You Can Go Elf Yourself!
December 22, 2010
It’s the holidays. In the world of marketing and advertising, it’s time for the catchy jingles, celebrity endorsement commercials and festive store window displays. Let’s not forget fun social media campaigns, which are quickly rising as one of the most effective means of affecting the bottom line. My all-time favorite holiday social media campaign? The infamous Elf Yourself campaign by OfficeMax, launched in 2007.
The Elf Yourself campaign was created out of necessity for OfficeMax, who had seen a drop in overall sales that fiscal year. They needed an effective marketing tool that drove traffic to their store during a time when office supply stores weren’t at the top of the holiday shopping destination list. The innovative site, www.elfyourself.com, allowed users to upload faces of themselves (or family and friends) and paste them on tiny holiday elves to create a customized e-card. A toll-free number allowed users to record a personalized greeting, which was then altered to sound chipmunk-esque, to accompany the festive dancing elves. The e-card was free to create and send.
The Elf Yourself impact was phenomenal, especially in terms of social media results. Take a look at these numbers:
• OfficeMax saw a 190% increase to its web-traffic and a sustained increase in online and walk-in sales.
• They saw over 193 million site visits to their site, tracked from the Elf Yourself website.
• Over 123 million elves were created (60 elves per second!)
• Users spent a combined average of 2,600 years on the Elf Yourself site
• ElfYourself.com was ranked #51 most visited website in the world (results from HitWise Intelligence)
The Elf Yourself campaign was featured on CNN , ABC World News, Good Morning America, The Today Show, TNT Sports News, Fox News, Rosie O’Donnell’s blog, and the Ellen DeGeneres Show, among other media opportunities.
The entire campaign cost OfficeMax nothing more than a website. Elizabeth McDowell, the co-creator of Elf Yourself, says the success of the campaign was in part due to three golden rules: “Keep it simple, make it personal, and give people a reason to pass it on.” It is still one of the most popular holiday e-cards of 2010.
What does this mean for social media and marketing for retailers this holiday season? For the most part, they have realized the importance of interacting with their consumers in order to increase their bottom line. In fact, a recent study from CorporateEye.com reported that a staggering 75% of respondents stated they would be investing in social media marketing this holiday season. 92% reported they would be investing in some form of marketing on Facebook, followed by 60% on Twitter, 20% on YouTube and 8% on other platforms. While some forms of traditional advertising are still effective (we all know the adorable polar bear commercials where the baby always gets his Coca-Cola, and that the silver jingling bells in a simple commercial are really Hershey’s Kisses), but unless you are a conglomerate monster, big budget spending just isn’t in your stocking this year. Retailers hope that rumors of an economic upswing are accurate, and so far this holiday season consumers tend to agree, spending on average $688.87 per household (as reported by The National Retail Federation). For more statistics on holiday shopping trends, click here.
Here are some other social media campaigns I love this season:
What I liked about Best Buy’s campaign last year was their social media tie-in with the Twelpforce Carolers offering gift advice…and the YouTube behind-the-scenes footage of actual employees auditioning for the parts. They also have a strong Facebook and Twitter presence (who hasn’t used the @twelpforce for electronics advice at least once?). Their Facebook page features elf characters, with fun photos, gift polls and other applications that reflect the quirky elf character’s personality.
eBay’s online presence has seen some hefty competition in recent years with other sites such as Amazon and Etsy. eBay has become more creative with their campaigning, especially this holiday. This year, they offered Gifts Nearby, popular gifts from major retailers that customers can pick up in store. They have a loyal following on Facebook and Twitter as well, which features up-to-date sales and promotions. On Facebook, eBay starts discussions with sales news or by pasting posts from sites such as Chow. As for Twitter, eBay’s handles are completely holiday themed, including a “12 Days of Deals” program, which features a deeply discounted item each day.