Hyundai Construction Equipment

Background:

Hyundai Construction Equipment sought a Marketing Associate to manage their social media and re-branding of the website. After learning some of Hyundai's goals (and pain points), I put together this case study for them.

As I learned, their main focus was increasing brand awareness; I was also informed (this has since changed), they did not have a way to track metrics for their social media campaigns.

• As a result, I first researched Hootsuite and 7 of their main competitors (Sprout Social, Buffer, etc.)

• Hyundai wanted to place more focus on visual elements going forward (think: Facebook Live, Instagram Ads, YouTube and/or Vimeo)

• Additionally, I spent several hours researching social media trends for 2018.

• I also brainstormed live event ideas for future content creation efforts.

As a result of my research, I recommend focusing their efforts primarily on Facebook and Instagram ads to start. Then, as Hyundai creates and acquires more video content, they can shift their focus towards video channels.

Many of these social media content ideas can also be implemented for their email campaigns and website.

Recommended Channel Marketing Mix:

Hyundai Image 1

35% Instagram

30% Facebook

20% Twitter

10% LinkedIn

5% YouTube or Vimeo

Social Media Content Ideas:

• Links to Landing Pages

• Links to E-Blasts

• Special Promotions/Rebates

• Industry-Related Events and Trade Shows

• Holidays/Awareness Days (i.e. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Cancer, Mental Health, etc.)

• Non-Profit Sponsorships

• Ex: Habit for Humanity, Boys-N-Girls Club, 4-H, Partnerships with Local Schools, etc.

• Dealer Spotlight/Testimonials, i.e. Top Sellers

• End User Spotlight/Testimonials, i.e. Construction Companies Using Hyundai’s Equipment

• Hyundai’s Employee of the Month

• FAQs/Statistics

• Equipment Maintenance Tips

• Giveaways/Swag

• Product Photos

• Product Videos

• Infographics

• Slideshows (PowerPoint Can Convert Slideshows to Video)

• Live Events/Product Demonstrations

Live Event Ideas:

Event #1: Career Day/Product Demonstrations for Local Schools:

High Schools with Technical Programs:

• Maxwell High School of Technology

• Construction

• Electronics

• HVAC

• Maintenance & Light Repair (Automotive Services)

• Metals (Welding)

• Programming (Apps and Game Design)

• Grayson Technical High School

• IT/Programming

Colleges with Construction Management Programs:

• Atlanta Technical College

• Georgia Southern University

• Gwinnett Technical College

• Southern Polytechnic

• ITT Tech

• Ogeechee Technical College

• Georgia Tech

• Kennesaw State

• Savannah Tech

• Other Related Degree Programs: Automotive, Electronics, Architecture, Civil Engineering, Project Management, Warehousing & Logistics

Vision:

• Hyundai could host high school students and faculty to a tour of the Norcross facility.

• Hyundai to provide product demonstrations and lunch.

• Hyundai could also partner with local colleges to discuss construction-related degree programs, entrance criteria, scholarships and/or grants available.

• A separate event could be held for college seniors who are pursuing degrees in Construction Management and related fields.

• For both events: Hyundai could partner with a local dealer(s) who can answer in-depth product or construction-related questions.

Goals:

• Build brand awareness from a young age.

• Hyundai’s equipment is “school bus yellow,” therefore, Hyundai’s current branding may resonate more with students than competitors’ branding.

• Students can reminisce about Tonka toys they grew up with.

• Recruit for entry-level/blue collar positions with Hyundai.

• Provide career-pathing for white collar positions with Hyundai.

• Amplify students’ interest in the Construction Field and related industries.

• While many students will work in hands-on construction, others may pursue a career in sales, architecture, civil engineering, PMO, etc. It is still beneficial for students to have early exposure/product knowledge for future equipment purchasing/leasing decisions.

• If students’ families already work in a skilled trade like construction, then a Lunch-N-Learn event could help strengthen their brand loyalty.

• Content for social media, blogs, e-blasts, etc.

Event #2: Habitat for Humanity Day

Vision:

• A company-sponsored holiday or “free day off” from work to volunteer on a Habitat for Humanity build.

Goals:

• Community brand recognition.

• Networking opportunities with local contractors.

• Provide office employees with a better understanding of the products/end user.

• Content for social media, blogs, e-blasts, etc.

General Branding Needs for This Role:

1. A copy of the brand guidelines, i.e. writing style, font f(x), image guidelines, logo rules and/or pantone colors.

2. Access to previous marketing materials, vector files and/or product pamphlets to learn Hyundai’s product offerings faster.

3. Creation of a repository/collateral manager in order to assist product dealers with their marketing needs.

4. What is the social media marketing budget?

5. What metrics would we like to track? Ex: CTNs, tracking URLs, landing pages, QR codes, and dashboards like Hootsuite?

6. Marketing Associate to meet with the web developer to ensure we are on the same page regarding future website changes or updates.

Supporting Research:

According to Smart Insights: • 2018 is the year to test chatbots for your business - 24/7 customer service on demand.

• Social Media “Stories” will lead to the popularity of short term content. - More authentic communications, high-quality content, incentivizes fast action by followers. Create a strategy around your story and invest time and thought. (https://www.smartinsights.com/social-media-marketing/craft-engaging-instagram-story/)

• Influencer marketing will continue to be popular.- It is important for brands to be thoughtful regarding which influencers they want to work and be associated with. Who will help deliver the best ROI? Maintaining complex relationships that require personalized messaging based on who the influencer is.

• Video is still king! - In 2017, 90% of all content shared on social media was video. Ensure all your video content is high quality and engaging, capturing your audience's attention in mere seconds. Use tools such as Facebook Live and Instagram Live to create new and exciting content. Video is the fastest growing ad format in the world. By 2020, video will make up 80% of all online consumer internet traffic!

According to Social Media Examiner:

While brands might be great generators of content/advertising spend, the strength of social channels lies in community/authentic sharing. Brands will need to humanize themselves to acquire and retain fans.

We will see a shift to brands creating a separate Facebook group that’s tailor-made for their niche. Ex: A doctor having a group page for local runners.

Preference should be given to lifestyle photography when possible, and illustrations should be reserved for product explanations.

In terms of video content, brands are going to get more personal and collaborative by bringing fans, customers, and employees into more of the stories.OneMob and Loom can be used for creating professional looking videos.

Facebook (FB):

The rising cost of FB ads (and the new algorithm) will make it important to diversify content platforms and generate leads for free. YouTube has a lot of untapped potential for this. In 2018, Facebook Watch (currently for select content creators) will expand to all people and pages on FB. We will probably see FB roll out new video features as well.500 million+ people are watching video on FB every single day. FB reviews will become key assets. If you boost a positive review or media attention, you can control what prospective customers will see.Recommendations are being made to post less, but boost key content more (saves money). Use FB video on your page as a growth engine to get more organic reach and drive traffic to your website.

LinkedIn (LI): LI has been adding video and geo-filters to their personal accounts. Connect with users over age 35 who work for large businesses. CEOS/C-suite will become the company’s biggest marketer! We will see more “Hero Stories” – “I/our business had a problem/faced adversity. Here is how I/we discovered a solution/positive lessons learned.”

Twitter: Twitter has been ignored by brands but will see a resurgence since ad costs are going up on Facebook and AdWords.

Instagram: Instagram is positioning itself as a platform for businesses to acquire more brand engagement. On Instagram the competition for hashtags is going to be fierce, but first-adopters will have a great advantage.

Tips for Handling the Facebook Algorithm Update:

(For more information go here!)

As we know, company FB pages help with SEO, adds credibility, and is great for customer service. The effort it takes to post regularly is worth having a professional-looking page populated with recent, quality updates.

Follow These Tips: 1. Invest in paid content and video in order to reach the right audience. 2. Consider influencers, word-of-mouth and user-generated content. 3. Use self-contained (i.e. no links) posts to garner conversation among your followers. Anything that keeps people hanging out on the platform talking will win out in social media algorithms. 4. Refocus your efforts on the channels you can control, like email marketing which offers reliable reach.