Walmart, know for roll back pricing and cramming almost everything you could ever need under one roof continues to struggle with its social media marketing campaigns. The company continues to explore the use of web 2.0 technology to move merchandise and engage customers but it is now running its second lack luster space.
Their 2006 venture was an ill fated Social Network space called 'The Hub'. Supposedly populated by Hubsters who were idely school agred children who would participate in the network, be exposed to a deluge of product placement (primarily school clothing and supplies) and ask their parents to take them to Walmart to stock up.
Over the last year Walmart employees have been sporadically blogging about ... their products at the Checkoutblog. The blog posts are almost exclusively product shills for items on sale, or new items. I give them a lot of credit because at least this space is branded as a Walmart space and it is very transparent who is writing what.
Being a retailer it is difficult to build community interest, and drive participation in an online community space. I understand that, however there are so many ways to do this better that would yield more interest, more participation, and more sales.
You should also consider some possibility of social media marketing failure in order to get successful on it.
Posted by: Francis Neal | October 19, 2012 at 05:57 AM