As I have said before – No it isn’t dead, but the old rules certainly don’t apply anymore. Marketing is a new beast, and it is migrating to the web in a massive wave. Part 3 of this 4 part series is about viral marketing. I found this particular subject so interesting and helpful, I wrote an entire article on Levi’s and their efforts. This is a watered down version – you can find the full article here, And The Levi’s Project Runway Winner is… Levi’s!
Levi’s is a brand that has withstood the test of time. Providing the U.S. with jeans since 1873, it is a brand that you would think, could stay strong forever.
Not so. Levi’s sales began to slip after they peaked in 1996 at $7.1 billion. In November of 2007, sales dropped to about $5.1 billion. That’s a 2 billion dollar loss! What happened? What could they do to stop the bleeding?
First – Levi’s hired Philip A. Marineau, Levi Strauss & Co.’s (new) chief executive, known for successfully giving brands a shot of caffeine. Second, they decided to withdraw all sales of Levi’s online, a struggling and expensive effort. Lastly – they got with the new marketing age, the internet.
Partnering with the cult fashion favorite cable show, Project Runway they created a tie-in website and fashion design contest. With a few viral marketing strategies, peppering the social blog and networking sphere, and the show tie-in contest content sharing among that community – they hit gold.
This my friends is the way it should be done. This is the way of the present and future. “But Levi’s has the huge budget to pull this off! I don’t have that kind of budget!” Actually anyone can do this – no matter your budget. You can start with a company blog, do a link exchange with your colleagues (or Gasp! Your competition!) and use it as a marketing tool without restrictions. You’re smart – you can come up with a great online marketing plan! If you need assistance, E-Mail ME – or post a comment and we can toss the ball together.