Social Media: A Strategy for Zara

Social Media: A Strategy for Zara

Ellie Deane 10014551

Final Major Project FA3T03

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CONTENTS:

Introduction Chapter 1: Facebook  Proposed Strategy  Key points  Existing account  Mock-up of proposed alterations Chapter 2: Twitter  Proposed Strategy  Key points  Existing account  Mock-up of proposed alterations Chapter 3: YouTube  Proposed Strategy  Key points  Existing account  Mock-up of proposed alterations Chapter 4: Instagram  Proposed Strategy  Key points  Existing account  Mock-up of proposed alterations Other social media sites & means of communication Conclusion References

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Introduction Social media marketing has become an integral part of daily practise when it comes to retail companies. It is one of the easiest, fastest and cheapest ways for businesses to contact and interact with their customers. It was recently reported in a journal titled ‘Beyond the like button’ by Rebecca Walker Naylor et al that “By 2011, approximately 83% of Fortune 500 companies were using some form of social media to connect with consumers. Furthermore, surveys suggest that consumers are increasingly relying on social media to learn about unfamiliar brands.”i The impact of social media is something that is a topic at the forefront of discussion among academics and business folk alike. Journals are being written and articles being published at an ever increasing rate in order to give people informed arguments and opinions based on the pro’s and con’s of its use. In a journal titled ‘Are social media replacing traditional media in terms of brand equity creation’ by M. Bruhn et al it is stated that “Social media in addition to traditional marketing communication instruments exerts an important impact on a brand’s success” It then goes on to say that “According to a study conducted by Nielsen (2009a), 70 per cent of internet users trust the evaluations of consumers on social media platforms.”ii It is for this reason that it is becoming increasingly important for brands to join in with social media, as the things they say, post or tweet could encourage a person to part with their hard earned money.

In an interview for an article written for fashion business website Drapers, general marketing manager for Ann Summers, Ruth Ross said the following about the brands social media marketing strategy: “Knowing your customer is the heartland of social media. If you know your customer and your tone and message is correct, you can engage with them in the right way.

They want to know you’re their friend and you’re there to talk to them. The social content we do is relevant to what our customers want. Yes, we do incentives and competitions, but most of our activity is around listening to our customers and engaging with them.”iii Using social media in this way builds upon brand loyalty. With dominant competition in the retail world between the stores which share the high street, it is increasingly important that they focus on other ways to make their customers happy, not just by selling the right things. Good customer service and professionalism go a long way in making a difference as to whether or not a customer returns to a store, be it a physical store, or online.

In the fashion retail business sector in particular, the experience is as much of an important factor as the purchase itself. This is evident at events such as London Fashion Week, in which the catwalk show is not just about displaying new garments on models; the lights, sounds and people build an atmosphere. There was a time when the London fashion week experience was available only to a select few.

Coveting tickets and the secrecy of the closed off locations meant that the general public would not know anything about what was shown until it was reported in magazines such as Vogue and Elle. However, in today’s world of advanced 3

technology, it is possible for people previously thought of as ‘outsiders’ to be seeing everything happen live, just as the specially invited guests are seeing it. As reported on in an article published on the Guardian website on 13th February 2013, “You can settle down at your laptop and watch most of the shows live on YouTube while following backstage goings-on in real time via Instagram and Twitter.”iv In terms of gauging which social media network is most suitable for each brand, it is important to establish the target demographic of the customer, and which social media site they are most likely to use. In an article published online by the Marketing Prof’s website, they analysed data about social media collected from the Pew Research Centre in America.

Figure 1 Image from an article titled "Social Network Demographics" on the marketingprofs.com website

This showed that Facebook is the dominant social media site used by the majority of people. Reportedly, the figures showed that “Facebook is more popular among younger adults: 86% of those age 18-29 use the site, compared with 73% of those age 30-49, 57% of those age 50-64, and 35% of those age 65+”v followed secondly

by Twitter. Interestingly, whilst Facebook users are predominantly female, Twitter users are equally male and female – something for menswear brands to keep in mind.

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Chapter 1: Facebook Facebook was the first main social networking website of its kind that connected people all over the world. There had previously been sites popular amongst internet savvy people in the United Kingdom such as MySapce and Bebo; however these had a fairly limited user age bracket in comparison (typically popular amongst 10-17 years olds). Launched in 2004, Facebook now officially has over one billion users; 618 million of those people use the site on a daily basis.vi According to a report by Stream Social, as reported by Forbes Magazine, the number of active users rose by 35% during the first quarter of 2013.vii In a journal titled ‘The Power of “like”’ written by Andrew Lipsman et al in 2011, it stated that “Facebook It accounts for 90 per cent of all time spent on social-networking sites.

Facebook users spend more than a fourth of their time on the site consuming and interacting with the Facebook Newsfeed.” This means that Facebook is still the go-to social networking site for the majority of people, and is therefore a perfect place for brands to connect with their customers.

With the introduction of the now infamous ‘like’ button on February 9th 2009viii, users were given the opportunity to share their opinions with their friends. This has been a crucial innovation by Facebook in terms of the site’s popularity amongst its users as well as other companies. This is due to the fact that it has enabled companies who have set up pages with the site to gain instant approval or disapproval from the people that are fans of theirs, which is a crucial tool in building upon brand loyalty.

Fashion brands in particular are able to post an image of a new garment and quickly discover whether or not their fans approve by analysing the number of ‘likes’ it has received, and can also hear what they have to say about it by reading the comments below the post. Because of this, designers are able to use social networking sites such as Facebook as instant and more convenient focus groups that the traditional kind. This saves money and time, as well as being able to get opinions from an extremely diverse set of people from all over the world.

The re designed timeline introduced by Facebook in March 2012 made the social networking site worked in the favour of fashion brands in particular. Gone were the days of heavy Facebook branding, and little space to ‘make it your own’, the new layout and cover photo space made it easier for brands to put their mark on their page.

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Figure 2 Reiss's Facebook Page

Figure 3 H&M's Facebook Page

As discussed in a report by fashion’s go-to site for information, WGSN, they stated that the new timeline meant that “It’s about regular updates, insights and campaigns based on current day, but so too is it a beautiful opportunity to focus on the heritage of your brand” the report then went on to say that “Facebook remains the most important social media platform for marketers if anything because of its sheer size.”ix It is advised that Zara use Facebook as the main platform for all of their social networking activity. This strategy is based on comments made by Tracy Yaverbaun, Director of Retail, Luxury & Fashion Partnerships at Facebook when she was interviewed by Drapers, the online fashion business website. She stated that “Fashion retailers need to think of Facebook as a part of their overall strategy. It shouldn’t be approached in isolation or solely as a place to push promotions or highlight products. Advanced brands on Facebook understand the balance between brand-led storytelling, showcasing products, and listening to and rewarding fans. The strategy should tie back to business objectives and provide utility and entertainment to customers.”x 6

Proposed Facebook Strategy: As shown on the mock-up of their redesigned Facebook page as featured on page 9 of this document, it is proposed that they have links that direct their fans to their Twitter, YouTube and Instagram sites, giving fans ease of access across all of the brands platforms in order to see what each site has to offer them. As touched upon by the report by WGSN mentioned previously, regular updates are also crucial when it comes to Facebook (as well as all social networking sites).

Zara do not currently interact with their Facebook page on a regular basis, and it is therefore suggested that they have a dedicated team of social networking customer service staff replying to posts by customers. Zara have stores situated in many countries around the world, and therefore have comments made by fans of their Facebook page using many different languages. It is therefore recommended that they ensure that there are bilingual employees working in their social media department in order to answer these questions and queries in a punctual and accurate way.

It is advised that they update their Facebook page with regular news and information, on a daily basis. This can be updated with a variety of things such as images of new garments from their Woman, TRF, Man & Kids collections, competitions, and questions posed to their fans in order to gain a response and engage in a conversation with the customers. It is also recommended that Zara use their Facebook page as an opportunity to share the history of the brand. It is suggested that they post about significant land marks in the brands history such as when and where the company began, when they first launched their e-commerce site, the opening of their London flagship store at Park House, Oxford Street, and similar significant insights into what is usual a fairly secretive brand.

Putting these recommendations into practice will help Zara establish a more solid connection between themselves and their customers. They are simple, cost effective suggestions that will instantly build upon brand loyalty and ensure that their customers are happy with the service that they are receiving.

Key Points: 1. Regular daily updates with:  Images of new garments  Competitions  Questions 2. Teach fans the history of the brand.

3. Links to other social media platform 7

EXISTING FACEBOOK PAGE

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MOCK UP OF PROPOSED ALERATIONS

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Chapter 2: Twitter Twitter is known as a social network in which people can ‘follow’ their favourite companies, brands and celebrities, making them feel like they are closer to people that in the past have only been heard from when reported on in the newspapers and magazines. Giving ‘ordinary people’ the opportunity to speak to previously off-limits members of society, Twitter slightly closes this gap and encourages conversation.

Most notably is the twitter account of American President Barack Obama (@barackobama), who famously used the site to gain supporters and help his campaign. He has over thirty million followers and is in the top five people on Twitter who have the most followers,s accompanied by pop stars Justin Bieber (@justinbieber), Lady Gaga (@ladygaga), Katy Perry (@katyperry) & Rhianna (@rhianna).

In 2011 Twitter reported statistics that showed that the social networking platform had over 200 million users, that post over 140 million “tweets” per day. Despite this Twitter (and other social networking sites) are often thought of as being popular with the younger generation; in a recent journal article written by Jay M. Bernhardt et al they quoted Madden and Zickuhr, (2011) who said that “current trends of high growth among older users dispel this idea”. Typically however, Twitters users are both men and woman ages between 18 and 29 year of ages, and live in urban locations more often than rural.xi Twitter is also a beneficial social media site to be utilised as a tool by brands in order to communicate with their followers in an instant way. Using a maximum of one hundred and forty characters, it limits the user to be as considerate with their wording as possible which allows followers to read what people have posted in a matter of seconds. Is important when it comes to Twitter that the brand update it regularly, as this will build upon brand loyalty. Otherwise, it is a possibility that it could hinder the brands reputation with its fans as they will appear not to be making as much of an effort to interact with them as their competitors. The idea of constantly posting tweets from a brand’s account is something that WGSN discussed in their most recent social media report, stating that Dan Lumb, e-commerce director at Reiss recently highlighted at the 2012 Drapers Ecommerce Conference that “Twitter is a place where everyone can say anything about the brand at any time, so it’s important to make sure the weekends are covered too.”xii Using Twitter as a base for customer service is an idea that many businesses including fashion brands have adopted. Jonathan Hudson, the person in charge of social and mobile content for the Shop Direct group, owners of Littlewood’s, Very and Isme, discussed the group’s use of Twitter in an interview with Drapers, saying that “Increasingly, customers are reaching out to us on Twitter, and ultimately they want our help. I think many retailers were quite scared of negative comments, but our view has been to embrace [them]. We encourage the conversation to be suitable for all our customers, so it’s important to keep an eye on it, but not to be heavyhanded.”

It is often a concern of businesses that if complaints are made public then it could tarnish the reputation of the company. However, this is counter argued by the idea that customers with negative reviews and complaints will post about these issues 10

regardless of whether or not the brand in question has a twitter account. It is therefore in the brands favour to answer these tweets, and be seen by others to be taking the matter seriously. This thought is echoed again, by Jonathan Hudson, who says that “If someone says they’ve got a problem with a delivery, we don’t delete that; what’s also important, especially with anything negative, is to feed that back to the right part of the business.”

However, having an account which encourages customers to tweet queries and questions requires someone (or multiple people) to reply to them quickly and efficiently in order to keep customers happy. Due to this, many companies have introduced online ‘opening times’ so that customers know that their tweets will be replied to within set hours, eliminating any confusion. This method has worked, and continues to work incredibly well across all different sectors of the retail industry. A good example of this is the supermarket giant, Tesco, who employ a team of people that work in shifts that give prompt, helpful & friendly responses to their customers’ tweets.

It is something that has worked for companies who need to give customers up to date information in time sensitive cases. For example, train line companies such as First Great Western have turned to twitter in order to report any problems with the lines, changes or delays to schedules trains. It also allows customers to Tweet the company to check if their train is running on time, or ask general questions. Because twitter works in such an instant way, it has suited this method of communication perfectly, and is a service that is becoming increasingly popular amongst businesses such as these.

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Proposed Twitter Strategy: It is proposed that Zara introduce separate Twitter accounts for each of their lines so that they can dedicate unique content to each of them. This will involve things such as links to the promotional campaign videos for each line as featured on YouTube, images of new garments added to the collection linked to their Instagram account, focus group style questions and competitions to engage with followers .It is strongly suggested that Zara update their Twitter account on a daily basis, as this is proven to be crucial in terms of building upon brand loyalty. It is also recommended that they have a Twitter account dedicated solely to customer service, as shown in the mock up below. This is encouraged due to the success and positive customer feedback from their competitor, Asos. This page should clearly promote set ‘opening hours’ for when their customer service twitter will be manned, and ensure that the staff working on this account have a good communication strategy with their colleagues in the company’s customer service department in order to effectively deal with individual cases and order numbers. It is important that tweets received to this account are replied to in a helpful and efficient way, and that negative feedback is dealt with politely and in an effective way in order for the complaint to be passed to the relevant department, ensuring that the problem does not happen again.

Key points: 1. Separate Twitter accounts for each line:  Zara Woman  TRF  Zara Man  Zara Kids 2. Account dedicated to customer service ‘@ZaraHelp’ 3. All accounts updated daily with:  Links to promotional campaigns on YouTube  Competitions  Focus group style questions  Images linked to Zara’s Instagram account

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EXISTING TWITTER ACCOUNT

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MOCK UP OF PROPOSED ALTERATIONS

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Chapter 3: YouTube YouTube is the social networking site dedicated to moving image. With over one billion users visiting the site each month and over a staggering one trillion views in 2011xiii, it is often one of the first places customers search for their favourite fashion brands. A hub for creative content produced by companies showcasing their new looks, YouTube gives viewers the opportunity to discuss their opinions about the video using the site’s thumbs up or thumbs down system. In a recent journal titled ‘Social media early adopters don’t count’ by T. E. Yeo (September 21012), it stated that YouTube was the most visited of all websites on the internet in June 2011. It goes on to say: “YouTube offers opportunity for large audiences with low barriers to entry— appeals that have attracted professional and ordinary consumers alike to create and upload videos.”

Because of this many fashion brands have taken to YouTube as a place for them to share their videos with loyal fans. Some brands stick to posting their recent advertising campaigns or runway clips, but some have taken the opportunity to expand on their current practices. One example in particular is British luxury brand, Burberry. They have an on-going feature called Burberry Acoustic in which they ask (often undiscovered) bands to let them film a song which is then uploaded to the Burberry YouTube site. These videos have included acts that have gone on to become well respected artists such as One Night Only, (whose front man George Craig was also a Burberry Model alongside actress Emma Watson in one campaign) Jake Bugg & Tom Odell.

Figure 4 Burberry Acoustic. Jae Bugg - Country Song

Shot, edited and presented to viewers in a way that is in keeping with the brands ethos, identity and overall aesthetic, the videos give fans a little something extra than just the usual ad campaigns, along with the occasional message to the fans from 15

Burberry’s Chief Creative Officer, Christopher Bailey. This builds upon brand loyalty and sets Burberry apart from their competitors.

Behind the scenes videos are another option that gives fans an immediate insight into the goings on of their favourite brands. A sneak peek into the industry, these types of videos often show how photo shoots are created, how the models are styled and how their makeup is applied. Having a variety of different types of videos on a YouTube account adds diversity to the brand, and encourages the viewers to regularly check back to see what has been recently uploaded. It is therefore crucial that the account holder thinks logically and carefully about what they name the videos they upload in order for it to be successful terms of viewing numbers. This is because it will often not come up in the YouTube’s search engine if it does not include the key words most users are searching for. A main example of this is the selection of behind the scenes videos that Zara have uploaded in previous seasons xiv

such as the video titled “ZARA Autumn/Winter 2010-2011 – Casual” . Due to them not featuring the words “behind the scenes” in the title, it is not until the viewer begins to watch the video that they realise what the content entails. Because of this, fans of the brand could end up searching through many different videos before coming across the one they actually want to watch, or they may subsequently not bother searching and give up as a result of the lack of clarity.

Zara’s YouTube page currently features promotional campaign videos from each season (Autumn/Winter & Spring/Summer) for each of their four lines, Zara Woman, TRF, Zara Man and Zara Kids. For the past two seasons, A/W 2012 and S/S 2013, Cara Delevingne, one of the most talked about British models of 2012, has featured in their TRF campaignsxv.

Figure 5 Zara TRF Spring Summer 2013 Campaign

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Zara are not the only brand to have no doubt paid over the odds to use Cara Delevingne in their recent campaigns and shows. Topshop Unique’s London Fashion Week show (amongst other big labels labels) featured Miss Delevingne as their show stopping moment and her appearance had a monumental affect with fans of the shows. This was evident in the way in which people took to social media to discuss what they had seen, as reported on Elle Magazine’s website. “With a phenomenal 18,553 tweets being sent about her [Cara Delevingne] over the five-day week, totally eclipsing the most tweeted-about front row celebrity – 1D’s Louis Tomlinson, who earned the honour despite attending only one show.”xvi Topshop took the opportunity to use the ‘model of the moment’ by asking her to film a series of behind the scenes videos for the “Topshop Podcasts” section of their YouTube account. Jumping on the bandwagon of the viral video of the start of 2013, Topshop uploaded a video featuring Cara Delevingne, Jourdan Dunn, and Rosie Tapner doing “The Harlem Shake” dance craze back stage at the Unique fashion show. xvii

As well as this, there is an up close and personal video with Cara in which she talks viewers through the contents of her handbag.xviii

Both of these videos put together have been viewed over one and a half million times.

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Proposed YouTube Strategy: It is proposed that Zara create behind the scenes videos for each of their lines every time they shoot a new campaign. These must be clearly named “behind the scenes” in order for them to appear in YouTube searches. It is recommended that the brand take full advantage of using Cara Delevingne in these behind the scenes videos if she is to model for their TRF line again. These videos could include other kinds of videos as well as the ordinary behind the scenes, such as a “life in the day of Cara” video which would attract new viewers to the Zara account.

It is also suggested that Zara could continue to explore their heritage in the same way that it is proposed using the Facebook Timeline, by using YouTube to give viewers guided tours around their headquarters in Spain, their privately owned factories and interviews with employees.

It is recommended that their YouTube site should be updated with new and original content at least once per month. The new campaign videos accompanied by the behind the scenes videos will naturally be produced twice a year, but the extras suggested above can be staggered throughout the other months of the year to keep viewers checking back at the channel.

Key Points: 1. Behind the Scenes footage 2. Clear and informative video titles 3. Extra insights into the life of Zara 4. Updated once a month (minimum)

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EXISTING YOUTUBE CHANNEL

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MOCK UP OF PROPOSED ALTERATIONS

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Chapter 4: Instagram In terms of social networking sites, Instagram is the most recent to take the fashion world by storm, as it was only launched in 2010xix. Initially only available for iPhone users (however it is now available across android and other smart phone & tablet devices) it is an image based sharing site that allows users to add basic filters to the images in order to give them an old fashioned theme. When explaining the app in WGSN’s Social Media report from 14th March 2012, Rachel Arthur said that “The best way to think of it is perhaps as a visual alternative to Twitter”xx Boasting impressive statistics such as the fact that they have over one million active monthly users, 8500 ‘likes’ per second and 40 million photo’s uploaded per day, it has taken the world by storm.

It has been argued that Instagram should not be viewed as a social networking site in the league as others such as Facebook and Twitter, due to it being used via a smart phone instead of online via a laptop or computer. However, Paul Kedrowsky said in an interview with BBC News that “Since launching on Android last week and adding one million users a day, it became obvious that this wasn't just a photo sharing app - it was a competitive social network”xxi The app was used relentlessly by British publications such as Grazia and UK Vogue throughout fashion week, as it was an instant way to report to readers directly from the front row.

Figure 6 Photograph from British Vogue's Instagram from the Temperley show at LFW

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It has also been used by companies such as Mercedes Benz Fashion Week to report from other events such as the Coachella Festival in America. They posted the image below on their Facebook page with an example of some of the photographs their fans could find if they were to click on the link provided or search for them on their phones. This is a good way to link social networking sites together, and use Facebook as a platform to inform their fans about other things the brand is doing.

Figure 7 Mercedes Benz Fashion Week. Facebook post from 19th April 2013

Not only has it been used by the fashion industry in this way, but one high end brand in particular based the entire look of their most recent advertising campaign around images generated by Instagram. Hudson Jeans used British model Georgia May Jagger in the Instagram themed spring 2013 campaign which was shot at iconic London locations such as Abby Road and Camden Lock.

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Figure 8 Hudson Jeans Spring 2013 Campaign

The images were edited using filters similar to those found on the app, giving the campaign an instantly recognisable look.

Some brands and designers prefer to devote more of their time to one social media platform and concentrate on doing it well, instead of trying to juggle their time between all of them. This is often most evident when the ‘brains’ behind the brand is one individual, who fans want to connect with. This is the case when it comes to New York designer, Zac Posen. To date, he has over 182,000 followers on the site, which he posts a constant daily stream (even on weekends) of images related not only to his brand, but his life too. WGSN featured his use of the social networking platform in a report titled “Zac Posen: Instagram Best Practice” in which he was interviewed about the way he uses the app, and his reasons for doing so. He explained that: "What I love about Instagram is that it's complete branding. I'm able to be as honest and personal as possible while building an identity of a brand, without actually at this stage taking out an advertorial in print." Posen then goes on to say that "In my creative process, what that feedback gives me the ability to do is react. I like to surprise, to entice, to tease with my posts. It all goes into it."

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Proposed Instagram Strategy: It is proposed that Zara create an official account as soon as possible. There is currently an account named ‘Official Zara’ however the brand have made no comment as to whether or not this is genuine. If it is not, it could potentially be damaging to the brands reputation depending on what it uploaded. Once the official account is created, it is recommended that the link to it is published on the ‘contact us’ section of their website, alongside the links to their other sites.

Once the Instagram account is activated, it is suggested that Zara upload images taken from the look books of their different lines, ensuring that they specify what line the garments are from, such as Zara Woman or TRF etc. it is also suggested that Zara upload images that give followers an insight into Zara as a brand. For example, what the employees are wearing, what they’re eating on their breaks and what is currently inspiring the design team.

It is advised that Zara upload images to the Instagram account on a daily basis. This would be in line with the current practices of their competitors, and keep Zara at forefront of follower’s minds. Finally, it is recommended that they chose one photograph to be uploaded to the Zara Facebook page once a week, with a link to their Instagram account. This will increase the traffic flow of users to the account with help of Zara’s 18 million + fans, which will help establish the newly launched site.

Key Points: 1. Create an official account that is verified by having a link to it published on their website alongside Zara’s other social networks.

2. Regularly update it with images of the new look books 3. Clearly specify which line the garments are from. For example Zara Woman or TRF etc.

4. Include images that give a snapshot into daily life at Zara e.g.  What the employees are wearing to work  What is inspiring the design team  What they are eating for lunch 5. Updated daily 6. One photograph posted onto the Facebook page a week

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FAKE ‘OFFICIAL ZARA’ INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT

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MOCK UP OF PROPOSED ALTERATIONS

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MOCK UP OF PROPOSED ALTERATIONS

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Other social networking sites & means of communication: Zara currently uses online imaged based social networking site Pinterest to good effect. Updating it with images from their recent look books from each line, fans are able to see the collections in full. There is no current need for a change in strategy for this particular site; however it is recommended that Zara might want to expand on the content slightly, to echo the kinds of images posted on their Instagram site. This is seen as less important for the current time however, as it is thought to be more beneficial for Zara to concentrate on the four main social media sites listed above.

The other way in which Zara communicates with its customers is through their email subscription service. Customers can sign up on the Zara website, and specify which line or lines they would like to receive information about. By doing this, customers have already opted for the type of content they wish to receive. Currently, these emails only include images of the look books for the particular line they have chosen (as seen in the example below.) However, it is proposed that once Zara have established the four main social networking sites, they can include highlights and links to these in their emails. For example, this could feature competitions run on twitter, a selection of images from Instagram or a behind the scenes video on YouTube. It is proposed that these emails are sent out no more than once a week, as it is not recommended that Zara bombard the customer with information. It should be viewed more as a ‘highlights of the week’ email.

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Conclusion Following these recommendations will ensure that Zara gain an increased amount of brand loyalty from their customers. They are simple, cost effective suggestions that will enable the brand to build a closer relationship with their customers, whilst maintaining the ethos that they do not want to take part in multi million pound advertising campaigns to promote the brand in an overzealous way. In summary, it is advised that Zara put the following 17 suggestions in to place: Facebook: 1. Regular daily updates with:  Images of new garments  Competitions  Questions 2. Teach fans the history of the brand.

3. Links to other social media platforms Twitter: 4. Separate Twitter accounts for each line:  Zara Woman  TRF  Zara Man  Zara Kids 5. Account dedicated to customer service ‘@ZaraHelp’ 6. All accounts updated daily with:  Links to promotional campaigns on YouTube  Competitions  Focus group style questions  Images linked to Zara’s Instagram account YouTube: 7. Behind the Scenes footage 8. Clear and informative video titles 9. Extra insights into the life of Zara 10. Updated once a month (minimum) Instagram: 11. Create an official account that is verified by having a link to it published on their website alongside Zara’s other social networks.

12. Regularly update it with images of the new look books 13. Clearly specify which line the garments are from. For example Zara Woman or TRF etc.

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14. Include images that give a snapshot into daily life at Zara e.g.  What the employees are wearing to work  What is inspiring the design team  What they are eating for lunch 15. Updated daily 16. One photograph posted onto the Facebook page a week Email: 17. Send out a ‘highlights of the week’ email featuring links to different social media sites such as:  Behind the scenes videos on YouTube  Photographs from Instagram  Competitions on Twitter

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Walker Naylor, R. et al. ‘Beyond the like button’ Journal of Marketing November 2012.

Bruhn, M. et al. “Are social media replacing traditional media in terms of brand equity creation?”

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