Social Media Public Relations (PR) Campaign

Introduction

This paper focuses on social media application by an organization to effectively establish public relations (PR) and promote marketing. The primary role of public relations is to publicly send messages to established and potential customers about the services and products provided by an organization (Fadaei, 2016). Thus, PR is used to build relationships and manage reputations through communication and maintaining a degree of goodwill between a company and its public. The selected company is Red Mango LLC, and it has its headquarters in Dallas, Texas. Red Mango uses social media, especially Twitter to communicate with its consumers and talk about frozen yogurt smoothies. It is through this social media platform that Red Mango can communicate and engage with its audience. The company has a solid following on its platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube), which is a reflection of how many people use each site (Red Mango, 2015). Although the company uses several social media platforms, this paper will focus on the use of Twitter as its media campaign platform.

Red Mango LLC, and its Campaign

The internet has created a global village and altered how news is communicated and distributed across the globe. For instance, it has allowed people to have access to information in real-time and anywhere they need it. The internet has provided a platform for the growth of social media. Social media is the “collective term for all the various social network and community sites including online applications as logs, podcasts, reviews, and wikis where users can add their content but do not have control over the site” (Charlesworth, 2014, p. 292). Thus, social media allows people to share information through online social interactions and platforms. Smith and Vardiabasis (2010) contended that marketers use social media to reach their targeted consumers and to realize exponential growth as well as share consumers’ feelings and desires. Social media platforms are used as advertising and communication channels. Kirat (2007) pointed out that online is a primary medium that is used by PR practitioners rationally and efficiently for effective relations. Thus, as a new medium, the internet has emerged as a crucial communications tool for PR practitioners that allows social media networks such as Twitter to reach the targeted audience (Safko & Brake, 2009).

Established in 2003 by Daniel J. Kim, Red Mango is a fast-growing retailer of low-fat frozen and all-natural nonfat yogurt and fresh fruit smoothies. The company has more than 270 stores across the United States (U.S.), Central America, and Mexico. It is a national brand that drives traffic locally by targeting the local people. The company started building friendly stores with the intent to attract and encourage consumers to relax and linger similar to coffee shops (Red Mango, 2015). However, with the continued change in technology, the company has increased its presence on social media platforms, which are used to directly communicate and interact with its consumers. Twitter is one of the social media platforms, that is based on online media and it provides businesses with instantaneous worldwide communication with already existing customers and possible customers. Evans, Twomey, and Talan (2011) found out that Twitter was a valuable marketing tool that can offer information in a succinct, quick, and directed manner, and this makes it an effective tool for public relations. Red Mango joined Twitter in September 2008, and it has 583,000 followers. It is through Twitter that Red Mango can advertise and create public relations with its targeted audience.

Red Mango uses Twitter as a communication tool for advertisement and PR purposes. With almost 600,000 followers, the Twitter account for Red Mango is used to promote both brand and product awareness. Red Mango uses subtle product promotion posts, which go beyond the normal advertising purposes to PR to create credibility and forge building relationships with the audience (Evans et al., 2011).  The company uses Twitter to provide its audience with current content and promotions that are provided in appropriate language and lengths. Additionally, the company links its Twitter messages with Facebook and this ensures that all its customers are engaged in a conversation and long-lasting public relations.  Figure 1 below is a tweet used by Red Mango to reach its followers.

 Figure 1: Red Mango Tweet. Source: Red Mango. (2017).

Figure 1 shows that Red Mango not only uses its social media account to reach the targeted audience but also acts as a PR platform. For instance, it uses trending hashtags which make a platform for newsjacking, resulting in greater visibility and affinity. As pointed out by Evans et al. (2011), Twitter provides companies such as Red Mango with a form of communication that is not provided by other social media applications. For instance, the message provided in the Twitter account for Red Mango creates relationships with current consumers and potential ones. In addition, Twitter has been an incredibly valuable tool for public relations by Red Mango as it provides real-time insights and enables interactions between the organization and its customers. Such an interaction offers a platform whereby consumers and managers of the company can communicate and exchange ideas.  In addition, it allows anybody who wants to participate in a conversion to be part of it (Safko & Brake, 2009). Thus, Twitter as a social media campaign for Red Mango is a fundamental channel that has been used to create social connections, engage where relevant, and listen to conversations. It provides a real-time check on what topics are trending at the time, questions consumers have, and any issues that damage the reputation of the company (Smith & Vardiabasis, 2010). As such, Twitter for Red Mango is an effective tool that has been used to promote PR. The primary drawback of using Twitter is the negative publicity it can create. So far, Red Mango has not received negative publicity on its social media campaign when using Twitter. This is because the organization listens to its online audience and engages in online conversations.

Conclusion

Red Mango uses social media, especially Twitter to communicate, advertise, and create PR campaigns. The company has a solid following on its Twitter account. The company uses Twitter to advertise its frozen yogurt and smoothies and to participate in a conversation with its audience in real time. It uses subtle promotion posts and trending hashtags to move beyond the conventional advertisement to more engaging topics, hence public relations. Lastly, uses its Twitter account to create relationships, engage the public, and manage its reputation as a company that offers natural and low-fat content products.

References

Charlesworth, A. (2014). Digital marketing: A practical approach, New York, NY: Taylor & Francis.

Evans, A., Twomey, J., Talan, S. (2011). Twitter as a public relations tool. Public Relations Journal, 5(1), 1-20.

Fadaei, M. (2016). Investigating the effect of internet marketing on customers’ decision to purchase (case study: Amico Industrial Group). International Journal of Information, Business and Management, 8(2), 134-144. 

Kirat, M. L. (2007). Promoting online media relations: Public relations department’s use of the Internet in the UAE. Public Relations Review, 33(2), 166-174. doi: 10.1016/j.pubrev.2007.02.003.

Safko, L. & Brake, D. K. (2009). The social media bible. tactics, tools, and strategies for business success. New Jersey, N.J: John Wiley and Sons

Smith, W. R & Vardiabasis, D. (2010). Using social media as a competitive advantage: The case of small businesses, Problems and Perspectives in Management, 8(4), 193-197.