I will promote the blog. I will be posting anything and everything related to the three organizations, causes the organizations are promoting, actual links to blog posts, marketing insight, et cetera. In addition, I will post scholarly publications within the marketing industry.

This week in social media, the Red Cross promoted causes such as earthquake relief, flood relief, and storm relief. A main focus, however, was the promotion of their new blood donation app. The promotional image for this app is effectively simple. The phrase “you hold the power to save lives” is an appeal to the viewers emotional conscience, making it a pathos appeal.

This week’s causes for CARE included Ebola, global education, sanitation for impoverished nations, and more. The videos of Cambodian children CARE employed were especially interesting. One Facebook post in particular employed a strong logical appeal: “Do you have questions about girls’ education around the world? Reply below with your questions and CARE education expert Joyce Adolwa will answer them next week for our #AskTheExpert video series.” The idea of asking questions to an “expert” adds legitimacy to CARE’s cause and works to further the clarity and comfort of the audience/consumer/donator.

Doctors Without Borders discussed Gaza, Ebola (extensively), job opportunities within the organization, and premature childbirths.

http://instagram.com/p/sPraNOS0Dl/?modal=true

In the link above, Doctors Without Borders has uploaded a photo of a helpless mother and child caught in the conflict in Gaza.A baby is sickly and crying in a war-ravaged part of the world, how could one not feel an overwhelming sense of pity? The post ends with a statement that Doctors Without Borders provides relief on both sides of the conflict, establishing a strong ethos appeal.

Overall, all three organizations did a great job at promoting and marketing this week. All used effective appeals and advertising techniques and none wee better than each other.

September 8th, 2014~ Rationale

On this blog I am following the American Red Cross, CARE organization, and Doctors Without Borders. These organizations utilize social media daily, even multiple times per day. They use Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as their main venues of social media. Recent causes include blood donation, typhoon victims, earthquake victims, global female education, Ebola, gender-based violence, and more. These organizations are providing aid, relief, and awareness for all of these humanitarian causes.There is little controversy in the area of humanitarian work, as long as all donation funds are always used appropriately. There has been criticism of the financial transparency of some of these organizations, but these accusations have not made any sort of large impact. Overall, the organizations are consistently doing the job they set out to do, furthering their cause via social media, and avoiding conflict.

Welcome to the blog!

My name is Sydney and this is my humanitarian awareness blog. I am a Social Media Expert / For-Hire Consultant with a degree in Communication and Organizational Sciences from The George Washington University. I have chosen to specialize in and work for NGO’s, non-profits, and other humanitarian relief organizations. We are all temporary residents of this planet, why not help out our fellow humans while we are here, right? This blog will track, analyze, and critique the marketing and promotion efforts of three top relief organizations- Red Cross, CARE, and Doctors without Borders. 

Have a blessed day,

Sydney Leigh Phillips

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” -Mahatma Gandhi