Ch. 18- Social Media and Marketing

Social media has become one of the largest form of marketing ever. From sponsored ads on Facebook and Instagram to the emails sent from your favorite companies about their latest release and updates, these are the ways that companies get there products to be viewed by customers. Now social media is not only used for advertisements but also for feedback. Companies like to hear what the consumers have to say and with that feedback they can adapt it to their future products. This is all through what is called the “Listening System”. 

UNIQLO, like any other retail store, have a lot of competition since it is in a big market. There are many methods that UNIQLO uses to get their product out there and get feedback. They ask customers to sign up for their email updates, once they are signed up they get a discount for doing so and they get all the promotions right away. Another social network used is advertisements in which they have their HEAT Tech ads all over the place from trains to buses.

UNIQLO also adapts the feedback they get to their products, for example there were a lot of complaints that the Ultra-Light Down jackets weren’t good against water, and so the designers came up with the Water Defenders. Then there were customers that loved the designs that the collaboration collection with MoMA has and they commented that they wanted to get those designs for the Ultra-Light Down jackets, and their wish was UNIQLO’s command because that’s exactly what they got. The designs from famous artist such as Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat.

The common social media such as Facebook and Instagram is a very good way to get consumer feedback, being so, UNIQLO has both. On their Facebook they have about 829,794 likes on their page. They also posted about their newest release on their French line called INES DE LA FRESSANGE. Also about the new feature available online, which is the ability to order online and pick up in store with free shipping and it takes about 2 day.

On Instagram UNIQLO USA has about 72.4k followers and tons of photos but it’s different from their Facebook because their Instagram photos are more artsy and show different variations of outfits whereas their Facebook is more of a newsletter.

Even though these types of networking are popular and used often, UNIQLO also like to do more of an old style approach and have their customers to fill out comment cards where they can say how the service was and make any comments and suggestions they would like. These cards are actually sent to Japan to get reviewed and take in to consideration by the Japanese Headquarters.