| With the rise of Facebook as the world's most popular | | | | around them instead of themselves. |
| social networking platform, marketers area eagerly | | | | Another big mistake that Wal-Mart made was to stray |
| jumping the bandwagon, targeting Facebook users. | | | | away from its core identity as a supermarket that |
| Wal-Mart versus Target on Social Internet Marketing | | | | offer deep discounts. Wal-Mart tried to engage users |
| Campaign on Facebook | | | | by offering fashion and style advice which didn't jive |
| Wal-Mart | | | | well with Facebook users. Instead of focusing on their |
| Focus excessively on their marketing message | | | | core value proposition of deep discount through |
| Restricted comments and feedback to "Wall | | | | offering good discount of back-to-school supplies and |
| Posts" and heavily moderated them | | | | thinking of ways to disarm critics they choose to do |
| Stray from its core brand value of deep discounts | | | | otherwise. |
| to give fashion/style/taste advice to Facebook Users | | | | Wal-Mart has always been a lightening rod due to their |
| 2,000 members participated in their quiz | | | | corporate reputation and labor practices. They ought |
| Target | | | | to know that the moment they go social, negative |
| Open a discussion board and allowed for 2-way | | | | comments and criticism would be part and parcel of |
| conversation. | | | | the campaign that they will have to manage. But |
| Spend time to understand how Facebook users | | | | instead of going open and engage users, they tried to |
| were interacting with each other and turned down the | | | | restrict dialogue and focused on a 1-way |
| volume of their marketing message | | | | communication plan. |
| 7,176 members, 409 photos, 483 pots and hosted | | | | The different in tactics resulted in very different |
| 37 discussion groups | | | | outcomes. Wal-Mart received at least 2,000 members |
| As Target was launching a successful marketing | | | | who participated in their roommate quiz and other |
| campaign on Facebook, Wal-Mart also tested internet | | | | activities. Target on the other side had attracted over |
| marketing on Facebook again but failed to achieve | | | | 7,176 members who post more than 410 photos and |
| much success. | | | | 483 posts. Target also hosted a total of 37 discussion |
| So why did Wal-Mart fail? One killer mistake was to | | | | groups over their entire campaign period. |
| assume social internet marketing as being similar to | | | | Owyang, an analyst at Forrester explained that the |
| offline traditional medium. In offline marketing, the winner | | | | issue had to do with strategy. "Wal-Mart's strategy |
| is usually the one with the loudest volume on their | | | | appears to be more of an interactive Website design, |
| marketing message. In social marketing however, it is | | | | which is evident because it isn't using the discussion |
| often the better listener that enjoys the greater | | | | forum. Target is involving students to shape and be |
| success. | | | | part of the group." |
| While Target was engaging users through discussion | | | | Adopting a Website design in a social environment is |
| boards, Wal-Mart decided to restrict dialogue to "Wall | | | | like driving a nail through your own leg. Limiting |
| Posts" and heavily moderated what was allowed. This | | | | conversation in a social environment and positioning |
| backfired immediately as users soon notice the lack of | | | | themselves as something they were not meant to be |
| 2-way dialogue and started a torrent of anti Wal-Mart | | | | killed Wal-Mart social internet marketing campaign from |
| comments. In contrast, Target made students a part of | | | | the moment it was conceived. |
| their discussion group and to shape the dialogue | | | | |