Youtube Campaign for Flight Club

Introduction

The YouTube campaign benefits from the superstars that go to the shop as each of them already has a loyal fan base. Most of these supporters follow their favorite celebrities keenly online. Having the stars appear on the show guarantees that their fans will watch their favorite celebrities shopping, which in turn motivates the said fans to visit the store. The celebrities do not just purchase goods: they have a conversation with Joe La Puma about how they grew up and their relationship with sneakers from an early age. The talks reinforce the status of sneakers in contemporary culture.

YouTube Campaign for Flight Club

Flight Club’s Instagram account has 2.4 million followers; hence, a large number of people views each post by the company. Moreover, the company does not pay for any of the pictures that they upload to the site, which saves it a large amount of money. Happy customers tag the site in images of shoes that they have purchased from the store. The large Instagram following coupled with the quality products sold by the site and comments from happy clients inspire trust from new prospective clients.

Weaknesses

The YouTube campaign only promotes the products to the upper class of society. Although it may have its pros, it also has a fair amount of cons. Some of the shoes that these celebrities buy are unreasonably expensive. For instance, some of the boots bought by stars on the show cost more than $5000 each. Therefore, watching a show where people buy shoes at high prices may de-motivate one from going into the store. The working class may think that all the shoes sold at that store are overpriced.

Furthermore, the YouTube deal is not exclusive. The Complex YouTube channel takes stars to some of Flight Club’s competitors. For instance, stars may be taken to Stadium Goods to purchase shoes. That means that the loyal viewers of the show are directed to watch their favorite stars buy merchandise from other shops. Although it is a significant drawback, it has not yet impeded the success of the store.

Lastly, the Instagram account has embraced a lazy marketing scheme. For example, pictures of shoes are uploaded without a background, and almost all of them are pictured in the same manner. Going through the company’s page proves to be boring; however, it does not mean that the pictures are of a bad quality. They are clear, and the shoes are well arranged. The issue is that it seems that no extra effort or thought was invested in the Instagram marketing.

Recommendations

Fight Club should have its own dedicated YouTube channel. The objective of using Complex to market the shop has paid off: Flight Club now enjoys a broad customer base and global popularity. To further strengthen its brand name, the company should create a YouTube channel where it shares exciting stories. The genesis of the store, how it operates, who it buys its shoes from, and the average clientele would make for compelling viewer content. Moreover, airing content such as the daily running of the company would probably interest many followers.

Furthermore, Fight Club needs to invest in a larger and more vibrant social media team. After looking at their Instagram page, it is evident that the company does not have a dedicated social media team, and if it does, they are understaffed. They should invest in more diverse pictures and probably a styling department. Instagram is a visual site where exciting photos attract more followers while boring ones elicit no reaction. Consequently, the business ought to spice up their page by having pictures with celebrities and shoes worn by models in different settings.

Strategic social media alliances could prove an asset to Fight Club. Sites such as Instagram have empowered a new cadre of social media influencers who are famous and popular for having good content. Some of these individuals enjoy massive followings. Flight Club ought to work with them to increase their Instagram followers count to at least five million. Moreover, its competitors are not idling, and that knowledge should inspire the company to work harder. To achieve its goals, Flight Club should have a link of its Instagram account on the episodes of ‘Shopping with Complex’ where its Los Angeles or New York stores are featured.

Social responsibility campaigns are a great way of giving back to the society. Moreover, a strong CSR campaign is guaranteed to improve a business’ corporate image and support behavior such as purchase seeking (Du, Bhattacharya & Sen, 2010). Fight Club should have a drive where it gives away shoes to the less fortunate children in a neighborhood. Children go to school wishing they had good Nike or Adidas shoes because it is a sign of prestige. Some do summer jobs to raise the money to buy a decent pair of shoes. However, some children cannot afford good sneakers no matter how cheap they are. Flight Club should have a program where it gives away or buys for kids reasonably priced shoes. A good CSR campaign will improve the social standing of the company in the eyes of society.

Fight Club ought to make a move into the sale of cheaper shoes. It already has a chokehold on the high-end sneaker retail market. In fact, its name is almost synonymous with expensive sneakers. It should challenge itself and start a junior brand to invest in more affordable shoes. The social media handle of the new store should be handled separately. Ultimately, it would lead to the creation of a new brand under the Flight Club.

Conclusion

Flight Club is an online sneaker resale store with two physical stores that specializes in reselling used and new sports shoes. The strategic use of YouTube and Instagram are a significant reason for the company’s unrivaled success. It is impossible to have a discourse on the Flight Club brand without discussing Damany Weir. He built himself up to become a brand which he then transformed into Flight Club. Thus, one cannot consider one of these brands without discussing the other. The company charges high prices because it understands that the sneaker culture enjoys a cult-like following.

Premium charges mean that a majority of the businesses customers are aficionados and sneaker enthusiasts. Flight Club’s YouTube marketing strategy is unconventional; it uses Complex’ site to have its wares marketed. Although the strategy has worked well so far, it is time for the business to open its own YouTube Handle. The company has a healthy Instagram following; however, it can improve it by working with influencers. It should also consider hiring a larger social media management team to take better pictures of its catalog. Finally, the business ought to hold social corporate responsibility drives where they provide disadvantaged children with shoes.

References

Du, S., Bhattacharya, C. B., & Sen, S. (2010). Maximizing business returns to corporate social responsibility (CSR): The role of CSR communication. International Journal of Management Reviews, 12(1), 8-19.