1. Evolve Electric Skateboards: electric skateboards
Website url: https://evolveskateboardsusa.com
Facebook presence: Last posted on September 3rd 2018 to announce a promotional event in New York City
Instagram Presence: Last posted on August 29th 2018 asking users to tag a friend they would like to use their product with, in order to get additional views.
Youtube Presence: Last posted on September 7th 2018 with a short product demonstration video.
Evolve Analysis: Evolve electric skateboards sells their products online and in numerous skate shops. But due to differing legislation from one region to another, the ability to try a product before purchasing usually isn't possible in brick and mortar stores. This inability to try their $1000+ products before purchasing is one of the companies largest struggles. Fortunately, with the use of Youtube and customer/celebrity reviews on Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube, they are able to give users a very clear picture of what they will be getting for their money. They do a wonderful job of getting dialogues going with and between their customers on and off social media, which plays a pivotal role in their sales.
2. Boosted Boards: electric skateboards
Website url: https://boostedboards.com
Facebook Presence: Last posted on September 6th 2018 showing off new accessories for their electric skateboards.
Twitter Presence: Last tweeted on September 6th 2018 using the same post as their facebook profile.
Youtube Presence: Last posted on August 23rd 2018 showing a brand promotion video showing the benefits of their product line without any comparisons to their competition.
Instagram Presence: Last posted today, and have multiple posts from everyday going back months including customer images, promotional pictures and videos, product updates, and customer modifications to their products.
Boosted Boards Analysis: Boosted faces the same issues as Evolve in regards to product distribution and trials, but uses slightly different outlets to promote their products. Boosted has a decent Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube following, but a very well promoted Instagram feed. Boosted also has a community discussion board on their website for customers to talk about their products with one another or the company. Most of Boosted's advertising comes from unpaid promotions by various Youtubers with a large following and a passion for their product. This Youtube cult following in addition to being the first major manufacturer of this type of product puts them in first place for sales in their industry.
3. Stealth Electric Bikes: electric bikes
Website url: https://www.stealthelectricbikes.com/
Instagram Presence: Last posted on August 25th 2018 showing a photo of their customized flagship electric bike.
Facebook Presence: Last posted on September 3rd 2018 announcing a promotional product trial event for potential customers.
Youtube Presence: Last posted on August 31st 2018 with a promotional video that contained little information but creates interest in the product and a link back to their website.
Twitter Presence: Last posted on June 25th 2018 and seems to have abandoned the platform.
Stealth Electric Bikes Analysis: Stealth has a bland but very functional website and a social media presence that is just the opposite. Their social media is all very nice looking, has very interesting videos, and creates large amounts of interest in their products that all link back to their website. One negative comment I have about their social media is that they are quite poor at addressing concerns and replying to questions by their potential customers, which seems to be holding them back in the sales department.
4. LaserPerformance: 1-3 person performance sailboats
Website url: http://www.laserperformance.us
Youtube Presence: Last posted on September 1st 2018 showing a video of one of their sponsored team members winning a sailing competition on one of their best selling boats.
Tumbler Presence: Dead link
Twitter Presence: Last tweeted on September 1st 2018 providing a link to their youtube video described above.
Facebook Presence: Last posted on September 7th 2018 showing images from their collegiate cup competition in Europe. They also post about eight times a week on average.
Instagram Presence: Last posted on September 7th 2018 with a photo they also used on Facebook, of their collegiate cup competition.
Pinterest Presence: No know last post date but use a plethora of very scenic photos that drive a passion for sailing that can only truly be associated with their products.
LaserPerformance Analysis: Laser has a decent European following and a mild East Coast American following but lacks involvement on the West Coast of the US. Their website is detailed yet complicated to use and has a number of dead links. Their social media presence is also a bit inconsistent between platforms and lacks a decent dialogue between customers and the company. Laser seems to be missing the social aspect of social media and instead uses their social media platforms as a means of advertising, more than marketing or community growth.
5. Hobie Cat Company: small watercraft (sailboats, kayaks, fishing boats, paddle boards, etc.)(broken down into subsidiaries)
Parent company website url: https://www.hobie.com
Hobie Cat Facebook Presence: Last posted on September 6th 2018 unveiling their new products for Fall of 2018.
Hobie Cat Instagram Presence: Last posted on September 6th 2018 showing pictures of dogs using the products with their owners.
Hobie Cat Youtube Presence: Last posted on September 7th 2018 giving a product demonstration of a new boat to be released in the coming months.
Hobie Cat Company Analysis: Given the size of Hobie as a whole and the wide range of products and accessories sold across the globe, Hobie has opted to break their company into a number of subsidiaries that manage the manufacturing and distribution of their products under the Hobie name. While their social media is broken into various pages depending on the type of product, they still market all Hobie products on all pages. While it seems to be working well for them in the sales and community development departments, I can't help but feel it would be more effective to consolidate their various pages on facebook and instagram down to one page per platform. (please let me know what your thoughts on this idea are)
Collective Social Media Analysis: All of the companies I have analyzed during this assignment have their own strengths and weaknesses, as I have described, but certain concepts have shown to be more effective than others. The companies that have worked to create communities around their brand seem to be the most effective companies. When a community is created around a brand it helps to not only create customer loyalty and improve satisfaction of the customer, but it also prompts customers to do free marketing work for the company. The best example of this trend is with Boosted and their Youtube presence. By creating a great product and extensive community of riders, Boosted has made their product one that is used and featured in the process of filming many Youtube videos by celebrity Youtubers such as Casey Neistat, and Shonduras, just to name a couple. This free marketing through community development is an idea most companies and marketers should keep in mind while building their brand image.
While building a community around your product may be the most effective way to market your product, there are a number of ways that the use of social media can go poorly in this pursuit. The best example of an attempt to build a community going somewhat poorly is that of Stealth Electric Bikes. Stealth seems to be trying to build a community on social media, but due to an obscene product price-point, lack of use by public figures, and low customer responsiveness, they are not doing as well on social media, and likely have sub-par sales despite the high quality of their product. In conclusion, if customers feel appreciated and special, then social media is far more effective than it is when the customers are ignored or not catered to.
Week 3 Part One posts I commented on: Mikey Plunkett and Caitlyn Cimino
Website url: https://evolveskateboardsusa.com
Facebook presence: Last posted on September 3rd 2018 to announce a promotional event in New York City
Instagram Presence: Last posted on August 29th 2018 asking users to tag a friend they would like to use their product with, in order to get additional views.
Youtube Presence: Last posted on September 7th 2018 with a short product demonstration video.
Evolve Analysis: Evolve electric skateboards sells their products online and in numerous skate shops. But due to differing legislation from one region to another, the ability to try a product before purchasing usually isn't possible in brick and mortar stores. This inability to try their $1000+ products before purchasing is one of the companies largest struggles. Fortunately, with the use of Youtube and customer/celebrity reviews on Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube, they are able to give users a very clear picture of what they will be getting for their money. They do a wonderful job of getting dialogues going with and between their customers on and off social media, which plays a pivotal role in their sales.
2. Boosted Boards: electric skateboards
Website url: https://boostedboards.com
Facebook Presence: Last posted on September 6th 2018 showing off new accessories for their electric skateboards.
Twitter Presence: Last tweeted on September 6th 2018 using the same post as their facebook profile.
Youtube Presence: Last posted on August 23rd 2018 showing a brand promotion video showing the benefits of their product line without any comparisons to their competition.
Instagram Presence: Last posted today, and have multiple posts from everyday going back months including customer images, promotional pictures and videos, product updates, and customer modifications to their products.
Boosted Boards Analysis: Boosted faces the same issues as Evolve in regards to product distribution and trials, but uses slightly different outlets to promote their products. Boosted has a decent Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube following, but a very well promoted Instagram feed. Boosted also has a community discussion board on their website for customers to talk about their products with one another or the company. Most of Boosted's advertising comes from unpaid promotions by various Youtubers with a large following and a passion for their product. This Youtube cult following in addition to being the first major manufacturer of this type of product puts them in first place for sales in their industry.
3. Stealth Electric Bikes: electric bikes
Website url: https://www.stealthelectricbikes.com/
Instagram Presence: Last posted on August 25th 2018 showing a photo of their customized flagship electric bike.
Facebook Presence: Last posted on September 3rd 2018 announcing a promotional product trial event for potential customers.
Youtube Presence: Last posted on August 31st 2018 with a promotional video that contained little information but creates interest in the product and a link back to their website.
Twitter Presence: Last posted on June 25th 2018 and seems to have abandoned the platform.
Stealth Electric Bikes Analysis: Stealth has a bland but very functional website and a social media presence that is just the opposite. Their social media is all very nice looking, has very interesting videos, and creates large amounts of interest in their products that all link back to their website. One negative comment I have about their social media is that they are quite poor at addressing concerns and replying to questions by their potential customers, which seems to be holding them back in the sales department.
4. LaserPerformance: 1-3 person performance sailboats
Website url: http://www.laserperformance.us
Youtube Presence: Last posted on September 1st 2018 showing a video of one of their sponsored team members winning a sailing competition on one of their best selling boats.
Tumbler Presence: Dead link
Twitter Presence: Last tweeted on September 1st 2018 providing a link to their youtube video described above.
Facebook Presence: Last posted on September 7th 2018 showing images from their collegiate cup competition in Europe. They also post about eight times a week on average.
Instagram Presence: Last posted on September 7th 2018 with a photo they also used on Facebook, of their collegiate cup competition.
Pinterest Presence: No know last post date but use a plethora of very scenic photos that drive a passion for sailing that can only truly be associated with their products.
LaserPerformance Analysis: Laser has a decent European following and a mild East Coast American following but lacks involvement on the West Coast of the US. Their website is detailed yet complicated to use and has a number of dead links. Their social media presence is also a bit inconsistent between platforms and lacks a decent dialogue between customers and the company. Laser seems to be missing the social aspect of social media and instead uses their social media platforms as a means of advertising, more than marketing or community growth.
5. Hobie Cat Company: small watercraft (sailboats, kayaks, fishing boats, paddle boards, etc.)(broken down into subsidiaries)
Parent company website url: https://www.hobie.com
Hobie Cat Facebook Presence: Last posted on September 6th 2018 unveiling their new products for Fall of 2018.
Hobie Cat Instagram Presence: Last posted on September 6th 2018 showing pictures of dogs using the products with their owners.
Hobie Cat Youtube Presence: Last posted on September 7th 2018 giving a product demonstration of a new boat to be released in the coming months.
Hobie Cat Company Analysis: Given the size of Hobie as a whole and the wide range of products and accessories sold across the globe, Hobie has opted to break their company into a number of subsidiaries that manage the manufacturing and distribution of their products under the Hobie name. While their social media is broken into various pages depending on the type of product, they still market all Hobie products on all pages. While it seems to be working well for them in the sales and community development departments, I can't help but feel it would be more effective to consolidate their various pages on facebook and instagram down to one page per platform. (please let me know what your thoughts on this idea are)
Collective Social Media Analysis: All of the companies I have analyzed during this assignment have their own strengths and weaknesses, as I have described, but certain concepts have shown to be more effective than others. The companies that have worked to create communities around their brand seem to be the most effective companies. When a community is created around a brand it helps to not only create customer loyalty and improve satisfaction of the customer, but it also prompts customers to do free marketing work for the company. The best example of this trend is with Boosted and their Youtube presence. By creating a great product and extensive community of riders, Boosted has made their product one that is used and featured in the process of filming many Youtube videos by celebrity Youtubers such as Casey Neistat, and Shonduras, just to name a couple. This free marketing through community development is an idea most companies and marketers should keep in mind while building their brand image.
While building a community around your product may be the most effective way to market your product, there are a number of ways that the use of social media can go poorly in this pursuit. The best example of an attempt to build a community going somewhat poorly is that of Stealth Electric Bikes. Stealth seems to be trying to build a community on social media, but due to an obscene product price-point, lack of use by public figures, and low customer responsiveness, they are not doing as well on social media, and likely have sub-par sales despite the high quality of their product. In conclusion, if customers feel appreciated and special, then social media is far more effective than it is when the customers are ignored or not catered to.
Week 3 Part One posts I commented on: Mikey Plunkett and Caitlyn Cimino
Wow, Troy! A lot of these business I have never heard of, but they sound like I want to take up boarding or biking now! It's true, I have seen some sites that work well but don't have a lot of bells and whistles when it comes to their web pages, but they stand out with their social media posts. Sometimes when I see a dead link to a page, it seems disappointing but again it depends on the relevance of the platform, I guess! Great job.
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