UGC, short for user-generated content is essentially videos, blogs, images, files, and any other type of content that’s created by consumers of the brand. It’s becoming increasingly powerful as it not helps consumers build connections with the brand, it also allows them to gain a better understanding of the product and service from other consumers.
Gone are the days where companies only focused on branded content. In the digital world, the amount of marketing noise surrounding consumers is aplenty, and most of them tend to tune out branded content.
With UGC however, consumers are now more engaged, and able to have a more authentic dialogue with the brand while building relationships that surpass those of superficial influencer marketing and sceptical advertising.
With UGC on the rise, and an essential building block for brands to better connect to their consumers, how have some brands utilised user-generated content to build relationships?
Keeping it Real
Aerie – a women’s clothing company that’s famous for being real about the models that they use in their advertising campaigns, had a simple yet extremely powerful UGC campaign that resonated with what the company stood for.
Staying on the note of self-esteem and natural beauty, the company made a pledge to stop retouching photos of models in swim wear, while donating $1 to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) for every Instagram user that posted an unedited photo of themselves in a swimsuit with the hashtag #AerieReal.
With this UGC campaign, Aerie raised over $15,000 for an important cause. In this case, people were involved in something that was bigger than just the business, and resonated with the message that Aerie was communicating.
Simple yet effective
Sometimes, it isn’t about having an overly complicated campaign. Starbucks for example, has their #RedCupContest over the course of winter to promote their seasonal holiday beverages. The campaign is simple, Starbucks drinkers just need to submit an image of their coffees, and stand a chance to win a hefty Starbucks gift card.
Even though it’s a simple campaign, it garnered plenty of posts, and traction. Not only is the prize appealing for fans of Starbucks, it also promotes a seasonal campaign, and encourages creativity. Unsurprisingly, it also generates sales since customers have to buy a red cup first.
While it helps that Starbucks is a well-known brand, this simple contest also helps to generate buzz around the winter period. It does help of course, that this UGC campaign also has an attractive prize included in the mix.
Hilarious yet memorable
Spotify has always had brilliant UGC campaigns. One of my favourite ones however, was the campaign where Spotify used some of the weird yet wonderful playlist names that some of the listeners have come up with as part of their advertising campaign.
These bizarre titles created by listeners were blown up onto advertisements that caught the attention of many due to its light-hearted tone. It was also relatable, as people understand the struggle of coming up with descriptive names for their playlists.
Most importantly however, it tells a story without an in-your-face branding message, and seamlessly communicates with simple storytelling.
More than meets the eye
At the end of the day, there are many different ways to build relationships with UGC. While many companies might think that it needs to be a large-scale campaign that requires copious amounts of money, and a complicated message, it doesn’t have to be the case. While extensive planning is required, brands of all sizes can create a UGC campaign, and the results can be both cost-effective and rewarding.
With consumers becoming numb to traditional media methods, UGC is becoming increasingly prevalent, and can be a differentiator for brands in being both liked and trusted by consumers.
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