Commenting on two classmates' posts

This is my last blog post for my public relations research class. Ending on a positive note, this post is dedicated to recognizing the great job two of my peers did incorporating the use of experimental research into their topics.

My peer Roberta approached her topic of fashion with an experimental research mindset after reading an article about the development of an environmentally friendly clothing. Roberta blogged about the technique the designer/scientist, Suzanne Lee, and the material scientist, Dr. David Hepworth, used to test the materials that were to be used in the biodegradable clothing line. With the goal to be more eco-friendly, the clothes are made of all natural resources including vegetable and fruit composites. This Bio-Couture clothing line research started in 2006 and has produced three complete garments so far. This is great news for eco-friendly fashionistas!

Kayla, a fellow peer, also blogged about the use of experimental research in the fashion industry. Kayla wrote about retail testing being one experimental research method which many clothing stores use to test new clothing lines so that the stores can learn which lines the consumers react positively to and which ones consumers respond negatively to so that they are able to make informed decisions for their bulk clothing orders. This research method also provided information on what factors influence purchasing behavior in person and online. Kayla closed her blog by reinforcing the fact that all research methods are important to the fashion industry.  

Experimental Research

Companies have acknowledged the growing hype that surrounds social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter and they are trying to capitalize on these popular sites. Companies such as VitaminWater have made drastic changes to their advertising approaches using experimental research methods.

Experimental research is a method that enables researchers to test their ideas and get real feedback. VitaminWater showed a great deal of faith in Facebook when they decided to get rid of their official website and rather make their Facebook page their official home site. Their objective was to fully engage with their consumers and establish a relationship with them by encouraging them to ‘like’ VitaminWater's page which is the equivalent to ‘friend-ing’ a company.

Through this experimental method, VitaminWater got priceless information from their consumers about their products, and VitaminWater developed their fan base exponentially in a personable manner. To generate buzz, VitaminWater created a Facebook application called the ‘Flavor Creator Lab’ which was a contest which challenged Facebook fans to create a new VitaminWater flavor named ‘Connect’ inspired by social media. The Facebook fan that inspired the new drink’s flavor, packaging and ingredients won the contest and won $5,000.

This ‘Flavor Creator Lab’ app raised the Facebook fan numbers from 400,000 to 981,000 in one month alone! The VitaminWater fan base has now reached almost 2 million Facebook users. To celebrate the launch of the winner’s drink, black cherry lime, VitaminWater gave away 100,000 free bottles of Connect to the first 100,000 fans who signed up for the coupon on the Facebook page. VitaminWater’s experimental social media campaign has very successful!

Survey Research

Social media is a hot topic at the moment – companies are realizing how the emergence of social media has empowered consumers. Companies know that the key to success is connecting with your target audience and allowing them to voice their opinions. A recent Burson-Marsteller survey analysis made an excellent point when they stated: “Social media has shifted control of the corporate message away from the organization and towards consumers and other stakeholders, and running away and hiding is no longer the safe option.”

The newest survey done by Burson-Marsteller reveals that eighty large organizations out of the top global 100 companies are engaged in social media. The Burson-Marsteller study also reveals that of these high powered companies, most have an average of 4.2 Twitter accounts, 2.1 Facebook pages and 1.6 YouTube channels.

Overall, Twitter was shown to be the social media outlet of choice - 65% of the global top 100 companies have active Twitter accounts. These companies are using the social media platforms to engage with their customers and build a relationship with them – tweeting companies are following an average of 731 people and they are responding to about 38% of people’s tweets.  Companies are also showing their social media savviness by re-tweeting 32% of user comments. This corporate interest in social media reveals to consumers that these companies value their opinions and want to connect to them; this is most definitely winning over customers.