DIG DEEPER CASE STUDY

Eric Sichau MKTG 338:002-Fall 2012Social Media MarketingMrs. Paula MorrisNovember 19th, 2012

• World’s Largest Home Improvement Retailer– 4th-Us– 5-World

• Nationally (50 +DC), US Virgin Islands• Canada, Mexico, China• Motto: “Save Money, Live Better”

– “That’s the power of the home depot”

• Customer Service• Most valued/desired • Top 10 Valued brands- (2010-#3)-$23 Billion • Sterling Reputation

HISTORY

• 1978– Bernard Marcus, Arthur Blank

• Atlanta

• 6/22/1979• 2,000• Low Prices-Do It Yourself• “At the end of the day, we’re in the people business”• “Cultivating a relationship than just a transaction”• Guide customers

– Associates in field

• Variety of products

MORE HISTORY…

• Social Media-Potential Threat• Lose Marketing Message• Drive loyal customers away• Lose personal benefit• Community atmosphere• Come off as pushy• Anxiety-Reputation Strong• Nick Ayres

– Convince Bernard/Arthur-Tangible Benefits

• Translate– Relationships- Associates-Customer

CHALLENGE

• 1st-Review Products– Low risk, demonstrates power, allows for non brand feedback

• June 2010– What is the fastest growing category on YouTube? – http://www.youtube.com/user/homedepot

• Not just traffic to website-Customers are looking for more!• How To Do It?

– Howcast, YouTube, 5 Minutes

• “provide what customers are requesting”– Feedback

• Educational content NOT blatant commercials• Consistency!

– Real associates– New and Relevant Content

STRATEGY

• 6/18/2011– 8 Million Times– 8,000 Subscribers

• Mashable– Top 5 YouTube Marketer

• Videos– Easy to follow– Featured products– Face to a name– Straightforward & Informative

• “Digital Orange Apron” • Blogging

– “How To Community”– Customer Service, Brand Recognition, Perception IS Reality

RESULTS!

• Personal-– What are your perspective employers looking for? – Research-Post more professional presentations– Rock On- Get your fans in your front row!– What is your vision?

• Client – What do your customers value? – What goals is the business planning to accomplish?– How do the customers prefer to be informed?– Customer Service-Value of the customer to business

PERSONAL/CLIENT CONNECTION

• www.homedepot.com• http://www.youtube.com/user/homedepot • http://www.interbrand.com/en/best-global-brands/2012/Best-Global-Brands-2012.aspx • Social Media Marketing-A Strategic Approach Case Study Handout • http://www.google.com/imgres?num=10&hl=en&tbo=d&biw=1280&bih=829&tbm=isch&tbnid=iv4hK_sT9PqlPM:&imgrefurl=http://

www.merchantcircle.com/business/Home.Depot.Atlanta.GA.770-433-8211&docid=rZ15OBAL_Kc5CM&imgurl=http://media.merchantcircle.com/25784020/TheHomeDepot_full_full.png&w=300&h=300&ei=qcqlUJHUGOLa0QHhn4DwAg&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=4&sig=117975109590106194646&page=1&tbnh=144&tbnw=144&start=0&ndsp=26&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0,i:107&tx=59&ty=115

• http://www.google.com/imgres?num=10&hl=en&tbo=d&biw=1280&bih=829&tbm=isch&tbnid=L-2F_G2GFCfSsM:&imgrefurl=http://www.cengage.com/search/showresults.do%3FN%3D16%2B4294922453%2B4294920475&docid=iKFy0odCWWglWM&imgurl=http://www.cengage.com/covers/imageServlet%253FproductISBN13%253D9780538480871&w=150&h=188&ei=isulUMTUKuH00gHApoF4&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=2256&sig=117975109590106194646&page=1&tbnh=150&tbnw=120&start=0&ndsp=29&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0,i:77&tx=82&ty=153

• http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&tbo=d&biw=1280&bih=829&tbm=isch&tbnid=J2tQhdqSu3sXBM:&imgrefurl=http://www.jeffbullas.com/2012/05/23/35-mind-numbing-youtube-facts-figures-and-statistics-infographic/&docid=0N__4MN_fzOScM&imgurl=http://www.jeffbullas.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/35-Mind-Numbing-YouTube-Facts-Figures-and-Statistics-Infographic.png&w=500&h=500&ei=O8ylUKK9PLPF0AH02IDgCA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=516&vpy=183&dur=1897&hovh=145&hovw=145&tx=108&ty=204&sig=117975109590106194646&page=1&tbnh=145&tbnw=145&start=0&ndsp=25&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0,i:107

• http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&tbo=d&biw=1280&bih=829&tbm=isch&tbnid=BCrVhmZI0Qtn7M:&imgrefurl=http://www.georgiaaquarium.org/newsroom/experts/&docid=sd7wO2jzwa_puM&imgurl=http://www.georgiaaquarium.org/media/images/news-room/experts/marcus-large.jpg&w=275&h=361&ei=Z9GlUIPpKZD69gTInoDwBA&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=7&sig=117975109590106194646&page=1&tbnh=141&tbnw=106&start=0&ndsp=30&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0,i:75&tx=47&ty=133

• http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&tbo=d&biw=1280&bih=829&tbm=isch&tbnid=Fcr-XybUfQOxQM:&imgrefurl=http://georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu/tdgh-feb/feb02.htm&docid=lNgYFCGrn2EzBM&imgurl=http://georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu/tdgh-feb/Arthur%252520Blank.jpg&w=349&h=432&ei=VdKlULbvCZDi8gSdoIDQDg&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=6&sig=117975109590106194646&page=1&tbnh=145&tbnw=117&start=0&ndsp=34&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0,i:77&tx=70&ty=151

• http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&tbo=d&biw=1280&bih=829&tbm=isch&tbnid=bTOctylD1swPCM:&imgrefurl=http://www.newhomessection.com/blog/the-home-depot-foundation/2009/05/06/&docid=qmUcFrMtA-UHuM&imgurl=http://www.newhomessection.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/2009/05/home-depot-founders-bernie-marcus-and-arthur-blank-300x198.jpg&w=300&h=198&ei=7dGlUPyBFojE9gTP0YGYDQ&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=4&sig=117975109590106194646&page=1&tbnh=145&tbnw=223&start=0&ndsp=30&ved=1t:429,r:20,s:0,i:136&tx=65&ty=139

SOURCES

• http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&tbo=d&biw=1280&bih=829&tbm=isch&tbnid=Zc9fe5EBN72dCM:&imgrefurl=http://iwep.blogspot.com/2010/03/threat-to-social-media-in-middle-east.html&docid=5MI_O-7gQ8931M&imgurl=http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AEtmu2N2rY8/S5JzpP5BXFI/AAAAAAAAAls/SSz08hYsQuw/s320/social%252Bmedia%252Bthreat%252Bin%252Bmiddle%252Beast.JPG&w=320&h=272&ei=I9alUL-AMIWm8ATot4HICg&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=7&sig=117975109590106194646&page=2&tbnh=148&tbnw=174&start=27&ndsp=31&ved=1t:429,r:33,s:0,i:175&tx=96&ty=159

• http://www.google.com/imgres?num=10&hl=en&tbo=d&biw=1280&bih=829&tbm=isch&tbnid=uWBUr4t9RPsjSM:&imgrefurl=http://new.pentagram.com/2009/07/new-work-howcast/&docid=lunrrS6Hv5btVM&imgurl=http://pentagram.com/en/Howcast_Logo_Blue.jpg&w=450&h=126&ei=ydilUJWRKIue8gTv4oCACw&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=5&sig=117975109590106194646&page=1&tbnh=73&tbnw=264&start=0&ndsp=25&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0,i:97&tx=114&ty=118

• http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&tbo=d&biw=1280&bih=829&tbm=isch&tbnid=fiwF8zACyASC2M:&imgrefurl=http://www.tipnest.com/top-ten-cool-websites-tools-week-2/&docid=R34-UFkj5RLEHM&imgurl=http://www.tipnest.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/5-min-video.jpg&w=225&h=225&ei=N9mlUPHQKJHe8ATktYGgAg&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=3&sig=117975109590106194646&page=2&tbnh=136&tbnw=136&start=30&ndsp=30&ved=1t:429,r:45,s:0,i:211&tx=61&ty=133

• http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&tbo=d&biw=1280&bih=829&tbm=isch&tbnid=LZDIZmNnknEV4M:&imgrefurl=http://hollywoodjuicer.blogspot.com/2010_04_01_archive.html&docid=kALKGXnrNL4WTM&imgurl=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9lwfCyqtFNA/S89jtFtH5yI/AAAAAAAAAYY/eVaDw_2XOR8/s1600/Home%252BDepot.jpg&w=354&h=351&ei=J9ulULb4L5GI9gSulYAI&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=581&sig=117975109590106194646&page=1&tbnh=136&tbnw=138&start=0&ndsp=28&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0,i:77&tx=46&ty=146

• http://www.google.com/imgres?num=10&hl=en&tbo=d&biw=1280&bih=829&tbm=isch&tbnid=P6ea_HLekbxHOM:&imgrefurl=http://mashable.com/2011/05/09/connect-with-mashable/&docid=YGfogSbz9JlbjM&imgurl=http://4.mshcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/mashable_crowd_360x225.png&w=360&h=225&ei=6dulUKiMKY6w8ATzsIGwDg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=213&vpy=367&dur=3777&hovh=138&hovw=221&tx=109&ty=170&sig=117975109590106194646&page=1&tbnh=138&tbnw=221&start=0&ndsp=23&ved=1t:429,r:6,s:0,i:130

• http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&tbo=d&biw=1280&bih=829&tbm=isch&tbnid=-mSbl4bvXcq71M:&imgrefurl=http://www.ciyoudixonlaw.com/family-law/divorce/the-threat-of-social-media-in-divorce/&docid=tAstl7eRg0SsSM&imgurl=http://ciyoudixonlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/The-Threat-Of-Social-Media-in-Divorce-300x297.jpg&w=300&h=297&ei=I9alUL-AMIWm8ATot4HICg&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=4&sig=117975109590106194646&page=1&tbnh=153&tbnw=155&start=0&ndsp=27&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0,i:80&tx=72&ty=174

SOURCES