Emily's Social Media + Marketing Communication Blog

Social Media Monitoring (cont'd.) & Brand Recommendations Since they  announced the end of their lifetime return policy , L.L. Bean has entered some rocky terrain with their fan base. The legendary policy -- a guarantee that the company would accept any item, at any time, for a full refund with no questions asked -- was once a trademark of the company. After all, it's been in place since its founding in 1912. Many loyal customers are not pleased, threatening to never wear their Bean Boots again. Fortunately for these folks, Bean's new policy is a liberal one; customers may return an item for a full refund up to one year after purchase, and defective items can be returned at any point. What the Groundswell Has to Say Still, fans are upset. If you've read my previous post monitoring L.L. Bean, you'll know I've been closely following the company's main  Instagram page. Why Instagram? Because this is where ...

In chapters 9 through 12 of Groundswell , Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff explore what happens once a company embraces the groundswell with arms wide open. As expected, the benefits are pretty vast and varied. Embracing your customer base is the gift that just keeps on giving. To get this gift, however, companies need to understand customer engagement. Just get your customers talking and start listening. It doesn't matter if you target your most technically knowledgeable customer base  (think: SalesForce's idea exchange ) or keep it simple like Credit Mutuel did with their Si J'etais Banquier campaign. The groundswell likes to talk, especially about your business. Li and Bernoff challenge us to think uniquely -- how can our businesses tap into these voices in a meaningful way, that is as unique as the services we provide?  For Rent the Runway , engaging the groundswell means something very different than their competitors . Rent the Runway is...

It's an interesting time to be L.L. Bean is a century-old outdoors company based in Freeport, Maine. It is most famous for its signature "Bean Boot"  and forgiving return policy. So what's so exciting about 2018, of all of L.L. Bean's years in business? Well, on February 9, 2018, L.L. Bean announced that it would be scrapping the lifetime return policy  that its customers raved about. Closing the doors on this policy was a bold move on the company's part, but according to the Associated Press, over the last five years L.L. Bean has lost  upwards of $250 million USD on merchandise returned to the store. Even worse is that monetary loss was only captures how many items were so damaged and worn beyond repair that the company couldn't recycle scraps for new products or donate them. For anyone who can empathize with the company's financial situation from a distance, the news is easy to swallow. ...

In Chapters 1-4 of Li and Bernoff's Groundswell , we've learned a good deal. We've heard about who the "groundswell" is, and how it functions as one collective force. We've also learned about what businesses are doing to tap into the power of the groundswell.  Between monitoring web chat forums and arranging focus groups , we've learned that it's possible to tap into customers' minds -- both present and potential. But merely that insight isn't where the work ends. Businesses need to take that information, synthesize it in a way that makes sense for their corporation, and incorporate it into their PR and marketing strategy.  Whoever made this graphic definitely gets the picture. This new knowledge then needs to be shared with other functions within the company. In the words of Li and Bernoff, "As listening becomes a bigger part of your company, you should integrate the results into corporate decision making," (Li, ...

If you live in the United States, then by now you probably know what a “Bean Boot” is – regardless of where you live. Which is impressive, given this particular boot is a.) Designed specifically for hunting in wet, cold climates and b.) A whopping 106 years old . The ad is from the 80's but the shoe was born in 1912. In a world where trends come and go quicker than our wallets can keep up, L.L. Bean’s signature hunting boot lives on. This shouldn’t be all that shocking, given L.L. Bean’s products have a reputation for reliability and durability. What they haven’t always been is trendy, especially among the younger masses. After all, the boot was designed for a specific functionality. You don’t get more specialized than a “Maine hunting shoe”.   So why is the Bean Boot – and subsequently the entire brand that is L.L. Bean – seeing a massive resurgence, and why now? The answer can be found on Instagram . And it's indicative of a new trend in advertising. ...