Back to School Campaigns & Social Media

The back to school campaign season has definitely seen a transformation over the years. As a millennial my parents relied heavily on television/radio commercials, weekly ad circulars and word of mouth to discover deals on school essentials. Nowadays social media and ecommerce are bigger players in the space. 23% of 2018 back to school spending will be online mainly on clothing, school supplies and electronics. I’d like to review three ecommerce brands who (in my opinion) have succeeded in digital marketing this back to school season (paying special attention to social media).

• Target – They published a back to school article on their “Bullseye View” blog discussing how all students from KG to college can “ace back to school prep at Target.” I actually discovered a link to this article on Pinterest when searching “back to school prep.” I’d share this article with my younger cousins who are college bound this year. The article would help them navigate back to school shopping and hopefully consider Target as a destination. The article itself helps elevate the Target brand to their consumers particularly to parents, students and teachers.
• Ikea – an article on their Ikea Ideas blog titled “Home visit: a space-smart children’s desk” illustrated how parents can help create an inviting work desk for their kids. I discovered this article on a Pinterest board. I would probably share this article if I had friends with school age children, but I don’t. This article was written in typical Ikea fashion: beautiful imagery, carefully thought-out captions drawing special attention to product details and just the right amount of story to go with the subjects pictured. If you’re an Ikea enthusiast, you can relate! Needless to say, it strengthens the Ikea image and brand.
• Macy’s – Back to School & College Fashion Guide (highlighted on the Macy’s app and website) targets students with fun energetic photography and equal language to entice a few clicks. I came across this fashion guide via the Macy’s app. I would certainly share this article with my college bound cousins because I know they shop at Macy’s with their parents and the models pictured dress similarly to them. Macy’s is a brand that targets wives and mothers. Publishing a back to school fashion guide helps Macy’s to draw in those moms along with their discerning kids for back to school shopping.