We at apt like the fact that big brands such as Coca-Cola, Sainsbury’s and EasyJet are all finding new ways to get staff involved in marketing campaigns. Coca-Cola and Sainsbury’s have both set up social media functions on their intranet systems in order to better connect their staff, and EasyJet are using holiday snaps from their employees to support its Europe by EasyJet campaign.
Coca-Cola and Sainsbury’s intend to connect their staff through social media as a way of keeping everybody informed of all that is happening across the brands and turn this into a positive marketing tool. Jacki Connor, Sainsbury’s director of colleague engagement, says: “If you know what’s going on in the business, you taste the food and you understand what the campaigns are about you will tell customers about it and customers will see benefits.”
It has long been said that a happy staff is the first step to a happy customer and we couldn’t agree more. The success of John Lewis as a Partnership where all employees own the business together has been a constant example of this, but the existence of social media presents new opportunities for companies to involve and inform their employees not only nationally, but internationally as well. Coca-Cola has 700,000 employees worldwide and by putting them in touch with each other, the company aims to make each individual feel part of the whole, making for an improved staff attitude which will sell.
Likewise, by using staff holiday pictures to advertise, EasyJet has come up with a fun way to enable its employees to become part of the brand. We all like to feel appreciated and as social animals, part of the team.
We think this new approach to marketing could be a real hit but only time will tell: will it whip up new levels of support from employees or will in merely prove to be one big distraction? We will have to wait and see...