Facebook Campaign Connects Bank with What Makes its Fans Happy
From a recent social media campaign, UK bank First Direct has enough happiness to last it a long, long while. Its promotion “Pictures of Happiness” utilized a Facebook app to crowd-source “photos of happiness” from fans. The contest not only awarded great prizes for the best submissions, but it also fed the user content into an ad campaign for the bank.
The Financial Brand declares, “From a marketing perspective, this is a win-win.” In an article about the promotion (5 Lessons From First Direct’s ‘Pictures of Happiness’ Facebook Promo), it details some of the things First Direct did right, including seeing beyond page “likes,” providing clear instructions about participation and housing a gallery of the photos on its website.
Here’s something else the bank did right: participate in social media in a way that is more brand-like than bank-like. Though more and more banks and financial institutions have presences on Facebook, Twitter and other social platforms, many remain fearful, and many still seem confused about what they can or should do.
But consider this: First Direct’s “Pictures of Happiness” promotion has nothing at all to do with banking. Connecting itself with happiness in its fans’ minds (and in the minds of customers and prospects who see the associated ad campaign) has everything to do with branding. And when it comes to branding, social marketing represents a vast area of opportunity for banks and other financial institutions.
